By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Five servicemen from the Somaliland army are facing charges connected to the death of two officers in QoriLugud.
The five who appeared at the Somaliland armed forces court martial in Hargeisa for the second day are charged with abetting the brutal slaying of two army officers by a serviceman at the QoriLugud base.
In mid September 2014 Captain Mohamed Aw-Rabah Yusuf and Lieutenant Jama Mahmud Hadi, the commanding officer and operations officer of Somaliland’s 17th army battalion respectively were killed at their QoriLugud military post in Togdeer region by a soldier under their command.
Though the five have been charged in relation to the brutal murders of the two officers the real perpetrator is still at-large somewhere in the vicinity of the scene of his merciless act that the five colleagues are now charged with.
According to the Court martial’s Judge –Advocate Colonel Yusuf Farah Sharmarke the five servicemen whose case is in its second day of hearing are answering charges related to their inaction, either in deterring the killng of their late commander and operations officer and subsequent failure to detain the now at-large culprit.
“While the killings executor shall be charged in absentia, his five colleagues will have to satisfy the court on their respective actions or inactions during the fateful event in QoriLugud” said Col Sharmarke
The killings that resulted in destructive Gabile residents demonstrations where a death and numerous injuries were reported during confrontations between the protesters who were aghast at the government’s slackness in arresting the perpetrator saw a number of senior government officers and traditional leaders visit the bereaved families of late Capt Mohamed in Gabile and Lt Mahmud in Borame.
During the state visit to the bereaved families of the crime termed as most heinous to occur within the Somaliland armed forces the government pledge to not only effect the expedited arrests of the killer soldier but to compensate the two deceased similarly with those who lose life during active combat duties.
