File Photo/Somali Times
The Somali government has closed the case against former Jubaland security minister Abdirashid Janan, who recently reached a deal with the government.
The attorney general’s office that issued the decision to close Janan’s case is based on the public interest in justice. The Benadir Regional Court, where Janan’s case and arrest warrant were pending, and accepted the decision to close the case. In April 2021, the minister was charged with war crimes, including involvement in the killings of civilians killed in the Gedo region.
The withdrawal of charges against Janan deals a major blow to calls by the UN and the rights group Amnesty International to prosecute him.
The UN Monitoring Group blamed Janan for torture, murder and gross violations of human rights between 2014 and 2017. Janan was by then a district commissioner in the Gedo region before being appointed by Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe to head the security of Jubaland.
The move also affirms the Federal Government’s intent on using Janan to square off with Ahmed Madobe who is seen by Mogadishu as a key political enemy.
EU Ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga said the embrace of Janan by the Federal Government was aimed at achieving ‘short term gains’ in violation of human rights of Janan’s victims.