On December 3, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, concludes a one-week visit to the Horn of Africa. Last month, UN officials described the situation in Somalia as the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa.

“The humanitarian suffering we see in Somalia and Ethiopia’s Somali region is the direct result of serious international crimes,” said Steve Crawshaw, UN advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Concerned governments and the UN Security Council need to press Ethiopia and Somalia to end these abuses and ensure accountability for their armed forces.”

The conflict in Somalia has steadily intensified since last December, when Ethiopian forces supporting the Somali Transitional Federal Government ousted the Islamic Courts Union from Mogadishu. Ethiopian forces quickly came under attack from a growing coalition of insurgent groups, and fighting in March and April 2007 forced as many as 400,000 residents of the city to flee their homes.

Both sides were responsible for war crimes during the fighting, including deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Clashes intensified again in November, driving tens of thousands of people from Mogadishu yet again. The November clashes have been marked by increasing brutality toward civilians, including summary executions and enforced disappearances of individuals by Ethiopian forces. 

Aid workers and the media have also been targeted by the warring parties. Eight journalists have been killed this year. The transitional Somali government has repeatedly shut down media outlets. Three of Mogadishu’s independent radio stations and a human rights organization remain closed.

The Somali government has repeatedly harassed and obstructed humanitarian organizations trying to assist the displaced population. The mayor of Mogadishu, former warlord Mohamed Dheere, detained the head of the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) for five days in October, causing WFP to temporarily suspend food distributions to at least 75,000 people.

“Key governments are ignoring the rampant human rights abuses in Somalia at their own peril,” said Crawshaw. “Their action is a catastrophe for victims today, and it’s also likely to radicalize younger Somalis and create tomorrow’s fighters.”

The conflict in Somalia is also affecting the region. Since early this year, part of eastern Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State known as the Ogaden, which borders Somalia, has experienced a sharp escalation in a longstanding conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a rebel movement that claims it is fighting for self-determination for the region.

The ONLF attacked a Chinese oil installation in April, and Ethiopian military forces launched a brutal crackdown in June, targeting civilians perceived to be supporting the ONLF in five key zones of Somali Region. ONLF forces have also been responsible for abuses, particularly killings of suspected collaborators and the use of anti-vehicle mines in indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

Human Rights Watch has found that Ethiopian troops have used scorched -earth tactics to depopulate the rural areas and terrorize rural communities in the Somali Region. Their crimes include the burning of villages, public summary executions, sexual violence against women and girls, and confiscation of livestock – the main asset of the predominantly pastoralist population.

The Ethiopian government imposed a trade and commercial blockade on much of the affected region and expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross from Ethiopia’s Somali Region in July.

Although Ethiopia and the UN recently signed an agreement to increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in the country’s Somali Region, there are credible reports of ongoing abuses. 

Human Rights Watch welcomed UN Under-Secretary-General John Holmes’s visit to the region and his call for further investigation of abuses in the Ogaden.

“Improving civilian access to humanitarian assistance in the Ogaden is a positive step,” said Crawshaw. “But unless the Ethiopian government lifts the trade blockade, ends these appalling crimes, and ensures accountability, it will be too little, too late.”

For more information, please contact:

In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow (English): +31-64-876-7375 (mobile)

In New York, Steve Crawshaw (English, French, German): +1-212-216-1217; or +1-646-596-3348 (mobile)

In London, Tom Porteous (English): +44-20-7713-2766; or +44-79-8398-4982 (mobile)

Source: HRW, Dec 03, 2007

beyourown @ 12/4/2007 11:31 AM EST  UN security council should urgently adopt new resolution to kick out Ethopian from Somalia. Then to arrange inclusive peace dialog and crime investigation.

Arraweelo10 @ 12/4/2007 10:36 AM EST  Guys, aren't you a broken disc, you keep repeating the same "cantrabaqash" every posting. So and so will pay the price, will be brought to justice and resistance will prevail etc. Hello, do you see anything amounting to that so far and some of your freedom fighters they headed home sweat home and started te'rrorizing their peaceful homes. (Sidii goroyadii buulkeeda gubtay).

maslaxadraadi @ 12/4/2007 3:44 AM EST  The government of the new prime minister started to disintegrate before its inception. Four ministers resigned and other are thinking of leaving this inept government. The new prime minister named the same ministers that Gedi left. It is certain that nothing can be expected from these group. Only death, destruction, infighting, instigation of civil war can be expected from the warlords and the occupation.

somalipeace10 @ 12/4/2007 3:21 AM EST  The world must know that occupation and the warlords will only exacerbate the situation. First the occupation must end immediately. Second, those who are responsible for the crimes should face justice. Third, the so-called TFG failed and there must be genuine, all-inclusive reconciliation conference must be held in a neutral country. Warlords will never succeed, so they must go and punished for their crimes.

maslaxadraadi @ 12/4/2007 2:46 AM EST  When the resistance started, we all knew that Ethiopians and their servants would harm the civilians, because of their criminal intent. But Somali people have no other option but to fight with the occupation. What else can we do? Let Ethiopia dismantle Somalia and colonialize Somalia as they have been doing to our brothers in Ogaden. I can understand that some stupid clannish people may think that if Ethiopia rules Somalia, your warlord may work for them, but Somali interest is first. I am 100% sure that even those who are criticizing the legitimate  resistance will acknowledge their paramount role in the future when they discover that Ethiopia has hidden agenda rather than the fairy tale that Ethiopian officials tell warlords and their supporters. The majority of Somali people are behind the resistance. The crimes against Somali population will not be forgotten.

sanaagian. @ 12/3/2007 11:17 PM EST  Arweelo is precise in her estimation of the dismal circumstance. Violence begets Violence.   As Prof. Jeffrey Sachs recommends our problems can be solved through long term sustainable economic development from the U.N. and U.S. . Now that the TFG with the help of Ethiopia and U.S.A routed the Islamists, it is time to pour money into Somalia for the Reconstruction of the country.

keyserliv @ 12/3/2007 6:34 PM EST  Carawelo schizophrenia aad qabtaa ayeeyo

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 5:24 PM EST  If you justify violence then you get violence, period. Why you don't think the protection of civilians before you wage cowardly acts. If Somalis don't think about the plight of civilians, who you think will care for them , habarkuuley, dadka qaarkood axmaqsanaa.

adamjama @ 12/3/2007 5:20 PM EST  It is naive  to suggest that Ethiopia & TFG can control their rag-tag & undisciplined troops in any sense of military code of conduct & the rules of engagement “The humanitarian suffering we see in Somalia and Ethiopia’s Somali region is the direct result of serious international crimes,” said Steve Crawshaw, UN advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Concerned governments and the UN Security Council need to press Ethiopia and Somalia to end these abuses and ensure accountability for their armed forces.” . What the World should know is TFG forces are nothing more than yesterday's war lord foot soldiers who killed & robed for 17 years with impunity. The only thing that changed is they are wearing police uniform today to disguise their activities. The Ethiopian troops are notoriously known for brutality & human rights abuses for many years & furthermore the only pay check they ever see is what they loot & rob from Suuqa Bakaaraha & the fleeing civilians. They have nothing to loose & they will do anything to survive including selling their weapons to the highest bidder.

maslaxadraadi @ 12/3/2007 5:09 PM EST  The violence against the occupation is fully justified and will continue. Civilians need to be protected at ant time according to the international law. No one is expecting the criminal warlords to respect law, but one day they will be punished.

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 4:56 PM EST  Unless some people give up violence, more civilian deaths will be the result. You can't complain about attrocities when your own groups are using those tactics and you use to applaud in here. Make up your mind, you can't be a caring person one minute and another minute a cheer leader for the bomb throwing thugs.

maslaxadraadi @ 12/3/2007 4:43 PM EST  It is time to go beyond words and take action against the perpetrators of these horrible crimes. The international community must follow the lead of Human Rights Watch and commission an independent investigation. The ball is in the court of the Security Council to establish international criminal tribunal for Somalia. The warlords and the occupation are mass killing Somali population and this needs to be stopped urgently. On behalf of all Somali people I congratulate the contagious researchers who are letting the world know the international crimes in Somalia.

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 1:57 PM EST  Ha la takooro boggaga been abuurka iyo isku dirdirka ummada buunbuuniyo sida dayniile.com iyo qaadisiya.com oo mar hore u dhar dhigtay wax diinta iyo asluubta saxaafada ka fog. Shame on them.

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 1:54 PM EST  War maxaa kala haysta bogga argagxisida Alshabab qaadisiya.com iyo waagacusub Abdifatah. Wariye Abdifitah aam"Qaadisiya inaysan diin shaqo ku lahayn waxa u marqaatiya been abuurka ay magaceyga ku sameysay""Shacabka Soomaaliyeed hadii loo sheegi jiray been iyo in Qaadisiya Diin jeceyl u sameeysan tahay ,maanta ha ogaadeen inaysan Diin shaqo ku lahayn oo tahay guri uu maamusho nin gooni ah oo cidii uu doono ku caaya cidii uu doonana ku faaniya, hadii taas aadan ku qanceynina Diintu ma qabtaa in la iga been abuurto oo Qaadisiya lagu qoro waxaa war ka soo diray Hargeysa Wariye Cabdi Fitax Aam. http://www.waagacusub.com/03.12.07.2.htm

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 12:28 PM EST  Yaa is gaarey I thought we talked about this revenge you mention over and over long ago, I don't dweeling on it as a broken disc. The alshabab tactics of throwing a bomb in the middle of populated Markets or homes, is what had prombted the displacement of and the death of these civilians. The more you support violence the more it results devastation, so you choose what your unholy rebels should do.

madaxeey @ 12/3/2007 12:17 PM EST  How sad is this a Somali citizen making excuses for the atrocities committed by the Ethiopian tyranny and the TFG who are nothing but a punch of warlords while a westerner is making noise against this atrocities.  All of those who care about these civilians should get a bumper sticker that says “Somalia is worse than Darfur”. Let the whole world know this. Be a voice for the voiceless.  Too bad Mohamed Dheere and Abdulahi Yusuf can not silence Leslie Lefkow, Steve Crawshaw and Tom Porteous these people have conscious, unlike some Somalis who dwell on revenge such as Abdulahi Yusuf (Ina yeey).

Arraweelo10 @ 12/3/2007 11:55 AM EST  First of all Mogadishu alshabab and ONLF in Western Somalia are totaly different causes. Lately, One thing that they have in common is they both wage te'rror tactics against their own civilians, for excuse of attacking Ethipian or Somali troops. "ONLF forces have also been responsible for abuses, particularly killings of suspected collaborators and the use of anti-vehicle mines in indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Is this ringing a bell.