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The son of former Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, whose brutal regime was accused of widespread atrocities during his more than two decades in power, has been living in Ohio for years, according to a new report.
Ayanle Siad Barre, 61, lives in the Columbus area, home to a large Somali community, the New York Post reported. The outlet also identified his sister, Deka Mohamed Siad, as living in Ohio.
Their father ruled Somalia from 1969, until his government was overthrown in 1991. His regime has been accused of mass killings that left as many as 200,000 people dead, torture and other human rights abuses, including atrocities against the Isaaq clan. Mohamed Siad Barre died in 1995.
Historian and Oxford University doctoral researcher Mohamed Haji Ingiriis described Ayanle as his father’s “right-hand man” and alleged that he wielded significant power within the government, according to the Post. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those allegations.
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Mohamed Siad Barre, president of Somalia, on Nov. 18, 1981. (UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images, File)
Fox News Digital previously reported that another figure from the Barre era, former Somali military commander Yusuf Abdi Ali, had lived in the U.S. before being deported.
An immigration judge determined in 2024 that Ali personally engaged in torture while serving in the Somali National Army, and ordered soldiers under his command to detain and torture civilians and assist in extrajudicial killings, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Ali, who had been living as a permanent resident in Virginia, was deported to Somalia in December 2024.
“The United States will not be a safe haven for those who commit human rights violations,” ICE official Russell Hott said at the time.
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Somalia President Mohamad Siad Barre in 1981. (Kevin Fleming/Corbis via Getty Images, File)
The Post also reported that Ayanle established a translation-services company called Somal Global Services.
His sister, Deka, and her late husband operated Vanguard Home Health Care, which received more than $1.8 million in Medicare funding, according to documents reviewed by the publication.
The Post reported that the company appeared to have operated legitimately and filed the appropriate paperwork.
Some survivors of the Barre regime are now calling for U.S. authorities to investigate members of the former dictator’s family.
Human rights activist Suleiman Bolaleh called for an investigation to determine what Barre family members knew or did during the dictatorship, according to the Post.
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Mohamed Siad Barre, left, president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1991, stands with military officers and senior regime officials in Mogadishu in 1969. (Pictures from History/Universal, File)
The calls for an investigation do not establish wrongdoing by Ayanle or other family members.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ayanle Siad Barre for comment, but attempts to reach him through publicly listed contact information were unsuccessful.
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ICE, Department of Justice and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this reporting.
