Pro-government militants, Ahlu Suna Waljamaca sentenced 8 pirates to jail on Thursday in Galagaduud region of central Somalia, witnesses in the court and officials from ASWJ confirmed to Somalia Report.
The eight were seized by ASWJ forces one week ago and they appeared in ASWJ’s court in Guurceel- city of Galgadud region.
“ASWJ sentenced 8 pirates in Gurceel today, the 8 pirates appeared in the court today and court sentenced them to several months in jail,” said, Abdu Fatah, a witness at the hearing.
“They were eight pirates, five of whom were sentenced to six months each in jail and are banished from areas in ASWJ's control. The other three were each sentenced to two months jail,” he added.
ASWJ officials in Guurceel city promised that they will continue to do all they can to handle security issues including piracy.
ASWJ’s official who spoke to Somalia Report on condition of anonymity, said they are determined to fight piracy which is a common problem in Somalia.
“We are assigning more of our security forces to tackle piracy and secure the region. We intend to capture and sentence pirates, some will be banished from the region after serving their term in jail,” said an ASWJ official.
Somalia Report asked ASWJ officials why they served such light sentences. The officials acknowledged that they are not a full-fledged Government but an organization. Therefore, they could only sentence the culprits to months in jail and banishment from ASWJ controlled land.
List of Sentenced Pirates
1- Ali Abdi 2- Ba’adle Shiekh Hussein 3- Flastin Ali 4- Ahmed Mire 5- Dahir Salad 6- Abdi Gelle 7- Nuune Abdulahi Ali 8- Ahmed Abdi
Only Puntland and Somaliland have been fighting pirates, but it seems that ASWJ has now joined in the anti-piracy operations which will no doubt exert great pressure on the pirates. Galgaduud region which pirates depend upon and use frequently is the largest of ASWJ’s base in Somalia.