Somali soldier gets death for assassination

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - A Somali military court on Monday sentenced to death a Somali soldier for killing Abbas Siraaji, the youngest government minister in Somalia’s history.

Hassan Ali Nur Shute, Somalia’s military court chief, said that evidence proved that rifleman Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi shot and killed Siraji, the minister of public works, on May 3.

“The soldier fired two bullets at a vehicle carrying the minister and one of the bullets hit his head,” Hassan added.

He added that the evidence against the soldier includes photos.

Siraji was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu.

After growing up in a refugee camp, Siraji became Somalia's youngest MP last November and a government minister in February.

The soldier sentenced to death was serving as a bodyguard to Nur Farah, Somalia’s auditor general.

Since taking office this February, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo promised to improve security and establish an effective government but part of the court is still under the control of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group.