Somaliland military court sentences 8 soldiers to death

A military court in Hargeisa, the capital of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, has sentenced 8 soldiers to death after convicting of killing against Barbera police Commissioner  in a broad-daylight in Bura’o, court officials said.

Col. Yussuf Farah Sharma’arke, Somaliland’s military court chief said that the eight were sentenced to death after they were  found guilty of murdering Abdirisaaq Mohamud Yusuf.

“The court sentenced eight men to death penalty, The court found these defendants guilty of being involved in the killing of the Berbara police commissioner and they confessed to it,” said Sharma’arke.

The judge stated that the convicted soldiers can still take an appeal if they are not satisfied with the verdict.

The European Union, the United Nations and human rights campaigners have all urged Somalia authorities to reinstate the moratorium.

In 2012, a military court in Somaliland sentenced to death 17 civilians who were accused of attacking a military base.

Violence is not common in Somaliland which enjoyed a relative stability for decades.

Somaliland, a former British colony, declared independence in 1991 when Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu collapsed. The international community does not recognize Somaliland as a separate country.