Family's anguish over father's 'assassination'

nlnews@archant.co.uk
26 November 2009

THE "assassination" of a Hornsey political activist has not been confirmed almost a year after his suspected death in Ethiopia.

Pictures of a body believed to be British citizen Dr Mohamed Sirad Dolal, 54, of Newland Road, were posted on a rebel group's website in January.

His family believe he was killed in a contested region of Ethiopia - but have been left in limbo as neither the British or Ethiopian governments have confirmed the death.

One of his six daughters, Sagal Dolal, 27, a biomedical scientist, of Newland Road, said: "He was assassinated and they're not telling us anything, they're not even telling us if he's dead.

"I'm not satisfied with what the Foreign Office has done. All I want is a confirmation of my father's death and they're not giving it to me."

Somali Dr Dolal had lived in Hornsey since 1987 and been a British Citizen since 2003.

He was an activist for Somali people in the break-away state of Ogaden which is locked in a struggle for independence from Ethiopia.

He last spoke to his family from Ogaden on January 15 and a website loyal to the Ethiopian government published pictures of a body on January 21.

"They claimed it was my dad and everybody that saw it says it's him," said Miss Dolal.

On a Voice of America radio broadcast in December, her father said his life was in danger from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) - a rebel group of which he was a member.

"He says that the ONLF are trying to kill him and sabotage the plight of the people," said Miss Dolal. "I think the Ethiopian government was involved. I think they bribed some of them to assassinate him."

Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone is trying to set up a meeting with Foreign Secretary David Miliband. Ms Featherstone said: "I share their frustration at the delays in getting straight answers from the Ethiopian authorities or the Foreign Office. I will stay on the case until it is clear that they have done all they can to get some straight answers for the family."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We have seen reports of the death of Mohamed Sirad Dolal. We are providing assistance to his family. We have no further details on the circumstances around his death.