Somalia: Soldiers charged for deserting duties in Al-Shabaab battlefield

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The government of Somalia is prosecuting four soldiers and a police commander for abandoning duties in the fight against Al-Shabaab, without seeking formal consent from the field commanders who are coordinating the crackdown against Al-Shabab.

The five individuals were formally charged in the military court which has jurisdiction to try such matters in Galmudug state. The five are accused of leaving the battlefield at the peak of the war against al-Shabaab in the central regions.

According to military reports, those charged include Abdi Mohamed Omar, Muhidin Omar Osma, Alas Muumin Barre, and Abdul Qadir Mohamed Omar appeared before the Court of First Instance Wednesday morning.

The police commander attached to Elder District Omar Mohamed Omar was also charged alongside the four soldiers. He is accused of failing to execute his duties under the law and failing to coordinate his subordinates on the battlefield.

Court judge Lieutenant Colonel Abdullahi Abukar Hassan said he would soon issue a ruling on the matter, but they are likely to be slapped with lengthy sentences according to Somali laws, which require officers to formally seek exit.

For the last two years, the government of Somalia has been coordinating the fight against Al-Shabaab with the help of the local militias, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), and the US Africa Command which is also responsible for security responsibilities in Somalia.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that the first phase of operations against Al-Shabaab left over 3000 militants dead but the figure was disputed by the Al-Shabaab militants. The group is fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE