Former Somali army officer dies in custody, family demands investigation

A former Somali army officer, General Ahmed Ali Shegow, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence, died Monday in hospital while receiving treatment, local journalists reported.

General Shegow was convicted by a military court in 2023 following a deadly clash between his security detail and police officers in Mogadishu in August of that year. The incident resulted in multiple fatalities, including police personnel.

His family accused the authorities of medical negligence, claiming the late officer had been denied adequate healthcare during his incarceration. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the family urged the government not to bury Shegow at the Armed Forces Hospital in Mogadishu and instead release his body for a private burial.

Somalia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Haji Adam, told state-run media that Shegow died of liver cancer, which he said stemmed from chronic hepatitis B. He added that the hospital would release an official medical report confirming the cause of death.

The case of General Shegow has been surrounded by controversy, with the government initially accusing him of acting as a “militia commander” following the clash that led to his arrest. Despite the health minister’s statement, the Somali government has yet to issue an official comment addressing the wider concerns raised by the public and Shegow’s family.

Former Somali Presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed issued separate condolence messages, urging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to address the family’s grievances and calling for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Shegow’s death.