Somalia: Soldier slapped with death sentence for raping minor

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A member of the Somali National Army [SNA] was on Thursday slapped with a death sentence after being convicted of rape, the military court confirmed, in the latest grand ruling that demonstrates Somalia's ability to fight impunity amongst government officials.

Mohamed Hussein Elmi, who had served in the army for a couple of years, was found guilty of raping a 4-year-old girl from Wadajir District of Mogadishu, in an incident which caused outrage from among members of the public and those from civil society, when it was first discovered.

The military court established that the convict was a neighbor to the girl within the capital, Mogadishu and he took advantage of her innocence to commit the act. The girl had come to his house before the tragedy fell, the military court confirmed in the historic judgment.

Military Court chief Col. Hassan Ali Nor said the death sentence was based on "concrete" evidence adding that the crime was committed in May 2020. The victim was identified as Abdishakur Botan, and the family had given "overwhelming" evidence to trigger convection.

Meanwhile, Hassan Nor added that the convicted soldier had only one option that is to apply for an appeal if he was not satisfied with the death sentence. It's not clear whether or not the convict will appeal the sentence, but such cases are not easily overturned by the military court.

Already, the landmark ruling has been received well even within the military circles. Lieutenant Colonel Iman Elman, a member of the elite soldiers, welcomed the verdict but challenged civilian courts to do more in handling the rape incidents which are frequently reported in Somalia.

"Great! now can we do the same for all the other rapists? Why do so many get off the hook with no charges? Is it because the military court has taken a harder stance on rapist than the civilian court? Kudos to Somali military court but what is the civilian court doing about these rapists," said Elman, one of the distinguished female soldiers in the Horn of Africa nation.

The military court often carries out sentences and executions on Al-Shabaab militants and government soldiers who commit crimes despite condemnation from human rights groups including the European Union. More often than not, it's government soldiers who are linked to sexual violence cases.

Military courts have proven effective in Somalia under the leadership of Col. Hassan Ali Nor, following the conviction of several hard-core criminals including members of Al-Shabaab. A fortnight ago, he survived an attack in Gedo after overseeing the conviction of another soldier, who was linked to the January 5 attack at US Naval Base in Manda Airfield, Kenya.

The attack was the first successful operation by the militants on the US military in Africa. The incident left three Americans dead among them a serviceman, leading to an intensive crackdown against the Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

The conviction comes just days after newly appointed Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble promised to appoint a Special Rapporteur for combating sexual violence in Somalia, during his inaugural speech that has been backed by the European Union and the United Nations.

"I am concerned with the rise of sexual violence against women and children. Through a special team, my office will work to ensure these cases are combated by ensuring necessary steps are undertaken," said the PM, in a statement that paves way for the possibility of pushing for the Sexual Offenses Act in parliament.

GAROWE ONLINE