Press Release
S O M A L I N I M O
Monday, October 04, 2010
A woman is assisted to her feet after being wounded following shelling in Somalia's main Bakara Market in Mogadishu Photo: REUTERS
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We, the under-signed members of the Somali Diaspora, are outraged by the continuing killings of innocent civilians with impunity by African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
We strongly condemn AMISOM’s indiscriminate and massive bombardment of densely populated areas such as the Bakara Market, which constitutes gross and systematic human rights violations of the Somali people. AMISOM’s artillery shelling resulted in the massacre and injuries of hundreds of civilians, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands people fleeing heavy shelling and bombardment.
In particular, we condemn in the strongest terms the latest onslaught on September 23, 2010, on innocent civilians in Mogadishu as reported by Xinhua News Agency: "Several salvos of shells that hit in and around the main Bakara market left twenty people dead and 70 others wounded. Our staff ferried most of the wounded to the hospitals in Mogadishu”, Mr. Ali Muse, head of Mogadishu Voluntary Emergency Services:
We are also outraged and disturbed by the eerie silence and apparent indifference of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to the atrocities committed by AMISOM against their citizens.
Therefore, guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration; and recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 on the Laws and Customs of War on Land, which prohibit attacks and bombardment of civilian population, we strongly urge the UN to urgently establish and immediately dispatch a high-level commission of inquiry, comprising of eminent experts on human rights law and international humanitarian law, to investigate the systematic targeting and killings of civilians in Mogadishu, which has been going on for almost two years.
We also call upon the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, The African Union’s Human Rights Commission, non-Governmental Human Rights organizations and the rest of the international community to respond promptly to human rights violations in Somalia as well as address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.
We urge the EU and the US to investigate the latest AMISOM bombardment of civilians, as they stand to be held liable for complicity because of their financial support to AMISOM. AMISOM’s mandate is to protect the Somali government institutions and therefore, is obliged under international laws not to harm civilians.
Furthermore, we condemn Al-Shabab’s tactics of attacking TFG and AMISOM troops from populated civilian areas to spare innocent civilians from the deadly retaliatory indiscriminate tank shelling of AMISOM”
LIST OF SIGNATORIES:
1. Abdirizak Omar Mohamed Ontario, Canada
2. Said M. Shire (Suugaan) Ontario, Canada
3. Ahmed J. Hamud Ontario, Canada
4. Warsame Jirde Warsame Ontario, Canada
5. Faisal Roble California, USA
6. Ali Artan California (USA)
7. Faduma Awow Mohamed Ontario, Canada
8. Dr. Salad Osman Roble East Africa
9. Abdulkadir Ali Abdi (Xuurka) Ohio, USA
10. Abdi Dirshe Ontario, Canada
11. Prof. Hassan Mahadale Louisiana, USA
12. Abdulkadir Abdirahman (Utah) Virginia, USA
13. Alinur Hussein Bodaye Ontario, Canada
14. Mohamed Hassan (Gudbaye) Minnesota, USA
15. Prof. Amina Mire Ontario, Canada
16. Suad Dirie Hassan Washington, USA
17. Ali Haghi Mustaf Ontario, Canada
18. Abiqani Rage Barrow Ontario, Canada
19. Mohamed Ali Aden Ontario, Canada
20. Asha Dirie Hassan Texas, USA
21. Ghadafi Omar Mohamed Manchester, UK
- Abdisalan Ugas Maine, USA
- Abdulaziz Hagi Mohamed Hussein Minnesota, USA
- Dr. Nur Farah Minnesota, USA
- Yusuf Aden Washington-DC, USA
- Haji Abdikarim Haji Abdi Buh London, UK
- Ibrahim Iman Massachusetts, USA
- Mohamed Ahmed Hiray Massachusetts, USA
- Prof Yusuf Ahmed Nur Indiana, USA
- Mahad Ali Yusuf Ontario, Canada
- Said Mohamed (Said Gaab) Ontario, Canada
- Farhio Bashir Nur Virginia, USA
- Hassan Warsame Virginia, USA
- Ali Einte Massachusetts, USA
- Mohamed Ali Massachusetts, USA
- Liban Mohamed Hassan Washington, USA
- Abdimahad Barre Heyle Massachusetts, USA
- Asho-kayf Abdullahi London, UK
- Abdulqadir Farah Massachusetts, USA
- Juuly Abdulqadir Khalif London, UK
- Abdisalam Abdullahi Ahmed Massachusetts, USA
- Bisharo Abdi Ohio, USA
- Mohamed Yusuf Sharif Stockholm, Sweden
- Mohamed Muse Makaran Ohio, USA
- Dr. Abdiwahab Muse California, USA
- Adan Mohamed Hussein Massachusetts, USA
- Adan Hashi (Howle) Ontario, Canada
- Abdulaziz Hassan Mohamed Massachusetts, USA
- Ahmed Omar Isse Ontario, Canada
- Abdirizak Jama Washington, USA
- Abdulkadir Addow Minnesota, USA
- Hassan M Abukar Arizona, USA
- Dr. Abdiwahab A Musse California, USA
- Hassan Abdillahi Omar (Karate) Ontario, Canada
- Barlin Adami Ontario, Canada
- Tahliil A. Warsame Sydney, Australia
- Mohamed Ali Elmi Cairo, Egypt
- Hussein Elmi Suley Cairo, Egypt
- Abdikarim A Ali Minnesota, USA
- Jibril Yusuf Keynan London, UK
- Idil Muse Jama Minnesota, USA
- Habiba Muse Egal Cairo, Egypt
- Liban Ibrahim Gelle Birmingham, UK
- Mohamed Omar Ontario, Canada
- Shukri Abdi Ontario, Canada
- Abdullahi S. Ahmed Ontario, Canada
- Ahmed Gaal NWT, Canada
- Abdullahi Mohamed Jama Ontario, Canada
- Abdulkadir Said Ontario, Canada
- Aweys Ibrahim Ontario, Canada
- Abdirahman Abdullahi Farah Ontario, Canada
- Abdirahman Warsame Nur Ontario, Canada
- Mohamed Mahamud Ontario, Canada
- Nur Gelle Ontario, Canada
- Osman Salad Ontario, Canada
- Nur Alim Ontario, Canada
- Dr. Ali Mohamed Tifow London, UK
- Said Ahmed Liban Ontario, Canada
- Dr. Abdullahi Hassan Elmi Ontario, Canada
- Sirad Ali Karshe Ontario, Canada
- Abdullahi Shire Ali Ontario, Canada
- Abdirahman Osman Ahmed Ontario, Canada
- Habibo Ahmad Adan Ontario, Canada
- Hibaq Gelle Ontario, Canada
- Farhia Ahmed Aden Ontario, Canada
- Barlin Abe Farah Ontario, Canada
- Hamdi Omar Abdullahi Ontario, Canada
- Qamar Hassan Ontario, Canada
- Dr. Ali Gure London, UK
- Sahra Farah Ontario, Canada
- Mohamud Dirie London, UK
- Hassan Mohamed Farah Melbourne, Australia
- Mohamed Abdi Barahow Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Faduma Y. Jama California, USA
- Jibril Samatar Minnesota, USA
- Safia Abdi Mohamed Minnesota, USA
- Mohamed Ahmed Gure Minnesota, USA
- Farid Omar Ontario, Canada
- Dr. Mohamud M Uluso Michigan, USA
100. Falastin Hussein Yasin Ontario, Canada
101. Mahad Yusuf Sheikh Ontario, Canada
102. Dr. Ibrahim Sh. Ali Doniesk, Ukraine
103. Faduma Abdi Hashi Oklahoma, USA
104. Abdirizak M. Hassan Tennessee, USA
105. Abdulwahab Aideed Abdi Alberta, Canada
106. Bashi Hosh Jibril Ontario, Canada
107. Mumin Barre Virginia, Canada
108. Abdirahman A. Siad Ontario, Canada
109 Nur Bahal Ontario, Canada