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| Africa Horn |
| Soldiers escape from execution in Mogadishu |
| 2007-03-04 |
| (SomaliNet) Two of three soldiers who were sentenced to death after murder cases have escaped on Saturday from an execution that would happen today in the Somalia capital Mogadishu, the deputy defense minister Salad Ali Jelle confirmed to the reporters. The murderers were prepared to be shot dead today at Ground Square behind the former police academy. “The killers have jumped from the car they boarded and run away as the car approached where they would be put on death, one of them was wounded by the security forces,” Jelle said. The escapees had been found guilty for killing other government soldiers. Mr. Jelle blamed the escape of the murders on the government forces saying it was inability and negligence done by the forces. “It would never be possible to give up the death penalty and the government would pursue them and I hope they will be found sooner,” Jelle said. Jelle denied reports on that the soldiers’ escape was intentional saying that his government would launch investigation over how these soldiers ran away. It was for the first time that government soldiers accused of murder escape from an execution, since the formation of the transitional federal government in 2004. Earlier, the interim government had carried out death sentences on nine soldiers in Baidoa after they were convicted of murder cases. |
| Posted by:Fred |