Dictator's son reportedly living in US as regime survivors demand probe: report

Key Points:

• Ayanle Siad Barre, son of former Somali dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, has been living in the Columbus, Ohio area, which hosts a large Somali community, according to a New York Post report.
• Mohamed Siad Barre ruled Somalia from 1969 to 1991 and was accused of widespread atrocities, including mass killings and human rights abuses; his son Ayanle is described by a historian as having been a powerful figure in the regime, though these claims remain unverified.
• Ayanle runs a translation-services company called Somal Global Services, while his sister, Deka Mohamed Siad, was involved in a Medicare-funded home health care business that appears to have operated legitimately.
• Survivors of the Barre regime and human rights activists are calling for investigations into what members of the Barre family knew or did during the dictatorship, but no wrongdoing has been established against Ayanle or other family members.
• U.S. authorities have previously deported another former Barre-era figure, military commander Yusuf Abdi Ali, for involvement in torture and human rights violations, signaling a stance against providing safe haven to perpetrators.