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20 March 2008
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Human Rights Situation in Somalia Getting Worse
20/03/2008
The human rights situation in Somalia in now worse than six months ago.
This is the conclusion of the UN Independent Expert on human rights in that country Ghanim Alnajjar. Presenting his report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he said that fighting between the Transitional Federal Government troops and insurgent groups in the capital Mogadishu had degenerated into urban war:
"The human rights situation in Mogadishu has been characterized by indiscriminate violence and attacks against civilians, arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, killings of journalists, house-to-house searches and sexual and gender-based violence amongst others."
Mr. Alnajjar called on the UN to support the transitional government and press it to protect the Somali population.
Somali Ambassador in Geneva Yusuf Mohamed Ismail "Bari-Bari" agreed that violations of human rights had become the norm in his country, which is of great concern to the government. He recalled the creation of the Human Right Commission which would investigate past war crimes.
The Somali Ambassador also said the government had started a disarmament and reintegration program, which, he said, had so far received little or no help from the international community.
"This led to the recruitment of the former militias in the new security forces in order to establish a force that is capable and efficient. However, that has not been achieved fully due to the absence of effective training facilities and other necessary resources."
According to UN estimates, 7000 people were killed and 600,000 Somalis fled Mogadishu in the past year.
This is the conclusion of the UN Independent Expert on human rights in that country Ghanim Alnajjar. Presenting his report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he said that fighting between the Transitional Federal Government troops and insurgent groups in the capital Mogadishu had degenerated into urban war:
"The human rights situation in Mogadishu has been characterized by indiscriminate violence and attacks against civilians, arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, killings of journalists, house-to-house searches and sexual and gender-based violence amongst others."
Mr. Alnajjar called on the UN to support the transitional government and press it to protect the Somali population.
Somali Ambassador in Geneva Yusuf Mohamed Ismail "Bari-Bari" agreed that violations of human rights had become the norm in his country, which is of great concern to the government. He recalled the creation of the Human Right Commission which would investigate past war crimes.
The Somali Ambassador also said the government had started a disarmament and reintegration program, which, he said, had so far received little or no help from the international community.
"This led to the recruitment of the former militias in the new security forces in order to establish a force that is capable and efficient. However, that has not been achieved fully due to the absence of effective training facilities and other necessary resources."
According to UN estimates, 7000 people were killed and 600,000 Somalis fled Mogadishu in the past year.
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