Bula Mareer, Somalia – The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) forces, particularly those based in Uganda and operating in the Shabelle region, have been accused of killing and torturing civilians, sources told Mustaqbal media.
Maadey Jeylani Ali, the Deputy Commissioner of Social Affairs in currently in Bula Mareer, disclosed to Mustaqbal that ATMIS forces shot and killed two people, then brutally slaughtered them. A third person, who was with the two victims, managed to escape with injuries.
“When the ATMIS forces shot and killed them while they were on patrol, they suspected these men and shot them and then killed them. There were three people, they killed two of them while another wounded man escaped. They also killed a man who returned from the fields,” said Maadey Jeylani Ali.
The incident has sparked outrage among the residents of Bula Mareer, a town in the Lower Shabelle Region under the South West Regional Government. Locals have demanded accountability from the African Union Army (ATMIS), alleging that such incidents of opening fire on farmers and civilians are not isolated.
The allegations of civilian killings and torture by ATMIS forces have raised serious concerns about the conduct of peacekeeping troops in Somalia. The mission, intended to stabilize the region and support Somali forces in combating insurgents, now faces accusations of gross human rights violations.
The Somali government or ATMIS are yet to respond to these serious allegations.
Mustaqbal
