Strapped to wooden posts in scrubland in Mogadishu, these are the last moments of two ex-government soldiers who have been executed to prove a point.
Crowds of local people had gathered in the Somalian capital to watch their final moments, excruciatingly drawn out as their former colleagues missed repeatedly and bullets landed all around them in the sand.
It took more than ten rounds of fire to kill the men with one having to be finished off at point-blank range with a bullet in the heart.
The Western-backed regime in charge of Somalia is desperate to prove it has a grip on law and order in the famine-hit state.
But the brutal images will win the country few friends in its efforts to present a credible alternative to the Islamic militants who provide such a threat to security.
Somalia's government recently increased control in the capital Mogadishu after Islamist rebels withdrew. It hopes to gain support for a new humanitarian force to protect food aid convoys.
Judge Hassan Muungaab told Reuters: 'We caught these two soldiers red-handed. One killed a civilian and the other a soldier, so we have decided to execute them in accordance with the laws of Islam and our military court.
'They will serve a good example to all government forces, which should ensure reliable peace. This is to avoid killings and to safeguard our Somali people.
'Any soldier who kills a person or loots property or food at the market or in refugee camps will be executed likewise.'
Dozens of people watched as 15 soldiers open fire on the two soldiers, identified as Abdisankus and Abdullahi Jirow, who had been blindfolded and tied to two poles. The soldiers' bodies were then buried in a field.
Earlier this month, President of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Ahmed declared a state of emergency in the capital after it was abandoned by the al Shabaab rebels.
The U.S. group Human Rights Watch said government forces have failed to protect civilians while fighting against a four-year insurgency by rebels.
Human Rights Watch has also accused government troops - as well as peacekeepers and insurgents -- of firing indiscriminately in civilian areas.
There have been claims government troops have looted food aid meant for famine victims.
The al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab rebels, who follow strict Sharia law, frequently carry out beheadings and amputations across south and central Somalia.
Some witnesses said they were distressed the government was using the same tactics to bring criminals to justice.
Liban Issa, who lives in Mogadishu, said: 'After more than 10 bullets hit each... a soldier went closer to finish one man who did not die immediately and shot several bullets into his heart.
'It was a bit shocking, some of us could not watch directly, we were looking down. Punishing criminals is fair but the beheading, limb cutting and execution by al Shabaab and the government is not something pleasant for our minds.'
Crowds of local people had gathered in the Somalian capital to watch their final moments, excruciatingly drawn out as their former colleagues missed repeatedly and bullets landed all around them in the sand.
It took more than ten rounds of fire to kill the men with one having to be finished off at point-blank range with a bullet in the heart.
Brutal: Somali government forces shoot at close range to execute two former soldiers in the capital Mogadishu
Execution: A bullet hits the sand between the two former soldiers who were sentenced to death after both being found guilty of murder
But the brutal images will win the country few friends in its efforts to present a credible alternative to the Islamic militants who provide such a threat to security.
Somalia's government recently increased control in the capital Mogadishu after Islamist rebels withdrew. It hopes to gain support for a new humanitarian force to protect food aid convoys.
Judge Hassan Muungaab told Reuters: 'We caught these two soldiers red-handed. One killed a civilian and the other a soldier, so we have decided to execute them in accordance with the laws of Islam and our military court.
'They will serve a good example to all government forces, which should ensure reliable peace. This is to avoid killings and to safeguard our Somali people.
'Any soldier who kills a person or loots property or food at the market or in refugee camps will be executed likewise.'
Dozens of people watched as 15 soldiers open fire on the two soldiers, identified as Abdisankus and Abdullahi Jirow, who had been blindfolded and tied to two poles. The soldiers' bodies were then buried in a field.
No mercy: Locals said they were distressed that the government had adopted the same brutal style of justice as the al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab rebels
Disposal: Soldiers carry the remains of former colleagues to be buried in a field after they were executed on being found guilty of killing another soldier and a civilian
The U.S. group Human Rights Watch said government forces have failed to protect civilians while fighting against a four-year insurgency by rebels.
Human Rights Watch has also accused government troops - as well as peacekeepers and insurgents -- of firing indiscriminately in civilian areas.
There have been claims government troops have looted food aid meant for famine victims.
On the retreat: Islamic al Shabaab rebels have been forced out of the Somalian capital by government forces
Some witnesses said they were distressed the government was using the same tactics to bring criminals to justice.
Liban Issa, who lives in Mogadishu, said: 'After more than 10 bullets hit each... a soldier went closer to finish one man who did not die immediately and shot several bullets into his heart.
'It was a bit shocking, some of us could not watch directly, we were looking down. Punishing criminals is fair but the beheading, limb cutting and execution by al Shabaab and the government is not something pleasant for our minds.'
In need: The Somalian government is desperate to get foreign aid to millions of people suffering in the famine and drought
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