Somalia: Ex-army officer slapped with death sentence for facilitating Al-Shabaab bombings

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A former high-ranking military officer was slapped with a death sentence on Thursday in Somalia, with the court finding him guilty of facilitating Al-Shabaab attacks in the Horn of Africa nation by aiding in the trafficking of explosives to the capital Mogadishu.

Sharif Mohamed Barkhadle, a retired Captain from the Somali National Army [SNA] will now spend the rest of his life in prison after being found culpable of smuggling Al-Shabaab's Vehicle-Born Improvised Explosive Devices [VBIEDs] into the capital Mogadishu, the court heard, where they have been used to launch attacks.

Evidence tabled in the military court confirmed that Sharif has also been buying mortars for the Al-Shabaab ostensibly for attacks within the capital city. His conviction collaborates with witnesses' accounts which initially alleged that former military officials were engaged in Al-Shabaab crimes.

Prosecutors alleged up to 27 people were killed in explosions from VBIEDs smuggled by Barkhadle. The deaths can be accounted for between the period covering January 2019 and last year, with records showing that he used connections from his time in military service to evade the hawk-eyed security team.

According to the Court, Barkhadle was involved in VBIEDs that targeted Village Hotel and Restaurant [Jan 2019], Bar Italia [Feb 2019], Agaweyne restaurant [March 2019], and Lido beach [May 2019]. His lawyer told the Court that he confessed to the charges but later recanted his own admission.

Military courts are deemed efficient in handling crime-related matters in Somalia due to the unavailability of civilian courts, with the little ones existing being understaffed. His conviction has been lauded as a milestone in the fight against Al-Shabaab within the country.

The conviction came moments after the federal government forces and local fighters seized El-Ba’ad [Ceel-Bacad] village in the Middle Shabelle region, to the southeast of Bulobarde town, state media reported. The SNA troops have been on an offensive against the militants whose influence is waning.

At the same time, Somali officials accused al-Shabaab of ‘slaughtering’ a herd of sheep and goats in a village east of Mahaas town, Hiran region, reportedly in an act of apparent revenge for local peoples’ support for military operations. State media published purported pictures of the dead animals which were killed by the militants.

Civilians have actively joined the crackdown against Al-Shabaab in recent weeks, following mobilization by state officers. On Thursday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived at the Engineer Yarisow Stadium where a public rally is taking place dubbed ‘Mogadishu Peoples Uprising’ against al-Shabaab.

There are reports that the rally was briefed and interrupted by explosions in the capital Mogadishu, but it is not clear whether the attackers were targeting protestors who are encouraging security forces who are actively on the battlefield. The soldiers have already been joined by thousands who trained in Eritrea.

GAROWE ONLINE