SOMALIA: Al-Shabaab executes one soldier, sorcerer

By: Ollus Ndomu

Al-Shabaab’s firing squad has killed a soldier and an alleged sorcerer in Somalia’s Jamame town, a local tabloid affiliated with the group reported Wednesday.

According to a report by the pro-al-Shabab Somali Memo website, several hundred locals gathered at a public square to witness the shooting of the two men.

The circumstances that led to the killing of a soldier remain unclear while the other man was killed on allegations of practicing sorcery otherwise known as black magic.

In the operation ethics of the Islamic military group, sorcery is prohibited by punishment of death.

In the southern region of Somalia, Al-Shabab militants often conduct public killings of government soldiers and spies on allegations of working with local and international intelligence agencies.