Tuesday July 22, 2025
Senior Lt. Col. Abdullahi Mahmoud Ibrahim (left), chief judge of the Jubbaland Military Court, presides over the sentencing of four women (right) convicted of sharing intelligence with militant groups, at a court session in Kismayo, Somalia, on July 21, 2025. The court ordered the women to undergo rehabilitation as part of a deradicalization program instead of serving prison terms. (SUPPLIED)
The court found Nasro Nur Osman, Hawo Ibrahim Mohamed, Iqro Farah Abdinur, and Maryan Mohamed Adan guilty of passing intelligence to armed militants, including information on Somali security forces and civilian activity in Buulo Xaaji, a town near the Kenyan border. Authorities said the women were in regular contact with extremist operatives, threatening both local stability and ongoing military operations.
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Rather than impose prison terms, the court ordered the women to undergo a government-supervised deradicalization program. Security agencies were tasked with monitoring their progress as part of a broader counter-extremism initiative.The sentencing followed weeks of legal proceedings attended by Senior Lt. Col. Abdullahi Mahmoud Ibrahim, the head of the Jubbaland Military Court, his two deputies, the military prosecutor, investigators, and defence attorneys.
In its decision, the court noted that some of the defendants were minors at the time of the alleged offences. It said the ruling considered their age and social conditions, opting for rehabilitation instead of incarceration to prevent further entrenchment in extremist networks.
Officials described the case as part of a wider campaign to combat Al-Shabaab's ideological reach and protect communities at risk of recruitment. The court also called for expanded public awareness campaigns, especially among women and youth, to disrupt the narratives used by militant groups to manipulate vulnerable individuals.