JOWHAR, Somalia (GG) — The First-Instance Court of the Armed Forces convened a judicial hearing on Thursday in Jowhar, the administrative capital of the Middle Shabelle region, to try a regional paramilitary soldier accused of killing one civilian and severely wounding another after being splashed with water.
The defendant, identified as Hudayfa Abukar Ahmed, a member of the Hirshabelle State Darawish forces, faces charges of intentional homicide and causing grievous bodily harm stemming from an April 20 shooting incident at a security checkpoint on the periphery of Jowhar.
According to evidence tendered before the military tribunal, the victims were traveling on a two-wheeled motorcycle when they negotiated a water-logged section of the road adjacent to the checkpoint. The vehicle inadvertently splashed muddy water onto Ahmed’s military uniform, prompting the armed soldier to immediately discharge his service weapon at the passing civilians.
The gunfire resulted in the immediate death of Said Ali Nur Shire, while a second passenger, identified as Dibane Adan Mohamed Ibrahim, sustained critical injuries and remains under medical care.
Taking the stand during the proceedings, Ahmed admitted to firing his weapon at the civilians but explicitly denied having premeditated intent to kill the passengers. The accused testified that his actions were a spontaneous, impulsive reaction driven by anger over the defacement of his official attire.
The military prosecution formally requested the panel of judges to hand down a capital sentence of execution by firing squad. State prosecutors argued that the gravity of the offense warrants the implementation of Qisas—the Islamic legal principle of equal retribution—asserting that the deployment of lethal force against unarmed citizens lacked any lawful justification.
Conversely, the defense counsel petitioned the panel for leniency, arguing that the shooting lacked premeditation and transpired during a temporary fit of rage. The defense requested the court to mitigate the sentence by ordering the payment of financial compensation, or blood money, known as Diya, to the family of the deceased in lieu of capital punishment.
The Chairman of the First-Instance Military Court, Brigadier General Mohamed Amin Abdullahi Adan, concluded the arguments and adjourned the session. Adan announced that the tribunal has entered deliberations and will deliver its final verdict and sentencing guidelines in the coming days.
The trial has generated intense public interest across the Hirshabelle region, where local civic groups and residents continue to demand accountability for security personnel involved in abuses against civilians.
