By: Yusuf M Hasan
BORAME (Somalilandsun) – “It is very saddening that your son, who was a soldier dedicated to the defense of his country did not die in the hands of an enemy but that of a colleague in uniform”
So stated interior minister Ali Mohamed Waran’ade to the family of slain military officer Lieutenant Jama Mahmud Hadi at their homestead in Borame town where he, Waran’ade, was part of government team that included presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali, state minister for finance Osman Abdilahi Sahardiid and police commissioner Brigadier Abdilahi Fadal Iman among others.
The government team complimented by a large retinue of traditional leaders which has been dispatched by president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo to help soothe the grief of the lieutenants’ family in Borame and of Captain Mohamed Aw-Rabah Yusuf in Gabile.
Revealing that the government shall leave no stone unturned in pursuit of bring the culprit to book presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali said that the armed forces and other Somaliland security teams are scouring Togdeer region and surrounding areas in a relentless pursuit of the soldier who perpetrated the brutal murder of the two officers.
Last week, Captain Mohamed Aw-Rabah Yusuf and Lieutenant Jama Mahmud Hadi, the commanding officers 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.
While the motive or circumstances leading to the tragic death of the two officers through a hail of bullets from an assailant in the uniform of the same army thy served are yet to be known, incensed residents of Gabile the home town of Capt Aw-Rabah went amok during initially peaceful demonstrations in protest against their perceived government’s inaction to arrest the murderer, that ended with death and injury after riot police fired live bullets at the demonstrators.
Though the government had accused an opposition politician of taking advantage of the tragic event in QoriLugud to incite the violent Gabile protests, the high powered team dispatched by President Silanyo is clearly one meant to avert a repeat of the same in Borame.
Speaking in the aftermath of the chaotic public riots in Gabile town on Friday, the Presidential spokesman Ahmed Suleiman Duhul said that it was mainly the mechanizations of the both opposition parties UCID and Wadani to cause chaotic situations in the province.
Denying an accusation by UCID presidential aspirant Mr. Jamal Ali Hussein that the assailant was abetted in perpetration of the two murders Duhul said “It is quite shocking to see a presidential aspirant going public to sow seeds of discord to render the public asunder”, adding that only ongoing investigations can reveal the motive and or other circumstances leading to the dual murders.
The government’s commiseration team informed that president Silanyo has directed that the families of the two late officers, killed by one of their own while in the country’s military service be expeditiously compensated and similarly, as per Somaliland laws governing those that perish in combat with an enemy in defense of the country.
The Waran’ade-Hirsi team of government officials and traditional leaders was at pains in Unison explaining to families and relatives of the deceased officers in Gabile and Borame as well as Somalilanders at large that the slain officers were servants of their country which considers them heroes and did not represent their individual clans.
