The case, which involved the murder and burning of a vulnerable elderly man, sparked nationwide outrage and drew intense public attention. The horrific acts were believed to be motivated by clan-based violence.

The Somali Armed Forces Court of First Instance handed down death sentences, to be carried out by firing squad, to the following individuals: Hassan Buule Isaaq, Yusuf Adan Hussein (Suuley), Abshir Cabdow Hassan Made, Mohamed Sayid Omar Awbiime, Omarey Iskoy Maame, Abuukar Da’uud Osman, Liibaan Abuukar Omar (Shiine), Yusuf Abuukey Maamo, and Jamaal Mohamed Qaadi.

The group was charged in connection with a mass killing in Warta Osman, a location several kilometers from the Wanlaweyn district, where they allegedly murdered 12 people and burned an elderly man identified as Isaaq Da’uud Mohamed.

The court also issued death sentences in absentia for several individuals who remain at large but are wanted by authorities: Ali Isxaaq Guuleed (Ali Yaris), Fu’aad Ahmed Mohamed (Duqow), Deqow Osman Nunow, Isse Abdi Mohamed (Alaan), Hussein Mohamed Qasim, and Abdi Mohamed Osman (Abdi Tuure).

Additionally, the court sentenced the following individuals to five years each in military prison for their roles in the burning of the elderly man: Abdifitaah Sokorey Gaduudow, Daahir Mukhtaar Shibow, Saah Hussein Ali, Abdihamid Abdullahi Siidow, Mohamed Daahir Osman, and Muslimo Abdi Kuusow.

However, Ahmed Salah Abuukar, Qasim Abdi Hassan Amin, Abuukar Yusuf Ali Ahmed, and Osman Abdulle Aliyow were acquitted and released after prosecutors failed to prove their involvement.

The post Somali Military Court Sentences Individuals to Death Over Brutal Killings in Lower Shabelle appeared first on Kaab TV.

General Ahmed Haji Abdullahi, the Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Armed Forces Court—commonly known as Kamey—stated that certain officials have been shielded from legal consequences despite substantial evidence of their involvement in violent clan clashes.

“Officials from both sides participated in the fighting in Wanlaweyn District. They supplied the militias with weapons, ammunition, and money, and also defended them verbally and supported them on social media,” the deputy prosecutor said.

“We have now gathered extensive evidence proving that some authorities benefiting from immunity are directly aligned with the militias that fought in Wanlaweyn District,” he added.

He further noted that the Committee of the Federal Parliament, along with the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, will request the removal of immunity from the implicated MPs once the evidence is formally presented.

The post What Happens to MPs if Their Immunity Is Revoked? appeared first on Kaab TV.

According to the report, the Wanla-Weyn district administration had demanded forced payments from the local community “under the pretext of constructing Wanla-Weyn Hospital.” However, residents refused to pay, citing a lack of trust in the local administration.

In response to the broadcast, armed officers from the Darwish police—a unit trained by the European Union for South West State—raided the radio station on Friday night and arrested Ismail Khalif Ahmed, who is both the station’s director and founder.

He was released the following day, Saturday, 31 May.

Journalists at Radio Wanlaweyn FM told Kaab TV they were forced to delete the report and issue a public apology as a condition for Ismail’s release.

This incident is the latest in a string of attacks and repression targeting journalists in the region.

In March, gunmen linked to the Banadir Police Commissioner, Moalim Mahdi, abducted Ibrahim Mohamed Mayow, a journalist based in Afgoye. He was found a week later in Mogadishu after being released by his captors onto the street at midnight.

In February, a government-affiliated clan militia in Lower Shabelle kidnapped journalist Omar Yusuf Mohamed (also known as Omar Guux), who reports for Nabad Somali TV, a Facebook-based news outlet. Omar had been covering local complaints about militia raids and arbitrary detentions in and around the KM50 area.

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) reported that Omar was held in an abandoned makeshift shelter in KM50 and was later released the same day.

Southwest State authorities have not commented on any of these incidents.

The post Radio Wanlaweyn FM’s Director Arrested and Forced to Delete Critical Reporting appeared first on Kaab TV.

Wanla-Weyn which is a strategic town on the main road to Baidoa is about 90km (55 mi) from the capital, Mogadishu.

Reports indicate that a clan militia blocked the main road between Wanla-Weyn and Afgooye during the incident. Disturbingly, the armed clan militia singled out the deputy commissioner before shooting him at a point-blank range causing his immediate demise, according to Abdihakin Abdullahi, the District Commissioner of Wanla-Weyn.

“We are sending our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of The deputy district commissioner of Wanla-Weyn, Hashim Mohamed Shareero. May he rest in peace,” the Wanla-Weyn District Administration wrote on their Facebook page.

The militia not only targeted the deputy commissioner but also looted a significant cache of weapons and ammunition from the convoy destined for Wanla-Weyn.

According to local security sources, the arms and ammunition being transported from the Somali National Army storage in Mogadishu were diverted for the ongoing clan conflict in the Lower Shabelle region.

The influx of heavy machine guns and ammunition, diverted from the Somali military, is exacerbating the clashes between rival militias in Wanla-Weyn and Barawe. This has resulted in the loss of numerous civilian lives and the displacement of hundreds of people.

The situation has further escalated as gunmen have now barricaded the road connecting Afgoye and Wanla-Weyn, leading to a disruption in commercial transportation between the two towns.

Numerous drivers have reported being trapped due to the blockade, hampering the flow of goods and services in the area on Saturday.

The regional administration in Lower Shabelle has yet to provide a statement regarding these incidents.

The post Wanla-Weyn Deputy Commissioner killed in ambush, weapons looted as clan conflict escalates in Lower Shabelle appeared first on Kaab TV.