Records from the Italian Military Tribunal in Mogadishu (1915–1941): Archival Note

In Somalia Italiana, Africans and Arabs employed in the security forces were critical to the expansion and maintenance of the colonial state. Despite their significance, there is little research on these soldiers due to the scarcity of archival records and oral histories that sheds light on their lives and labor in the colonial military. This article examines colonial military tribunal records, the only available archive with substantive information on individual soldiers, and suggests possible themes for future research.