AMISOM soldiers sentenced to death by tribunal for killing civilians

The trial of five AMISOM soldiers who killed civilians in Golwayn area of ​​Lower Shabelle region has concluded in Mogadishu today.

The trial, which began this month at the AMISOM Court in Halane, sentenced two Ugandan soldiers to death.

The AMISOM military court also sentenced three of the defendants to 39 years in prison each.

Lower Shabelle farmers’ spokesman Hussein Osman Wasuge, who was present at the court, told the BBC that seven people had testified against the suspects, six of whom were Ugandan troops on the ground, he said.

“There were (members) from the military court in Uganda who arrived in Mogadishu to prosecute the soldiers. It (hearing) started on Friday. For two days, witnesses testified. We were invited and we listened. The trial took place in Halane, but we had no Somali lawyer to represent us. The witness we put forward is the son of the landowner,” said Hussein Wasuge.

“The captain of the army was sentenced to death while another soldier of the killer cell was also sentenced to death by firing squad. The man who planted the landmine and blew up the dead bodies and the two men who opened fire were sentenced to 39 years in prison. ”

Relatives of the slain civilians in court said they were happy with the verdict.

In the incident, which took place in August this year, seven civilians were killed, some of whom were reportedly planted with a landmine, then detonated by the African Union troops.

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