Somalia: Who is accountable for the massacring and displacing Mogdishu Civilians? Somali Human Rights Defenders Network (SOHRIDEN)

Mogadishu inhabitants are shifting from the bombardment in an area to another area which it is going to be shelled next while mothers and children are waiting when to be hit by the bullets and rockets from the insurgents and the indiscriminate shelling of Mortars , artilleries, PMs of the Ethiopian troops.

The worlds worst humanitarian crises and prevalent violations of human rights is inflicted on the Somali civilians who are severely suffering from the major results of the fighting taking place between the Ethiopian troops and the insurgents , who are all using the civilian residents as their forces base. Massive displacement and insecurity in Mogadishu pressed the international humanitarian agencies to appeal and call for the international community to save the poor residents of Mogadishu from the recounting humanitarian devastation. AU mission is encouraged to deploy their troops soon to replace the Ethiopian troops or "coalition of willing " as the UN secretary general declared , while the government is not even commenting the situation as it is not responsible from their people and not give the least consideration to the massive destruction of live and properties which they are accountable to all what is taking place. .

"Violations of the laws of war is overrating to be documented, because of the endless fighting that takes place continuously in the densely populated areas which the insurgent forces are rocketing from and the extensive indiscriminate shelling and bombardment of these civilian areas by Ethiopian forces in response." Said Ahmed "kiimiko" the focal point of Somalia for East and Horn of Africa Human Right Defenders Network

What flared up the situation, as it is now obvious that Ethiopian troops are extensively undertaking revenge for, is the dragging the dead corpses of the Ethiopian troops in the capital streets by the insurgents which is also inhumane and forbidden in Islamic religion and the international human rights instruments. The dead body is sacred and should be buried.

The death toll of the latest fighting reaches now sixty three civilians as reliable sources indicating while more dead bodies are found in some areas and became difficult to collect since Ethiopian sharpshooters are shooting any attempt to collect. Thousands of civilians are displaced, casualties are over three hundred while a heavy loss of property is in place. Both sides have shot innocents in their residences and in the streets . The Ethiopians troops from the windows of the top buildings, which they forcibly took and made bases for their forces in the civilians residences, were shooting beside their shelling with the tanks and all kinds of rockets and heavy machine guns.

Ethiopian troops were not simply only confronted with Islamists and radical militias of the insurgents but with a broad front of clans and groups that are hardly or not related to the Islamists but shared their perception and rejection of the Ethiopians as a joint enemy, and this was encouraged by the Ethiopians themselves when they failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid incidental loss of civilian life and property, such as by failing to verify that targets were military objectives. Said Ahmed " Both sides are war criminals and violated laws of war and international humanitarian laws." The Focal point of Somalia for East and horn of Africa Human Rights defenders and Chairperson of Human Rights defenders Network, Ahmed Kiimiko Concluded.

We finally call for all sides fighting in the city to unconditionally cease fire and respect the international human rights instruments and we also appeal the international community to undertake suitable measures on all these armed groups involved these war crimes and violated by international humanitarian law, with criminal intention to be prosecuted in international courts for war crimes. Also we call for emergency humanitarian assistance for these displaced people who are now in the city environs and posses nothing.

Human Rights Reporting Office Somali Human Rights Defenders Network (SOHRIDEN) Human Rights House Talex Street, Hodan District, Mogadishu, Somalia.

Tel: +2525-9-29027/+252-1-227272 Email: sohriden@gmail.com , info@shrdefenders.org