Monday, June 20, 2016
Abdulaziz Billow
Puntland, a semi autonomous region in North Eastern Somalia, has begun the trial of more than 100 Al-Shabaab militants. Three months ago, the region foiled the militant group’s plan to form a local base. Forty-three have already been sentenced to death after admitting to being members.
This was the scene in March, as Puntland forces battled hundreds of militants in a week-long offensive, 173 militants were killed; almost 100 others were captured.
The prisoners were mostly young children—inexperienced and, from the interviews, some say they were kidnapped by Al-Shabaab and forced to join the militant group
But a military court in Puntland region has sentenced 43 militants to death; the regional administration also said that 54 others were minors.
The trial took place in Garowe, the administrative capital of the Puntland state, and experts warn that the absence of the media in the trial will raise serious questions.
“A lot of questions will be raised by he international human rights organizations. Various rights groups will condemn this trial and execution. Considering the fact that most of those arrested were young inexperienced fighters, the due process of the law has to be followed and the media has to present for fairness and equality,” said Sharif Hussein Robow, security analyst.
Al-Shabaab has in the past years waged a campaign against Puntland—its fighters remained holed up in the Galgala Mountains—it has now pledged allegiance to ISIL.
“According to Puntland authorities, the convicted militants can appeal against verdicts. but in 2013, Puntland executed 13 Al-Shabaab militants—the largest single execution ever carried out in Puntland,” said Abdulaziz Billow, Mogadishu, Somalia.
But Puntland’s President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has a message for the militants, whom he accused of recent killings and creating insecurity in that region.
“What I tell Al Shabaab is: our prisons are awash with militants whom we can execute whenever you spill a drop of our people’s blood. That’s my message to the militants. If you kill five of us we will kill 20 of you; we are serious on that note,” he said.
Somali and African Union forces have for years battled the militants in south central Somalia. American drones, too, have proved effective in this case -neutralizing key Al-Shabaab targets, including the former Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, killed in September 2014.