A Somali government military officer, Sheegow Ahmed Ali, died Monday night at Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu after suffering from liver failure and complications related to Hepatitis B, according to Somali health officials.
Sheegow had been in custody since late 2023 and was serving a ten-year sentence handed down by a military court after being convicted in connection with clashes between his forces and federal troops in Mogadishu last August.
Minister of Health Dr. Ali Haaji Aden confirmed that Sheegow had been hospitalized for treatment prior to his death. “He had a history of liver failure and tested positive for Hepatitis B,” the minister said. He also urged the public, particularly the deceased’s community, to remain calm and avoid misinterpreting the circumstances surrounding his death.
Members of Sheegow’s family and federal officials from the Jareerweyne clan have rejected unverified claims that he was poisoned while in custody, calling such reports “baseless and harmful.”
In a joint statement, the family urged restraint and respect for the deceased, adding, “We are satisfied with the medical report from Digfeer Hospital and ask others not to create unnecessary confusion.”
Minister Dahabo Suusow, a relative of Sheegow, emphasized the appeal for calm and acknowledged the hospital’s findings, urging the public to refrain from spreading misinformation.
In his military career, Sheegow previously served in the Bariirre area of Lower Shabelle. In a 2017 interview with the BBC, he reported that his unit had repelled an al-Shabaab attack that left 18 militants dead.
