Monday December 15, 2025 {HMC} – An armed man believed to be a Somali government soldier shot and killed a rickshaw operator identified as Abdirisaq Abuukar Mohamud in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district on Sunday night, relatives said.
The killing occurred in the Barwaqo area of Dayniile and was allegedly carried out by a member of the Somali National Army, reportedly among troops trained in Eritrea.
Witnesses said the soldier fled the scene after the shooting and fired randomly as he escaped.
A relative told Hiiraan Online that Abdirisaq’s body remains at a hospital and that the family will not proceed with burial until the suspect is arrested and brought to justice.
“A soldier who we were told was a coward killed my brother Abdirisaq Abuukar. He escaped and is known, and another soldier who was with him has been arrested,” said Yusuf Absuge, a relative of the deceased.
Yusuf said Abdirisaq and his wife, Aa’isha Abdi, had been preparing to travel to the United States after winning a diversity visa lottery.
“The deceased Abdirisaq and his wife Aa’isha Abdi were preparing for a trip to the United States, and the visa is ready. All they needed was an interview in Bangkok, Thailand,” he said.
The killing comes at a time when incidents involving the shooting of civilians by government soldiers have become less frequent in Mogadishu, following heightened security measures and public pressure for accountability.
Source Hiiraan Online
