Crime Watch : June becomes the deadliest month so far
Despite promises made by Somali government to beef up the security, June has taken the lead of deadliest month.
Al-Shabaab has vowed to increase attacks during the fasting month of Ramadan whereby the government put more efforts to foil the planed attacks of Al-Shabab as Security has been boosted in the capital but Al-Shabab has diverted most of its attacks out of Mogadishu apart from handful incidents.
June has grabbed the highest death toll, when Al-Shabab fighters overran AMISOM base in Lego locality where they have taken control of the base for two consecutive days.
The incident left more than seventy Burundian soldiers dead.
In light of this, under our monthly Crimes Watch Project we document the killings and numbers of those injured this month, the project seeks to promote justice and constitutional rights of the citizens.
We may not be able to document all the killings or cases of injuries due to the scarce resources and sometimes lack of access to the affected areas in the country. Lack of basic institutions in the country such as hospitals, mortuaries and police services which ideally gather such information are also an impediment to getting accurate and up to date data.
According to our records, 144 people were killed and 43 others wounded in the month of June 2015. This is an increase from the month of May which recorded 84 deaths and 36 people injured.
The demographic distribution of the victims is diverse including AMISOM soldiers, government officials, business people, journalists and ordinary people among others.
The following is the chronology of events in the month of June:
June 10, 2015: Unidentified armed men gunned down two women, Nooriye Ali Moalim and Amina Haydar who were working for Baidoa Local government.
June 13, 2015: At least a Somali Muslim Missionary died and 7 others sustained injuries after their car collided with another vehicle in the port city of Bossaso.
June 13, 2015: A government soldier allegedly killed public driver after the soldier failed to get illegal bus station charges.
June 14, 2015: Saeed Abdi Warsame who was the commander of the third Battalion of GSU forces of the breakaway Somaliland, was murdered by one of his soldiers while he was in Eeri-Gaabo town.
June 14, 2015: One suspected armed robber and government soldier were killed in an exchange of gunfire, along Arafat-Eymiska road, in Mogadishu.
Government soldiers have tracked down suspected armed men in SNA uniform who attacked a petrol station on KPP Road.
A resident near the incident told Goobjoog News that Government soldiers trailed suspected robbers driving a car when they resisted arrest; the soldiers began shooting at them. That’s when one of them was killed on the spot and three others injured.
June 15, 2015: Unknown gun men kills a civilian in Baldwein town of Hiraan region.
June 16, 2015: At least six Somali government soldiers were killed and four others wounded in a roadside bomb explosion.
“One of the vehicles of the security forces was targeted near Hawa Abdi area in the Afgoye corridor. We believe the Al-Shabab planted an explosive device by the roadside and remotely detonated it when the vehicle was passing by,” said Hassan Abdulahi, a Somali security official.
June 17, 2015: One of AMISOM commanders was killed in Toratorow locality; he may be the highest profile commander from AMISOM. Reports in the Uganda’s Newspapers indicate he was a formed LRA commander who joined Ugandan Army.
June 18, 2015: Somali security forces shot dead four suspected Shabaab fighters, foiling an attack on Adado state formation conference in the central town of Adado.
More than 400 local politicians, leaders and clan elders were meeting in the town to discuss the formation of a regional government when the gunmen tried to storm the building, with one blowing himself up in a bid to breach the gates.
June 19, 2015: Afgoye security forces commander, Liban Abukar Yuuyuu succumbs to his injuries after he was attacked by armed group.
June 20, 2015: Thirteen Somali policemen were confirmed dead and two others sustained injuries after Al-Shabab fighters attacked Mukayga locality in Afgoye town.
June 20, 2015: A well-known traditional elder, Mumin Barre was gunned down by unknown armed men in Baladwein town of Hiraan region.
June 21, 2015: At least 4 people perished and another 10 wounded after suspected Al-Shabab fighters attacked a security force training camp in Shibis District.
June 21, 2015: One high ranking official from the office of the Prime Ministers was assassinated by unknown gun men.
June 24, 2015: A car bomb targeting a convoy of military instructors from the United Arab Emirates exploded in Mogadishu, killing at least 12 people and injured 17 others.
The officials said the UAE ambassador was also travelling in the convoy. He was unhurt.
June 24, 2015: A cab driver was killed by unidentified people in Dharkeyley district, Mogadishu.
The reason behind the killing is still unclear as the man was neither government employee nor NGO worker.
June 25, 2015: Unidentified gunmen separately kill two elders who were residents of Bulla-Hawa town which share border with Kenya’s Mandera.
The slain elders whose names were Haji Khamis Daud and Hassan Abdi Daud were for famous and took part in the tribal reconciliation efforts there. This could be vengeance killing.
June 26, 2015: At least 70 Burundian soldiers have been killed after Shabab militant group attacked an African Union Mission base in Lego locality, Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia
The attack began at dawn, when Al-Shabab fighters detonated a car bomb at the entrance of the base in Lego, about 75 miles south of Mogadishu.
June 26, 2015: The first battalion commander of Jubbaland army, Mursal Gedi passes on after his car hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) on his way to the frontline in Bullo-Gaduud, outside Kismayo, an area where the army is engaging gun battle with Al-Shabab fighters.
June 28, 2015: Al-Shabab has executed three Somali men in Saakow district of Middle Jubba alleging them of spying.
Al-Shabab court in Saakow town has sentenced the trio to death penalty after they were accused of spying for CIA.
1. Mohamed Adan Shuriye.
2. Mohamed Adan Osman.
3. Mukhtar Sheikh Abdirahman Sheikh Mohamed.
The men were executed by firing squad at a public place in Diinsoor district a stronghold of Al-Shabab in Bay region.
June 30, 2015: A civil servant from the Federal Agricultural Ministry, Mohammad Gurfow killed in Afogoye by unidentified assailants who escaped the scene immediately after committing the murder.
June 30, 2015: Elders in Galgadud has accused AMISOM troops from Ethiopia and government soldiers for killing 16 residents near El Bur district. Goobjoog couldn’t independently verify this, but the elders are reputed and respected in the area, making their accusation valid.
Efforts to get official response were futile.
Goobjoog News