Somalia: Military court chief recounts father’s killing linked to 2017 Mogadishu bombing case

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The head of Somalia’s first-instance military court, Hassan Ali Nur, known as Shuute, has recounted how Al-Shabaab militants killed his father in what he said was an attempt to derail proceedings against a suspect linked to the deadly 2017 Mogadishu bombing.

Shuute made the remarks while attending a national conference on preventing and combating extremist ideology in the Somali capital on Wednesday, the ninth anniversary of the October 14, 2017, attack.

The bombing at the busy Zoobe junction killed hundreds of people and wounded many others, making it one of the deadliest attacks in Somalia’s history.

Shuute said security agencies investigating the bombing had managed to arrest a man suspected of directing the driver of the truck involved in the attack. He said the suspect was later connected to another vehicle bombing in the Danwadaagta area of Mogadishu.

According to Shuute, the militants initially attempted to distance themselves from the Zoobe bombing and avoid taking responsibility for the devastation.

“When the Zoobe bombing happened, the terrorists tried to distance themselves from it and deny what had occurred,” he said, adding that security agencies had succeeded in arresting one of the people involved in directing the vehicle.

Shuute said his father was subsequently killed in an effort to prevent the court from hearing the case against the suspect linked to the bombing.

He described the killing as a painful experience for his family but said it did not deter him or his colleagues from carrying out their judicial duties.

The suspect was brought before the court towards the end of December that year, Shuute said. After a subsequent hearing date was scheduled, he received a telephone call the night before proceedings were due to resume.

A young man from his neighbourhood called to warn him that his parents were being targeted, Shuute recounted. The caller later contacted him again to tell him that his father had been killed.

Shuute said his father had returned from an area controlled by Al-Shabaab three days before the killing, adding that he believed the attack was intended to obstruct the court case.

He said the timing of the murder convinced him that the militants wanted to stop the proceedings from going ahead.

Despite the loss, Shuute said his family buried his father and he went to court the following morning to continue the hearing.

“After we buried his body, we went straight to the court the same morning to proceed with the case,” he said.

His account highlighted the risks faced by judicial officials and their families in Somalia, where Al-Shabaab has repeatedly targeted government personnel, security forces and people involved in the country's justice system.

The Al-Qaeda-linked group has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than a decade, carrying out bombings, assassinations and attacks on military and civilian targets.

The Zoobe bombing remains a defining moment in Somalia’s recent history, prompting widespread public outrage and renewed calls for action against the militant group.

Somali authorities have continued military operations against Al-Shabaab while also pursuing legal cases against suspects accused of involvement in attacks and the group's activities.

At the conference, officials discussed efforts to counter extremist ideology alongside security measures, underscoring the government's emphasis on challenging the group's influence as well as its military capabilities.

Shuute’s remarks offered a personal account of the human cost of the insurgency and the pressure faced by those seeking to prosecute suspected militants.

GAROWE ONLINE