NAIROBI (AFP) — European deputies called Thursday for an independent probe into war crimes and rights violations in the Somali capital, where the government is battling rebels, a statement said Thursday.
The resolution, adopted by the European Parliament, "strongly condemns the serious violations of human rights committed by all parties to the conflict".
It called for "an independent panel to investigate war crimes and human rights violations."
The resolution also called for an immediate ceasefire and in particular an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
"The African Union's member states are pressed to provide peacekeeping troops, while the international community is urged to provide financial and logistical support for those troops," said statement from the parliament.
Currently, there are at least 1,600 AU peacekeepers from Uganda and the pan-African group has failed to raise the 8,000 it pledged.
The resolution also called for the existing UN arms embargo on the country to be enforced.
Dozens of civilians have been killed and at least 170,000 displaced in fighting between in the recent fighting between the Union of Islamic Courts and allied Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops.
Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, speaking to reporters in Nairobi, confirmed the civilian fatalities. "When two elephants fight, the grass suffers," he said.
The UN secretary general's special envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, said Tuesday that war crimes suspects in the shattered African nation should be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court to end impunity.
In April, a European Union envoy to Kenya, Eric van der Linden, asked Brussels to investigate whether Ethiopian and Somali forces had committed war crimes in their recent crackdown on Islamist and clan insurgents in Mogadishu.
Since Ethiopian troops swept aside the Islamists who had briefly governed much of the country in April, civilians have often been caught up in the fighting, particularly in the capital Mogadishu.
Witnesses have said that Ethiopian forces indiscriminately shot civilians in a bid to clamp down on insurgents.
The resolution also called for "the cessation of all foreign military intervention in Somalia," apparently referring to thousands of Ethiopian forces who were deployed to bolster Yusuf's government.
The armed wing of the radical Islamists, Shabab, renewed its call on its fighters to attack the AU peacekeepers in their campaign to drive out pro-government forces from the Horn of African nation.
"Like Ethiopia, Uganda also invaded our country. We will fight and assassinate their officers. All other African troops sent to Somalia will face the same fate," said Islamist commander Adan Hashi Aryo in a message posted on a pro-Islamist website.
The Ugandan army, which has lost five troops in Mogadishu since it arrived in March, reacted coolly.
"We regard that as terrorism because our troops have not attacked them despite the shelling and killing of our troops," Ugandan army spokesman Felix Kulaigje said.
The recent Mogadishu clashes have deepened the humanitarian crisis that has dogged the nation for 16 years, with areas just outside the city struggling to cope with the latest influx of displaced people.
Humanitarian groups have complained that insecurity has blocked them from accessing civilians blocked in Mogadishu.
The Shabelle region -- Somalia's breadbasket -- has suffered its worst crop in 13 years, putting the lives of nearly a million on the edge of starvation.
Bloody clan feuds and power struggles, which intensified after the 1991 overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, have undermined repeated bids to stabilise Somalia.
Source: AFP, November 16, 2007
Thanking you for your crocodile tears. I am sure their Intention is not about war crimes commited in Somalia but to go and blackmail our liberation fighters and their learders. I hope that I am wrong, but let us keep watching them"EU"
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Do you know any war criminal apart Habardigir?
Please be honest.
Once peace and law & order are established, have you got any plan in which we could return
them comfortably to where they belong? In case they reject, which I hardly doubt (They are proud
of their land (Gurijecel)the name sums up all their origin, what deportation mesures would you envisage?
Concentration camps is an option, but who is going to build them?
Please feel free to have your say. This is our future, no more mess.
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Aswrwb
waxa Keliya oo Aan meeshan ku darsanaya waxay tahay
In Alle subxanuhu watacala naga qabto gaalada
Aluha Aslixna fii biladina wa biladi muslimin
Mid talo ahna waa idinku darsanaya oo ah
In Alle xasusnata oo dadka dhibataysa uu jirkinu ka dabqado
Waayo Sida aan ogsonahayba qof islaamka waxa looga
Bahan yahay inu Jirkisu damqado marku arko walale kale
Dhiigisa oo daadanaya
Marka waxan lee yahy Ale ha na hanuniyo
Dhibatadana Hana kor waaqo
Wabilahi Towfiiq
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It's about time some form of international community raised a concerned about the genoicide of the somalian people but let's not get too excited because you know the big fishes like Bush and Zenawi will not even be question. I guess small step is better than no step.I hope these thugs get what they deserve but be patient brothers and sisters only ALLAH will bring the true justice.
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The most obvious thing that European Union can do is to decree to bring those with European passports to justice. There are dozen people holding European pasports and responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Somalia. The prominent among them is the head of notorious NSS intelligence agency, Darwiish. We urge the member countries of the European countries to first investigate theEuropean citizens who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. We are preparing the complete list of these criminals and will soon submit to the EU parliament and to the individual governments.
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The majority of Somali people are grateful, however belated, that the European Union and Un special envoy take this bold step to condemn the war crimes coomitted in Somalia by the militia of the warlords and the Ethiopian troops. If we wnt peace to be acheived in Somalia, the war crimes committed by the warlords must be addressed. The warlords in this warlord government must face justice. Mohamed Dhere said " we do not care we will use tank fire agianst civilian targets" and warlord Abdulahi Yusuf said repeatedly that he will target civilians, that is clear case of war crimes. I hope that these warlords and the all other criminals be rounded and brought before the International Criminal Court in the Hague. At last there is ngoing to be justice in Somalia.
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At last, the international community is realising that there cannot be any peace without the warlords facing the consequences of their war crimes and crimes against humanity they have been committing. The crrent warlord government is dominated by warlords and their deputies, these and others must face court of justice. Unless impunity ends the troubles of Somalia will continue. Abdullahi Yusuf, Gedi, Qaybdiid, Darwiish and other unholy alliance have killed more than 2000 innocent Somali poeple, injured more than 5000 civilians and displaced half a million people. If they are not punished now, the victims of today will seek tomorrow and the cicle of violance will continue to engulf Somalia. Warlord Abdulahi Yusuf has been killing innocent Somali people for the last 40 years , it is time to stop this madness before it destroys what is left of Somalia.
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maalinta xariga qoorta loo galin doono dhhigyacabyada soomaali
kala reebay uguna wayn yahay INA EEY laguna qaado waxay shacabka
mariyeen maalinkaa way imaanaysaa inshaalaah,
marnaba dadka nadiifka ah ma ogalaan doonaan gumeeysiga iyo shaqaalihiisa.
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"The resolution, adopted by the European Parliament, "strongly condemns the serious violations of human rights committed by all parties to the conflict". All parties, is not one side, to tell you the truth, I have little hope both sides will be prosecuted. While they calling more troops to come to Somalia.
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I am happy to hear European parliament calls for war crime probe in Somalia, the first step toward stopping crimes against humanity carrying in Mogadishu Ethiopians with the so called TFG.
What is going on in Somalia especially Mogadishu is civilian massacre committed by illegal invaders, it look like what happened in Rwanda. Ethiopian with some warlords called TFG are massacring all civilians in Mogadishu, the Somali capital city is almost empty, the Ethiopian soldiers are using the furniture left the capital cooking woods the clothes left as toilet papers, this is exactly what is happening in Mogadishu,
I do not understand how they are going to govern a capital city with its population mostly is outside the city staying under trees.
There is Somali saying “ Qooleey qoor qabad biyo kuma cabto”
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Moreover, we substituted clan hood to nationhood.
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Namidic1, I agree with you. We failed to disguish the difference between regime and state.
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Mogadishu fell to USC a mere few months before Addis fell to the EPRDF. Now see the difference for yourself. Mogadishu is the heartbeat of the nation and the commercial city. It is also the place that brought a once proud nation on its knees and held it hostage for nearly two decades.
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There is no pint in blaming others. Poor workman quarels with his tools. If we cant distinguish the right from the wrong and strive towards achieving the common good, we will remain we are forever. There is no one to defeat in Somalia except in ourselves.
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It will boil down of who provoked who, who started the fire and what was the outcome. EU didn’t have the means to go forward with an investigation previously due to circumstance surrounding the capital and …..I am not sure if they ever will!
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Well, Dhako, I am not sure how one can separate a state from its people. Somalia was a success story in the seventies and achieved unprecedented economic, education and health system unheard in an African country. It is we Somalis that started undermining our own country and failed to see the bigger picture. How many countries are classed as a failed state since 1991 and yet reverted to peace and prosperity. If you don’t know, think of Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, Sireleon, Liberia, Angola and so on. If you don’t know, Ethiopia was a failed state for decades before Mingustu and the Derg were kicked out in 1992. The only difference between us and them was that they knew the difference between a regime and a state. They didn’t loot office furnitures and dig roads for metal scrap.
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There is no innocent Somalis includng civilians, all of them they stood by when all of the attrocities were taking place or they did pertake. Collective guilt is what all of Somalis are carrying in their shoulders. So I think that is why a place like Mogadishu is still burning, whether it is caused by internal or external forces. Mogadishu was the darling City of Somalia and it became a cursed city.
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Mr. Yusuf fulfilled the mission. Now it’s time to hung him just as we did before Sadam Hussain. We have evidence that he committed war crimes. We have his voice saying “ we going to bomb the civilians because they didn’t want to fight against UIC” another time he quoted “ civilian deaths are unavoidable” and many more. Not it’s time to hung him.
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Yes, let all those War Criminals roaming Somalia stand trail for their crimes. ENOUGH WITH INNOCENT PEOPLE PAYING FOR THE CRIMES OF WAR CRIMINALS!!! NEVER AGAIN!
Nomadic1, the problems of Somalia emanate from the failure of State Building. Somalia was failed state while we still had a government, go read the literature from back then on our former government. When the State fails so spectacularly as it has in Somalia, the tragic drama unfolding for the past couple decades plus are the corollary outcome - the Hobbesian State.
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I wouldn't be any happier if they fry all the war lords & their master of 17 years Zenawe. Having said that, I believe the crimes go much beyond those evil forces. The UN, EU, US,& AU are all directly or indirectly responsible for the death & destruction of our people & our country. However, the ultimate losers will be those who miscalculated the resilience of the Somali people. The occupation is not working out, US didn't find the four men it said it was looking for since 1998 & the conflict will most definitely spill over to a peaceful regions & countries. Sure, we lost a lot of people & our sovereignty but rest assured a lot of people in this conspiracy will not get their objective either. We are not the first people slaughtered in the streets of their own country but accepting defeat & surrendering is not a logical option. I have no doubt, no war lord will enjoy anything that resembles Siyad Barre's chair......
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listen his mesage again itis on www.alldalkanews.com Hever mentioned any bini hebel. He said all muslims are welcome to help their muslim brothers and sisters in Somalia. No need to lie to score weak point.
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There was no TFG and Ethiopian forces in Somalia until just 2 years ago. We all know that our problems date back to 1991 or even before that for some. Why cant we just admit that we are bunch of headless nomads riven by blind tribal passion with absolutley no sense of respect for human life.
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Alqaacida yes, didn't Ceeyrow pleaded to them in his last desperate appeal. Saluted Bin hebel on air before his fellow Somalis, I don't think that was fabricated by anyone. Sometimes is tire some to defend the undefendable, you just keep on falling on your own trap idealogicly, like Alshabaab or UIC did or do. No one incriminates these guys, better than themselves.
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From 1991 till today is my example and I think there is nothing else more gruesome in the history of Somalia in those dark days, if we have to be fair. If you want to start 1969 till now it is ok with me too. Go wild and don't limit your self.
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Most somali idvividuals specially those so called politicians are guilty of putting their own interest before that of the country and its vulnerble people.
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Did you say "alqaida" I like that. When TFg and TFG suporters mention the word alqaida, it means they are so desperate and they want use "alqida card" They even call alqida Refugee people including women and children. That is sign of desperate.
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Then, if Al-Shabab movement has immunity and carte blanche to massacre people, shouldn’t we extent that to TFG & Ethio? If seeking justice is the case, then blaming on one side on all the atrocities committed in Somalia, just defeats the purpose of inquiring justice in the first place?
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You limited the date lol. You start from 1991.
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Yaa is gaarey
I didn't limit date or event, I just got some examples. So dig in brother, bring more names of people who commited what constitutes genocide, no one should be left out. Ceyrow (I hope he gets captured alive) or alshabab wing since they are hiding they will have an absantee trial if it comes to that, one for his affiliation to alqaacida and another one the people of Mogadishu that he ki'lled. The rest of the group in Asmara the world knows wher they are, if we talking TFG you know their address too and you can easily set up a meeting within the country.
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I love how my people jump at the sight of any foreign entity that mentioned they can do something for somalia. People, the only person responsible for the immunity enjoyed by those war-criminals is yourselves. Stop the blind cheerleading, somali blood is sacred, and any one that spills it has forfitted their own.
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You right about that, but dont forget you gota blame Masters first then slaves. Slaves=275 plus cabdulaahi. Masters=Bush/Meles. You know Cabdulaahi canot help or hurt anybody. He is in jail.Those European parliament are trying to fool us and they canot say Bush and Meles killed thousands inocent Somali people. Can they put on trail Bush/Meles? You know the answer.
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yaa is gaaray,
what are you on about? According to the Nuremburg Trials, cornerstone of modern Laws of War, A/yuusuf is personally responsible for every woman, child and man that's killed while he presides over the TFG. It's like saying Bush and Blair are not responsible for the million dead Iraqis for a war they started. It's absurd.
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Itis not about Cabdulaahi. itis all war criminals. Cabdulaahi is not even top two. There are warcriminals worst than cabdulaahi and they still live. Cabdulaahi just killed few houndres for his own tribe may be little over 800, but there are are warcriminals who killed thousands for the last 19 years.
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Mujaahid Turki, Mujaahid Ceyro, Mujaahid Aweys, Mujaahid Rooble aka Abu Maansuur, Al-Shabaabs and the rest of patriotic Somalis fighting IN their country against a foreign army have not committed a premediated genocide of Biblical proportions, they have not displaced a million ppl from their homes and stand vindicated today. They're the ones who told us not to trust the TFG and warned us of what will the Woyanne fascists will do once come in our country.
Indhacadd and Caydiid are cut from the same cloth as the rest Warlord criminals.
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Arraweelo10 why not from 1988 instead 1991? go up two more years or you trying to hide something?Most of leaders who were behind the hargesa genoside still live and they part of this TFG. Let me remind you one guy "Morgan" If all warcriminals face court from 1988 untill now, this so called TFG will not exist because most of warcriminals and warlords are TFG leaders.
European parliament is trying to play their games. They dont care those inocent people died.
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No Shanta, it seems that these guys have clan immunity and many guys in here as they show, want that Yusuf should be prosecuted because he belongs to Clan B, all clan T are immune. Typical clan worshippers thought.
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It’s low time for people to provide the names of one group for persecution. Do Dahir Awes, Ceeyrow, Indhacade, Aided, Aftoje, Turki and Abu Mansoon have immunity?
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Good step forward. We want it practically, not saying and leaving it, for polical game only. I hope that Europeans know who did this indiscreminate killings - Ethopeans and warlord that westerns financed and provided political support. If the world is willing deliver justice, thruth must be addressed. People in Mogadishu revolted against Ethopean's and warlords' dailly looting, killing, torturing, raping, kidnaping (so called detaining) displacing and harrassing. Then Ethopean massacred. The world should also take into account that, beside indiscreminate huge bombandmetn, Ethopean believed that certain Clans are more against them and hunted indivitually.
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It's high time the International community hold Somali War Criminals (C.yuusuf, m/dheere, madoobe, qeybdiid et al) responsible for their War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. Far too long, innocent Somalis paid the price of crimes done by other men. Now, at long last, we have a golden opportunity, to pressure the International community to prosecute Somali War Criminals who have the blood hundreds of thousands of Somalis on their hands just like they prosecuted C. Taylor and S. Milosevic. If not for the haunting pleas of justice from the mass grave in Xamar, than at least to spare future generations the fate of this generation.
Warlord supporters, your days are numbered!
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In order to charge Abdullahi with a crime, there are several issues that need to happen. For instance, a government must be in place, which you vehemently deny for it to exist or tale place. In the absence of that; Abdullahi will not stand in a court of law, but in our opinion he is guilty, then again our opinion does not matter.
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Caraweelo,
This has been the problem in Somalia, that many of us want justice but not equality. There shouldn’t be double standard regarding about crimes against humanity at all. Protecting your butcher shouldn’t be the case, but forwarding criminals in your mist for persecution provides ground for equal justice for all. When the van glorious ICU fighters’ cornered majority of the Mog-warlords, they were given a chance to leave, in order to satisfy the interest of the clan, then was justice served?
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Arrawelo, are you really sure you want to see your uncle Abdullahi Yusuf get prosecuted for all the killings he has done? And do you realize your welfare my stop coming from him if you say yes? Allah will feed you sister insha Allah for one time in your life stop supporting an enemy to the Somali people.
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Shanta I agree with you. You can't prosecute some and say others are innocent. Lets bring to justice everyone who was involved the Somali citizens genocide from 1991 till today. You can't have a half carved justice, lets see if this could materialize, apart from any wishful thinking.
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How about if we charge everyone involved in Somali’s conflict per say: All members of TFG, ICU, Al-Shabab, Diaspora Clan Network, Bakarah financial Co., Clan Occupation Regime, and Asmara Group.
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Majority of us want to see A/Lahi Yusuf, Maxamed Dheere, Gacma Dheere, Qaybdiid, perhaps Ghedi and other warlords facing war crime charges. Yet you hear some folks here that want only two individuals, it makes you wonder why. Well lets not waste time in pointing fingers the only thing we need to see here and it will happen insh Allah sooner than later is to witness A/Lahi Yusuf and the other warlords from TFG facing charges and getting sentenced for lenghty time.
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"When two elephants fight, the grass suffers," Abdillahi Y Ahmeed, war criminal per-exellence.
He shoud be tried first before any one else.
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This is a wonderful news that should have come sooner while Abdullahi Yusuf and his TFG along with his masters Ethiopian were killing the innocent Somalis. Anyone who denies the TFG's killings is a bias who is a QABILIST. We need to grow out of Qabiil.
First, Ethiopia needs to EXIT and worry about fixing their problems in their homeland instead of taking their angry toward our Somali people. May Allah replace the TFG with a better government.
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Nonsense, bias, and propaganda call. We are all know that every government has obligation to protect their citizens for any course of action and TFG is doing just like that. Who killed civilians? who took them as human sheild? Who is behind the assasssinations? We know who are they! Let's we brought them Aden Ayrow, Ahmed Dirie and their supporters to justice. After that, we all will have peace and stability.
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When two elephants fight, the grass suffers," Abdillahi Y Ahmeed, war criminal per-exellence.
He shoud be tried first before any one else.
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At last we are hearing the sort of language that was needed and its a good start to hear this from the EU. Seems to me that the TFG and the Ethiopians days are getting closer to answer their indiscriminate shelling and killing of civilians, I just can't wait the day these warlords led by A/Lahi Yusuf and their master Melez Zenawi are brought to justice and sentences to harsh conditions because these guys do not deserve nothing else as they are merciless dictators who are responsible for the deaths of thousands if not hundred thousands of innocent civilians.
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