Locals in Belet Huen, Somalia, frequently stole supplies from the Canadian camp nearby. On March 16, 1993, soldiers of 2 Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment, found 16-year-old Shidane Arone trespassing in a nearby compound.

The two Canadian soldiers assigned to guard Arone instead tortured and beat him to death. Canadian artist Allan Harding MacKay’s work combines photography of the town of Belet Huen with reports about the resulting military investigation. The controversy surrounding this investigation ultimately overshadowed the success of the Somali mission.

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Created by Allan Harding MacKay in 1993
Mixed media
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
Canadian War Museum 19930100-002

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