Five Ugandan soldiers from the contingent serving in Somalia as part of the African Union’s AMISOM forces were found guilty of killing seven Somali civilians and sentenced by a court-martial in their own country.
Two of the soldiers found guilty were sentenced to the death penalty, while five others were each sentenced to 39 years in prison.
“After the Court sitting from November 2 to 12, 2021, and reviewing all the facts, including witness statements, the Court Martial on November 12, 2021 found the soldiers guilty of killing the civilians,” reads a statement from AMISOM released late Saturday evening.
Kampala initiated legal proceedings in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, after allegations of civilian casualties in the town of Golweyn surfaced in August this year. The soldiers will be repatriated to Uganda to serve their sentences and for execution of the death penalty.
