REPORT: Gay Teen Stoned To Death In Somalia In Front Of “Horrified” Village

Identity Kenya reports:

A gay man was allegedly stoned to death as punishment for homosexuality, a gay Muslim group has said Saturday.  According to Somali Gay Community, the young man, Mohamed Ali Baashi ,18, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted with rocks by members of the Al Qaeda link group Al Shabaab on Friday, March 15, in Barawe, about 50 miles from the capital, Mogadishu. The group, through its Facebook page, Somali Gay Community, posted three photos of alleging they were from the stoning. However, Identity Kenya could not independently verify this claims or the alleged stoning and efforts to reach the group have not been successful.

Gruesome photos of the alleged execution are here, if you dare.

UPDATE: Gay City News reporter Duncan Osborne writes us to point out that at least one of the above-linked photos is actually from a stoning that took place in 2009. This casts more doubt on the Somalia story, which you’ll note has been stressed by Identity Kenya as unconfirmed.

RELATED: In recent years US aid to Somalia has been primarily focused on international humanitarian relief campaigns involving food and medicine. However two months ago the United States officially recognized the government of Somalia for the first time in 22 years after the election of a moderate president who has denounced the Al Qaeda-backed group that once controlled much of the nation.

“There is still a long way to go and many challenges to confront, but we have seen a new foundation for that better future being laid,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday in a joint news conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who stood beaming at her side.Even as they were fighting extremists, the country’s leaders were working to create a democratic government, and have done so — with a new president, a new parliament, a new prime minister and a new constitution, she said. Mohamud was elected president in September. Clinton noted that the United States supported the changes, providing more than $650 million in aid to the African Union mission in Somalia, more than $130 million to the country’s security forces, nearly $360 million in emergency humanitarian aid over the past two years and more than $45 million in development-related assistance to help rebuild the economy. In addition, U.S. largesse has provided more than $200 million in aid for Somali refugees throughout the Horn of Africa, she said.