Amisom to Investigate Somalia Killings

19 December 2016
BBC World Service

The African Union (AU) says it is investigating two separate incidents in which its troops allegedly killed 11 civilians in Somalia.

An AU armoured vehicle reportedly crashed into a house killing a mother and five children in the southern port of Marka on Sunday.

Earlier, soldiers allegedly fired into a minibus killing six passengers.

Thousands of AU soldiers are in Somalia to help the government fight Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

Although some residents say five people died in the incident in Marka, the governor says six people were killed.

"An Amisom vehicle ran into a family house killing a mother and five children," Marka district governor, Hassan Omar Moalin told the BBC Somali service.

He said the incident occurred after an explosion had targeted the AU convoy.

In the first incident, one resident said soldiers had opened fire on a minibus killing all six passengers in Qoryooley town in the Lower Shabelle region on Sunday.

"AMISOM notes with concern the unfortunate incident in Qoryooley where civilians lost their lives in an attack," the mission said in a tweet.

Amisom added that it was "investigating the allegations against its troops and gathering further facts and information before releasing a comprehensive statement".