When a major terror attack leaves indelible physical and emotional scars, the path for most survivors is one of retreat and healing. But for Aamina Abukar Malaay, the 2022 Al-Shabaab siege of the Hayat Hotel became a catalyst for a profound act of defiance: she traded her life as a civilian for a uniform, ascending quickly to the rank of Captain in the Somali Police Force.
The 25-year-old’s recent promotion took social media by storm last week, but the reason for the celebration is rooted in tragedy. Aamina’s decision to join the security services was cemented after she barely survived the brutal 30-hour siege that began on August 21, 2022, an attack from which she is still medically recovering.
As Aamina exclusively told Somali Stream, fragments from the second blast of the attack remain lodged in her head. Doctors have advised against rushing the surgery and recommended she seek specialized medical treatment abroad. Her story is a testament to resilience, transforming personal trauma into a mission to defend the nation.
The Attack and the Decision
Aamina was attending a work-related meeting at the Hayat Hotel when a powerful explosion and relentless gunfire tore through the building. Recognizing instantly they were under attack, everyone in her group scrambled for cover.
“I managed to run downstairs to the reception area,” she recalled. “While I was standing there, the second explosion hit. That’s the one that severely injured me.” Although Aamina initially didn’t feel the pain, she instinctively ran toward a nearby window, preparing to jump. “Then I felt weak. My sight grew dim, and my heart rate slowed down,” she said. A friend with her realized Aamina was bleeding heavily and pulled her under a pile of tables and chairs, where they played dead among the casualties.
The harrowing ordeal escalated as the militants entered their hiding space. “The shooting group came into our room. They shot the girl who was next to me, whose legs were touching mine, and I watched,” Aamina recounted. When the victim cried out while reciting the Shahada (Islamic creed), asking why she was being killed, the militants responded: “Why are you here? Don’t you work for the government?”
Aamina’s rescue came hours later when the late Banadir Regional Police Commander, General Farhan Qarole, himself, who was killed by terrorists a month later, entered the section where she was hidden.
She cried out and was immediately evacuated to a hospital in Mogadishu. Tragically, the commander who saved her life was killed in a landmine explosion just days later while conducting an operation on the outskirts of the capital.
The attack claimed the lives of Aamina’s colleagues and friends. “I lost workmates I loved. Four girls we were sitting with were killed. Six were wounded, including me,” she stated. She emphasized the senselessness of the violence: “They had done nothing to deserve to be killed. They had a future. Some were the sole providers for their families… and those who kill us don’t even know why they are doing it”.
Aamina confessed she had always wanted to join the security forces but feared the danger of being killed or wounded, a fear rooted in seeing family and acquaintances die in service. Everything changed when she, as a civilian, was brutally targeted in a workplace attack where cherished friends were murdered before her eyes.
“Rather than dying from a bullet not meant for me, I decided to die from a bullet meant for me,” she declared, her voice firm. “It means a great deal to me to wear this rank and serve my nation”.
Aamina, who holds a university degree which is a fact she says helped her advancement in the police force also noted that she received both military and security training, including public engagement skills. She proudly mentioned that her own brother serves in the Somali National Army, currently on the front lines of the war against Al-Shabaab in the Harardheere district.
Aamina Abukar Malaay’s journey from a terrified victim under a table to a Captain in the national police force stands as a powerful symbol of defiance against terrorism and an inspiration to women across Somalia seeking to build a resilient future.