Somaliland Military Tribunal sentenced Lieutenant Colonel Salah Bullale Jama to death for the murder of Najma Abdillahi on May 2nd in Hargeisa. According to various coverage of the murder and the subsequent arrest of the perpetrator, the murder of Najma, who worked for the Ministry of Agricultural Development, occurred around Hargeisa Group Hospital and is related to a personal dispute.
The unusually swift conviction and sentencing of Lieutenant Colonel Salah Bullale Jama come after calls from the family of the victim, who appealed to the government to ensure justice is served and threatened that the burial of the slain young lady will not occur until the perpetrator is executed. It is unclear if this influenced the military tribunal’s compressed timeline for sentencing and conviction.
Previously, the military tribunal handed down capital punishment in cases where members of the armed services have committed crimes either against civilians or other members of the armed forces.