Highlights
- British runner Farah was born in present-day Somaliland
- Mo Farah's story of being trafficked as a child has caught attention across the world
- In the Somali capital Mogadishu, those who have heard of Farah's account have expressed grief
Olympic champion Mo Farah's story of being trafficked as a child to Britain has caught attention across the world. While some Somalis are reacting with horror, others are showing a sense of understanding.
British runner Farah was born in present-day Somaliland, a territory by the Gulf of Aden that has asserted independence from the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia.
In a BBC documentary aired earlier this week, Farah revealed how as a boy at the age of nine or ten years, he was separated from his family and trafficked from neighboring Djibouti to the UK under a new name under which he eventually ran for glory.
In the Somali capital Mogadishu, those who have heard of Farah's account have expressed grief for what he went through as a child forced to work in servitude. But they also point out that he was not alone in facing exploitation.
Farah, who represented Britain at three straight Summer Olympics starting in 2000, is a rare success story. Many others trying to escape poverty, hunger, and violence in countries such as Somalia don't get so lucky — the reason many activists say efforts must be put into supporting local governments to eradicate the many reasons people wish to go.
“It is certainly sad that Mo Farah had such a bad experience as a boy," said Ahmed Dini, who runs the Mogadishu-based children's rights group Peace-Line.
“It has become evident that there are many contributing factors to child trafficking, such as poverty, a lack of adequate education, and insufficient security.”
Farah's family members including his mother and two brothers live near Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital.
In the documentary, produced by the BBC and Red Bull Studios, Farah said he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and recalled going through a British passport check under the guise of Mohamed at the age of nine after traveling with a woman he didn't previously know.
“I had all the contact details for my relative and once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin, and at that moment I knew I was in trouble," he said.
The athlete traveled back to his childhood home in west London, recalling “not great memories” where he was not treated as part of the family.
Farah eventually told teacher Alan Watkinson the truth and moved to live with his friend's mum who took care of him and he ended up staying for seven years.
It was Watkinson who applied for Farah's British citizenship which he described as a “long process." Farah was recognized as a British citizen in 2000.
Now that a man of such celebrity has spoken of his experience, there can no longer be any doubt about the horror of child servitude even among ordinary Somalis who otherwise would find his account “unusual,” said Bashir Abdi, an academic based in Mogadishu.
“Children consistently face abuses, but the story this renowned athlete revealed has captured the attention of many people, including Somalis," he said. “We often hear of child exploitations and I believe that significant (numbers of) Somali children go through domestic violence and abuses, but little is exposed to the public.”
Amina Ali, a stay-home mother of four in Mogadishu, told The Associated Press that it was tough for her to hear the story of a 9-year-old boy “so weak and helpless forced to clean house and change the diapers of other kids.”
“As a mother, I felt sadness for him once I have listened,” she said.
"Praise be to Allah that he is no longer under those circumstances. However, he is now at some point where he can reveal his story and I wish those (who) committed that abuse to be brought before justice one day.”
(Inputs from PTI)
