MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Ugandan African Union peacekeepers have beheaded two civilians and injured another in the town of Bulo Mareer in south Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, triggering protests and calls for an investigation into the incident.
The attack took place last week when a group of Ugandan soldiers beheaded two farmers and injured another, in what residents say has become a disturbingly common ocurrence.
Somalia’s government and Southwest regional state have not commented on the incident, drawing rebuke.
On Saturday, the African Union Transition of Somalia (ATMIS) said, in a statement, that it had “learned with deep concern a tragic incident in Bulo Mareer on 17 July 2024, involving the loss of two civilian lives and injury to another.”
“The mission has initiated a thorough investigation into these allegations and hereby assures all stakeholders that the findings will be made public on conclusion.”
In August 2021, Ugandan peacekeepers killed at least 7 civilians in the nearby town of Golweyn in the same region in retaliation for a militant ambush on their convoy and blew up some of the bodies of the victims by placing them on land mines, according to locals.
Since its inception in 2007, the African Union mission in Somalia has claimed the lives of hundreds of Somali civilians and little has been done to bring perpetrators to justice, allowing the peacekeepers to operate with impunity and use unrestrained force without fear of accountability.
Prominent Somali security analyst Samira Gaid says Somali government’s silence in the recent incident is inexcusable. “Horrific images from Buulo-Mareer call for an immediate & transparent investigation,” she adds.
Incidents involving killings perpetrated by AU forces against civilians has not only eroded trust of civilians with the mission, but also played into the hands of insurgents who often capitalize on the grievances and resentment of local populations to recruit new members.
In May 2023, Al-Shabaab insurgents launched a dawn raid on African Union military base in Bulo Mareer, killing dozens of soldiers before overrunning the base. The failure of African Union peacekeepers to repel the assault was attributed to a critical intelligence lapse that arises from the mission’s poor cooperation with locals. Moreover, residents looted the remains of the camp housing the peacekeepers immediately after they were overpowered and some reportedly chased them down to seize their weapons.
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