The moral and societal impact of a football pitch doubling as an execution ground

In the Somali capital of Mogadishu, a beach serves as the site of executions, with six tall concrete posts bearing witness to grim events. Men are tied, hooded, and shot dead, with their bodies left lashed to the poles. Despite the execution ground being near an informal settlement, children play football using the execution poles as goalposts, raising concerns about exposure to violence. Parents struggle to prevent their children from playing in the bloodstained sand, where convicted criminals have been executed. Residents, traumatized by proximity to the killings, express fear and anxiety over the violence in their community. While most Somalis support the death penalty, some individuals, like a mother who lost her son in an al-Shabab attack, oppose the practice as inhumane. Although executions take place in the early morning, residents, especially children, witness the killings, fostering a culture of fear and trauma. Young people from various parts of the city visit the beach, unaware of its dark history, focusing instead on its central and picturesque location for leisure activities. An all-female journalist team from Bilan Media reveals the societal complexities surrounding the execution ground, shedding light on both the normalization and rejection of violence within the community.