MOGADISHU (HAN) – Two Somali military officers accused of authorizing an unlawful medical procedure that resulted in the death of a full-term pregnant woman have been released, judicial officials confirmed.
The case involved the late Nimco Muse Ahmed, who died on March 31 after a C-section surgery at Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu. Authorities charged Mohamed Mukhtiin Ali and Abdisalaan Hussein Mohamed with signing consent forms for the operation despite lacking legal or familial authority.
Prosecutors said the two men, described as acquaintances of the deceased, had accompanied her to several hospitals where doctors reportedly determined that the fetus was no longer alive and surgical intervention was needed. When they returned to Digfeer Hospital, citing financial hardship, administrators allegedly agreed to perform the procedure free of charge.
According to Somali law, however, only legal guardians or immediate family members — such as a spouse or parent — can authorize such procedures. The officers allegedly signed the consent forms by presenting themselves as the woman’s husband and brother.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office formally charged the pair on September 20. After reviewing the case and hearing arguments from both sides, the Military Court released the officers on Thursday, ruling there were insufficient legal grounds to justify their continued detention.
