From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed Jan 20 2010 - 21:42:21 EST
Published: 2010/01/21 01:04:45 GMT
Call for tough Somali arms checks
By Will Ross
BBC News, Nairobi
*Amnesty International has called for much stricter controls for the
military assistance being given to Somalia's transitional government. *
The human rights group says weapons are all too often being used against
civilians or they end up in the hands of groups opposed to the government.
There is currently an arms embargo in place for Somalia.
But with UN approval weapons have been delivered to the government which is
under attack from Islamist militants.
Somalia is awash with weapons already, and there are many armed groups
fighting for power.
But as the international community tries to prop up the beleaguered
transitional government, more and more weapons are being sent in.
Last year, the United States delivered 19 tonnes of weapons and ammunition
and may have sent a lot more as other requests for exemptions to the arms
embargo were made.
Amnesty International wants arms transfers to the Somali government
suspended because it says these weapons are used in indiscriminate attacks
against civilians, especially when mortars are fired.
It also says some of the weapons end up in the hands of militias fighting
against the government - partly as a result of troops defecting from one
side to another.
*Islamist groups *
The Somali government is protected by several thousand African Union troops,
without whom many analysts believe the government would not be able to
survive.
But there are efforts to boost the long-term capacity of the pro-government
soldiers and police.
The US, European Union countries and several east African nations have
pledged or are already delivering training to more than 20,000 of these
forces.
Amnesty International says that all sides in Somalia's conflict have been
committing human rights abuses, and it therefore says it is essential that
international humanitarian law be part of any training that is given.
Whilst the transitional government has widespread international backing,
several countries including Eritrea have been accused of funding and arming
the opposition hardline Islamist groups like al-Shabab. Last month, the UN
Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Eritrea.
It will however be incredibly hard to stop the inflow of weapons to Somalia.
And there is as yet no sign that the civilians will have any respite from
the fighting which has displaced 1.5 million people.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/8471599.stm
Published: 2010/01/21 01:04:45 GMT
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