Somalia: Information regarding prisons called "Godka" other than the well known one in Mogadishu. Is there a prison called "Godka" in Burao?
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1990 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM6147 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Information regarding prisons called "Godka" other than the well known one in Mogadishu. Is there a prison called "Godka" in Burao?, 1 July 1990, SOM6147, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab7814.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
During a telephone interview on 25 June 1990, the President of the North Somali Association of Quebec stated that the term "godka" means "hole" and is the name of the main security prison in Mogadishu. The activities of the authorities in the institution are unaccountable to the public as they are "hidden" from view and public scrutiny. The source reported that because NSS and Hangash prisons perform the same activities as Godka in Mogadishu, many people may refer to them as "godka". However, the source stated that although there is no prison in Burao called "Godka", there are NSS and Hangash prisons there.
A prominent member of the Somali Canadian community in Toronto, in corroborating the above statements during a telephone interview on 25 June 1990, reported that there are prisons all over the country almost equivalent to the famous Godka. As such, the source stated that the term "godka" is synonymous with "the suffering inflicted upon people in secluded and hidden places by the NSS and the military police (Hangash)".
According to an agricultural economist residing in Ottawa, there is no "Godka" in Burao (telephone interview on 25 June 1990). The source reports that "godka" meaning "hole" refers to being hidden from other people, light and generally being isolated.
Corroborating information from published sources is currently unavailable to the IRBDC.
