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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Sat Aug 27 2011 - 15:14:16 EDT
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/1226444/-/nkxtygz/-/
By FRED OLUOCH (email the author)
Posted Saturday, August 27 2011 at 18:45
Kenya, Ethiopia support Somali militia report
Kenya and Ethiopia are facing fresh accusations of supporting
pro-government militia in Somalia who continue to violate human rights
and international humanitarian law.
A report by the Human Rights Watch released last week details how the
Al Shabaab, the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), their
allied militia, the Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa, and the militias supported
by Kenya and Ethiopia, have routinely violated human rights.
Neela Ghoshal, the Human Rights Watch officer in charge of research in
East Africa, argued that despite the inadequate international
monitoring due to the ongoing conflict, cases of summary execution
through beheading and indiscriminate counter attacks on civilians are
a common occurrence.
Kenya and Ethiopia have also been accused of providing arms to
militias supporting TFG without ensuring that these groups respect
human rights.
While Kenya is trying to create a buffer zone known as Jubaland by
training and arming groups that border her north eastern tip of the
country, Ethiopia supports the pro-TFG Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa. The
activities of these parties have affected humanitarian assistance in
virtually all areas despite the ongoing famine.
It is a daily battle to provide humanitarian assistance in Al Shabaab
held areas. Even in areas that have been captures by TFG, the human
rights situation has not improved, said Ms Ghoshal, while launching
the report, You Dont Know Who to Blame
She emphasized that the UN, AU, EU and US which support the TFG
financially should set out clear benchmarks for improving respect for
international human rights and accountability.
The major culprit is the Al-Shabaab that continues to carry out public
beheadings and flogging, and forceful recruitment of adults and
children. Similarly, the population in areas controlled by TFG and its
allies has been subjected to arbitrary arrests and detention,
restrictions on free speech and assembly and indiscriminate attacks.
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