MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Hundreds of protesters have hit the streets of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu on Thursday, demanding justice for the victims of an attack carried out by Ugandan peacekeepers last week in the Lower Shabelle region, hours after Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni said the soldiers behind the raid “were angry after they had been ambushed” by Islamist militants.
A man speaking to media on behalf of the protesters said more than 10 similar incidents involving Ugandan AU troops’ killing of civilians near the town of Golwayn in the Lower Shabelle region have been recorded “in the last four years”.
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Ugandan peacekeepers entered a farm outside the town last week after they had been ambushed by militants loyal to the Al-Qaeda-aligned group Al-Shabaab and took 7 men, among them 4 farmers and killed them. The Ugandan troops “placed 6 of the dead bodies on a land mine and detonated it,” one of the relatives of victims said, adding that “90 per cent of their flesh has not been found”.
Some of the protesters were holding up placards and banners reading “Enough is Enough AMISOMOUT” while some were chanting slogans, including “we don’t barbaric killings”.
A woman, who was among the protesters said the incident was “horrendous and unacceptable”, adding that not only AMISOM peacekeepers were behind killing of civilians in Somalia, but also US drones carry out attacks that result in the deaths of many civilians.
Hundreds of protesters have hit the streets of #Somalia’s capital on Thursday, demanding justice for civilians killed in AU troops’ raid last week, hours after #Uganda’s president said UPDF soldiers behind the killings “were angry because they had been ambushed” by Al-Shabaab. pic.twitter.com/gpD8Es12oC
— Somaliguardian (@SomaliGuardian) August 19, 2021
Protesters called on Somalia’s federal government to step in and pressure Ugandan peacekeeping force in the country to apologize for the incident and pay compensation, while also promising to prevent a repeat of similar incidents.
Uganda’s president Yoweri Musseveni on Wednesday admitted that Ugandan peacekeepers killed civilians in Somalia and soldiers who were involved in the incident “have been arrested”. Read More
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