Somali President’s Associate, Macawiisley Militia, Sees 11% Increase in Abuses – Reports Military Court Head
Human Rights Concerns: The Rise of the Macawiisley Militia in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AXADLE) – Just how far can the thirst for security legitimise human rights abuses? This question lingers amidst growing unrest in Somalia, where the Macawiisley, a clan militia tied to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is drawing significant critical attention. Their transgressions, we frequently hear, have surged by 11% since 2022, as per the Somali Military Court’s chairman, Hassan Ali Nur Shuute. These incidents now predominantly occupy the docket.
Addressing attendees at the Prosecutors’ Conference on a typically blistering Wednesday in Mogadishu, Shuute highlighted an alarming pattern. Once empowered with arms in 2022, the Macawiisley fighters moved beyond mere skirmishes. An increasing number of their cases now combine with instances of aggression against government aides. Drawing attention to this, Colonel Shuute remarked, “The number of cases involving Macawiisley militias has risen significantly. Their violations have increased by 11%.”
The Macawiisley are not mere soldiers of fortune. They are entrenched in the very soil of central and southern Somalia, defenders of their kin against the specter of Al-Shabaab. They derive their name from the “macawiis,” the iconic Somali wrap, harkening to their identity as protectors more than structured military entities.
It was during President Mohamud’s administration that 2022 bore witness to a pivotal shift. The Macawiisley, receiving his endorsement, were thrust into the forefront, part of a broad governmental initiative aimed squarely at Al-Shabaab. Along with lofty hopes came government backing, stretching into 2023, but not without complications.
Recollecting directives issued by President Mohamud and his cabinet in that fateful year, Shuute noted, “Cases involving Macawiisley were to be processed by the military court within three months.” Yet, the consequences of such policy choices frequently reverberate beyond their intent. Shuute issued an earnest appeal: “Since 2022, we have been dealing with this issue. I want to ask the Minister of Justice to find a solution so that this responsibility is removed from us.”
History is rife with warnings—journalists and human rights defenders were already voicing their trepidations over arming clan militias. Wasn’t it always a double-edged sword? The government’s controversial decision has certainly provided fodder for critics.
The earliest signs of trouble emerged when the Macawiisley, initially cast as heroic partners of government forces, seemed to overreach. Their significant presence in the 2022 battles against Al-Shabaab, once pivotal, slowly raised disquiet over alleged misconduct.
Grim accounts accompany their rise. In the ravaged lands of Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle, the Macawiisley stand accused of heinous acts—sexual violence against women, torched villages, and men and women simply vanishing. Consider September 2022: in a grotesque nexus of piety and brutality, a young man met a gruesome end, beheaded, his remains desecrated. This after Ali Jeyte Osman, Hiiraan’s former governor, placed a bounty for the head of an Al-Shabaab fighter at $5,000.
However, allegations suggest that avarice ran rampant, converting civilian lives into mere commodities, traded in the chaos for financial gain.
Perhaps this situation exemplifies the perilous consequences of blurred ethical lines in national defense. As Somalia negotiates the fraught path between security and human rights, the balance remains delicate. The indelible marks of these choices leave us pondering both their immediate impact and long-term implications.
