Somalia: Al-Shabab executes a 93-year-old man for voting MPs

BALAD, Somalia - Al-Shabab has publicly executed a 93-year-old elder accused of participating in the last Somali Parliamentary election picked the current serving lawmakers, Garowe Online reports.

The al-Qaeda-linked militant group confirmed the execution of Abshir Nur Hussein which took place on Monday at Gamboole area, near Bal'ad district of Middle Shabelle region, about 30 Kilometers north of the Mogadishu.

A resident who asked to remain anonymous told Garowe Online that they were told by the extremists to watch the murder of Hussein who was shot dead by a firing squad in front of hundreds of people, including women, and children.

Sources said the elder has been in Al-Shabab secret jail for nearly four months after he was detained while on a reconciliation mission to solve a conflict between pastoralists and farmers in the rebel-held area.

Monday's public execution was the latest in a string of assassinations against the clan elders voted for the lawmakers of the 10th Federal Parliament of Somalia in 2016-2017 elections.

In 2017, Al-Shabaab has vowed to kill anybody who took part in the parliamentary election and subsequently killed dozens of electoral delegates in Mogadishu and other cities in the country.

Since 2011, Al-Shabab has lost control of key stronghold towns, including the capital, but still controls large swathes of territory in rural areas and waging an insurgency aimed at ousting the Western-backed Somali government.

GAROWE ONLINE