Mandera is a town in the Maroodi Jeex province of Somaliland . Situated in the Hargeisa District , it is located northeast by road from Hargeisa and southwest of Berbera .
43-475: Mandera Prison , also sometimes spelled as Mandhera or Mandheera Prison , is an isolated, high-security central prison located in the town of Mandera in the Maroodi Jeex Region of the self-proclaimed nation of Somaliland , about 95 km (59 mi) northeast of the capital Hargeisa . The prison has been in operation since Somaliland was still a British protectorate , and to this day functions as
86-566: A "gross violation of the detainees' human and civil rights". The prison throughout its history has been used to hold journalists and politicians en masse whose reason for arrest is often only for reporting on unflattering crimes and protests in the nation, or for promoting the opposing parties' beliefs , calling into question the freedom of speech in Somaliland. During the Somaliland War of Independence ; many journalists and politicians opposing
129-553: A few were kept in service with safety barriers to protect the gunners, who fired the guns remotely. In December 2002, two M40s at Mammoth Mountain were destroyed by catastrophic bore explosions 13 days apart. The gunners were uninjured, having been protected by the safety barriers, but the incidents prompted the USFS to retire all remaining M40s in July 2003. Also in the mid-1990s, Parks Canada acquired four M40s for avalanche control to replace
172-452: A major prison within the region. There is a generally poor reception of the prison from those who have been inside in recent years, specifically guards mistreating inmates in some instances, and the deteriorating state of the building itself after years of continuous use. Furthermore, the prison in recent decades has grown to hold a disproportionate number of juvenile prisoners for minor crimes. Both domestic and foreign observers have condemned
215-606: A purely tactical reason—to conceal the vulnerable M40 and its crew from the enemy until the main rifle was ready to fire. However, this restriction is believed to be the source of a long-standing misconception that the laws of war restrict the use of .50-caliber projectiles against enemy personnel more generally. In the early 1990s, the United States Forest Service (USFS) introduced the M40 for avalanche control as ammunition stocks for its M27 rifles became depleted. The M40
258-535: A separate [education] institution." Despite this, an education program still existed at the prison in some capacity afterwards, as at least juvenile inmates were given "two hours of schooling daily" and were "required to work in the fields." Some form of a prison education system still exists today, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sponsoring program since at least 2014. Whether some of
301-780: A single target to guarantee a kill. The M40 could also be used on the M274 4×4 utility platform "mechanical mule." Replacing the M27 recoilless rifle , the M40 primarily saw action during the Vietnam War and was widely used during various conflicts thereafter in Africa or in the Middle East. It was replaced by the BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile system in the US Armed Forces. The earlier M27 recoilless rifle
344-682: A two-wheeled mount for the M40. The whole mounting can be placed on an M151 Jeep for mobile use. It has also been mounted on M113s , UMM 4x4s , Jongas , Fath Safirs , Land Rover Defenders , Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen , Hotchkiss M201 jeeps, Toyota Land Cruisers , Jeep CJs , Willys M38s , HMMWVs , M274 Mechanical Mules , Tiuna 106 mm weapons platforms , JODDB (formerly King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau) Al Jawad vehicles, RBY MK 1s , AIL Abirs and AIL Storms . They were also used on US Navy minesweepers (MSO) during Operation Market Time in Vietnam. A special vehicle called
387-484: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . M40 recoilless rifle The M40 recoilless rifle is a portable, crew-served 105 mm recoilless rifle made in the United States . Intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon , it could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of an antipersonnel-tracer flechette round . The bore was commonly described as being 106 mm caliber but
430-637: Is a list of notable inmates who have served time in Mandera Prison. The information on the table is organized in the order of the name of the detainee, the reason for their notability, the crime committed, the original sentencing for the crime, the year detained, and the year released if available. Mandera (Somaliland) The town contains Mandera Prison and the Abdaal Central Mosque . Google Maps (Map) Google. https://www.mindat.org/loc-32221.html This Somaliland location article
473-676: Is in fact 105 mm; the 106 mm designation was intended to prevent confusion with incompatible 105 mm ammunition from the failed M27. The air-cooled, breech-loaded , single-shot rifle fired fixed ammunition and was used primarily from a wheeled ground mount or M92 ground mount. It was designed for direct firing only, and sighting equipment for this purpose was furnished with each weapon, including an affixed M8C .50 cal spotting rifle . 297 M50 "Ontos" were built as self-propelled light armored tracked anti-tank vehicles. They had six 105 mm M40 recoilless rifles as their main armament, which could be fired in rapid succession against
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#1732876346513516-475: The Colonial Office suggest the prison had a capacity of around 400 nearing the end of British rule in 1959, but was regarded as being able to hold around 750 inmates in 1983, and around 765 inmates in 2010. With respect to the state of the prison itself, an August 2007 report by Amnesty International regarded the prison as having poor living conditions. This was later supported by a February 2011 assessment of
559-782: The Ontos carried six M40s. A version specific to the T195E5 mount, the M40A1C, was used. It was used only by the U.S. Marine Corps . Some Pakistani M113s have a dual mounting. Three Panagopoulos coastal patrol boats class of the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Hellenic Navy in service of 1976-2003 was armed with two sextuples M40. The M40 was a very successful export item and continues to be used by South Korea , Ecuador , Estonia , Greece , Honduras , Iran , Lebanon , Malaysia , Mexico , Morocco ,
602-560: The Philippines , Taiwan , Turkey , Colombia , Venezuela and many others, as well as anti-government forces in the Libyan Civil War and Syrian civil war . Ammunition for the 105 mm rifle was issued as one-piece fixed cartridges. The term "fixed" means that the projectile and the cartridge case are crimped together. This ensures correct alignment of the projectile and the cartridge case . It also permits faster loading because
645-491: The Somali Democratic Republic until 1991, which both united Somaliland with Somalia . The larger prisons of Somalia at this time outclassed Mandera Prison, making it no longer the largest or highest security prison during the unions. When the prison came under the control of the following Marxist-Leninist Somali Democratic Republic, it began to hold increasing numbers of political prisoners and those who opposed
688-477: The government at the time were sent to prisons across the nation, including Mandera Prison, where conditions were described as being very poor, with regular torture reportedly taking place for some inmates. The SNM in response issued requests to foreign governments, particularly France, and human rights groups to intervene to improve the situation of those detained, but it is unclear if any significant actions were made. In modern times, mainly those in support of
731-551: The M368 dummy round which could not be fired and was used for crew drill. The original U.S. HEAT round penetrated more than 400 mm of armor. Near the end of the M40's service life, both Austria and Sweden produced HEAT rounds for the weapon capable of penetrating more than 700 mm of armor. The ammunition for the M8C spotting rifle is not .50 BMG , but a 22mm shorter (12.7x77mm) round than used in .50 caliber machine guns. The spotter round
774-548: The SNM were armed. Shortly afterwards, the SNM regrouped and returned to Adadley. The prison's location behind a thick white perimeter wall deep in the desert of Maroodi Jeex makes it very isolated, with the town the prison is located in, Mandera, being inhabited primarily by the prison guards and their family. Many of the basic components of the facility too such as the number of cells or the prison's maximum capacity nowadays are not known, or have not been explicitly documented. Reports by
817-518: The SNM, as we are fighting the regime, you can come and join the Jihad ; (2) whoever wants to go and join his family, we will help you get back home; (3) whoever wants to join the regime, you should know we pushed them back to Abdaal when we came; so go to them and we will not do anything to you until you reach them. But be careful: we might attack you later and then our bullets will hurt you. So choose one of these options. The speech not only motivated many of
860-740: The Somali Democratic government. With assistance from Isaaq military officers in the government, a commando SNM unit's deep infiltration into the nation from a makeshift base in Ethiopia caught the Somali National Army off guard, and saw the prison temporarily fall under the SNM's control. The SNM released all 744 of the prisoners detained at Mandera Prison, where they were told the following by Colonel Mohamed Hashi Lihle : O prisoners, you are from everywhere. Now we will release you. You have three options to choose from: (1) whoever wants to join
903-621: The Somalis in the prison to join the SNM, but became a major symbol of propaganda in the media across the Somali Democratic Republic, bringing attention to the otherwise politically isolated movement within the nation. The second attack, which took place at the dawn of 29 May 1988, was part of the SNM's successful 1988 Hargeisa-Burao offensive . The attack on the prison, which was not originally planned to take place, became necessary after reasonable fear arose that Somali forces would kill
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#1732876346513946-462: The United States. The M40 is shaped like a long tube with an M8C .50 cal spotting rifle above. The spotting rifle fires a round whose trajectory closely matches that of the 105 mm round and gives off a puff of smoke on impact with the target. On the left side, there is an elevating wheel, in the center of which is the trigger wheel used to fine adjust the elevation and at the same time firing
989-487: The government, including those seeking the re-independence of Somaliland. Two successful attacks, overseen by the anti-communist Somali National Movement (SNM), were conducted in January 1983 and May 1988. In both instances all prisoners, numbering in the hundreds and including dozens of political prisoners, were released. The first attack, which took place on 2 January 1983, was also the SNM's first military operation against
1032-543: The nearby police station, the prison complex as a whole has gained an overall poor reputation regarding its quality and treatment of inmates. Mandera Prison is located alongside the first police academy in Somaliland. Positioned separately across from the prison itself, construction of the academy and station began in 1968, and was finished in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The finished buildings were designed to house, feed, and provide basic training for new prison guards and police officers who would gain experience by working at
1075-401: The opposing Waddani party or more broadly against the current government have been detained in the prison often without due process , and held for an indefinite amount of time. Instances of this occurring in recent years were seen on 9 June 2022, 15 August 2022, and 9 November 2022. Journalist detentions typically receive some form of condemnation and call for immediate release by at least one of
1118-516: The prison by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , where the interior of the compound was deemed in need of refurbishment after years of consistent operation. Some former prisoners have also recalled poor bug-treatment at the compound, leading to scarring from repeated insect bites in some instances. Insect bites in the past have not been treated properly by the prison's medical department. Along with reports of abuse against detainees at
1161-465: The prison for detaining journalists and non-ruling party politicians en masse, and for allowing executions. The exact date, when Mandera Prison was built or became operational, is unknown. Its earliest records show that it was constructed by the British Empire , as the main central prison for British Somaliland , sometime during the occupation of the region beginning in 1884. It was the only prison in
1204-422: The prison, where the SNM could enter. After the SNM's entrance, the prison's commander, who refused to surrender, was shot on sight, and all 664 inmates of the prison were freed. Among the freed were 34 Ethiopians , Southern Somalis, and former mayor of Hargeisa Barre Langadhe. A vehicle was provided to the former Ethiopian prisoners to transport them back to Jijiga , and the remaining prisoners who wanted to join
1247-625: The prison. In modern times; the buildings have on multiple occasions been used to hold detainees awaiting trial, who if found guilty, can quickly be sent to the prison proper. Reports of abuse have surfaced from some detainees who have spent extended periods of time being held at the station. During British colonial rule in 1951, Mandera Prison began hosting a prison education program which focused on teaching practical skills; including basketry , blacksmithing , building , carpentry , gardening , tailoring , and poultry farming . Juvenile inmates in addition were also given literary lessons, all of which
1290-643: The prison. On both occasions, the European Union released statements against the executions, restating their opposition to the irreversible form of capital punishment. Another execution by firing squad occurred on 16 February 2022 when four men convicted of the killing of soldiers were executed. These actions were again rebuked, this time by the United Kingdom , whose representative in Hargeisa responded by saying that execution "has no deterrent effect on crime". Below
1333-400: The prisoners detained there in retaliation for the SNM's recent successful capture of Adadley . After marching from Adadley through the night of 28 May, SNM forces arrived at dawn at the prison, where they were met with fierce resistance from the defending Somali forces, killing 10 SNM fighters and wounding more. A M40 recoilless rifle was eventually able to penetrate a hole at a weak point of
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1376-465: The programs from British rule are still in operation is unknown; because only the teaching of carpentry, welding, and tailoring skills were discussed by the ICRC in a 2016 report. Between Mandera Prison and Puntland 's Bosaso Prison, the program regularly serves 180 inmates. The prison in recent history has gained a reputation for holding inmates, especially juveniles, for long sentences that often do not match
1419-455: The projectile and the cartridge case are loaded as one unit. The rear end of the cartridge case is perforated, to allow the propellant gas to escape through the vented breech, thus neutralizing recoil. Most projectiles (except HEAT) used are pre-engraved, that is, the rotating bands are cut to engage the rifled bore. Types of ammunition included HEAT , High Explosive Plastic- Tracer ( HEP-T ), canister , High Explosive Anti Personnel, and
1462-513: The protectorate equipped to hold "all long-term prisoners" before the formation of the Somaliland Prison Service (modern day Somaliland Custodial Corps ) on 1 November 1949. The detailed 1953 Prison Rules which reformatted the prison systems in the protectorate kept Mandera Prison as the main central prison. Mandera would continue to remain an important central prison throughout the rule of the following Somali Republic until 1969, and
1505-554: The severity of the crimes committed. This has led to a growing reliance on paralegals to secure the legal rights of inmates in the prison to an acceleration of their passage through the lengthy criminal justice system. This was not always the case though, as findings from a survey taken between 1948 and 1950 showed the juvenile population in Mandera Prison, and Somaliland's prisons as a whole, decreasing. The reverse has taken place recently, with multiple instances of one- to two-year prison sentences being documented for juveniles convicted of
1548-420: The spotting rifle when pulled, and the gun when pushed. The mounting is a tripod , but the front leg has a castering wheel. On top of the mount is a traverse wheel. On the center of the traverse wheel is a locking wheel, when the wheel is down, the rifle is locked in traverse, and can only be moved right and left with the traverse wheel. When the wheel is raised, the rifle can be traversed by hand. Austria produced
1591-448: The theft of mobile phones. While the prison's inmate population still consists primarily of murders and to a lesser extent pirates , the prison still holds a disproporinatly large amount underaged schoolchildren as inmates. This was confirmed by the Waddani opposition party leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on a visit conducted on 24 November 2022, in which he described the situation as
1634-407: The various journalists' rights groups that are active in the region. Such groups have had some success in the past. On multiple occasions; the prison has been recorded as, and condemned for, executing some of its prisoners as recently as in 2022. On both 15 January 2020 and 26 November 2020, six prisoners convicted of murders were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad on the outskirts of
1677-562: Was a 105 mm weapon developed in the early 1950s and fielded in the Korean War . Although a recoilless rifle of this caliber had been a concept since the Second World War , the weapon was hurriedly produced with the onset of the Korean War. The speed with which it was developed and fielded resulted in problems with reliability caused by trunnions that were mounted too far to the rear. The M27
1720-525: Was also considered too heavy by the U.S. Army and had a disappointing effective range due to the lack of a spotting rifle. Taking the M27 as the basis for a new design, the Army developed an improved version of the M27 that was type-designated the M40 106-mm recoilless rifle in 1955. Although unsuitable for military purposes, M27 recoilless rifles were used to trigger controlled avalanches at ski resorts and mountain passes in
1763-556: Was developed to replicate the trajectory of the 106 mm ammunition, and features a tracer element and a point-detonating incendiary filler to create a puff of white smoke at the impact point. Four of the six 106mm rifles on the M50 Ontos mounted spotter rifles. Spotter rounds had a yellow tip with a red band and practice cartridges had a green tip. Although the spotting rifle could conceivably be used in an antipersonnel role, historic U.S. military doctrine strongly discouraged this use, for
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1806-440: Was initially successful due to operational similarities to the familiar M27 and ready availability from the U.S. military; however, in 1995, a USFS gunner was killed by shrapnel after a low-level premature warhead detonation inside an M40 barrel. The accident was attributed to an undiscovered hairline crack in the projectile's base plate. Following this incident, most USFS M40s were quickly replaced with surplus 105 mm howitzers , but
1849-440: Was supervised and administered by two teachers assigned to the prison. This education was offered to willing inmates for a dual purpose: of giving them a paying profession to prevent poverty and recidivism , and of transferring any profits from the farms and shops to British government departments. In 1955 however, the prison education program was terminated "on the grounds that the statistical figures did not reveal any real need for
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