From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Tue Dec 22 2009 - 08:29:01 EST
somalia:United Nations End indiscriminate shelling in Mogadishu
22/12/2009
Mareeg.com-The United Nations forces in Mogadishu are indiscriminately
shelling civilian populated areas and markets. The indiscriminate
bombardment of civilians has caused hundreds of deaths and injuries over the
last few months. Thousands of civilians have fled the shelling and sought
shelter areas outside the city. Refugees from shelling are experiencing
immense suffering due to lack of water, food and sanitary environment.
UNISOM forces have adopted scorched earth strategy to deal with insurgents
that are nimble and have no specific location for targeting. The UN
indiscriminate bombings and shelling are very ineffective against fast
moving insurgents but have a devastating effect in maiming and destroying
innocent civilians caught in the path. In the last three months alone the
United Nations forces in Mogadishu have killed more than 160 civilians and
have injured more than 400. On December 20, 2009 UN indiscriminate shelling
killed 14 civilians and 33 wounded in Bakara Market and Elasha Biyaha
districts. October 28, 2009. UN shelling killed 4 civilians and 11 were
wounded in Wardhiigley district. On October 26, 2009 UN shelling killed 5
civilians and wounded 20 in Yaaqshiid district. On October 22, 2009 UN
shelling killed 17 civilians and 60 wounded in Holwadag and Hodan districts.
29 September, 2009 UN shells landed busy Bakara market killing 12 people and
wounding 30 people. These numbers are conservative numbers but the real toll
is higher as many of victims die on the spot and are not carried to the
hospital to be officially reported. The insurgents want the United Nations
to carry out indiscriminate shelling against the civilian population in
order to galvanize population against the United Nations and their forces
stationed in Mogadishu. It seems their strategy is winning as the United
Nations forces in Mogadishu also known UNISOM indiscriminately bombard
population centers causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. The hospitals
and health care in Mogadishu are already taxed by suicide attack which
killed many of the doctors working the different hospitals and cannot cope
with hundreds more injured civilians every week. We the independent media
are urgently requesting the United Nations forces to stop the indiscriminate
bombardment of population centers. The United Nations forces are capable of
pacifying the city of Mogadishu but they have adopted to stay at their bases
and launch missiles indiscriminately at slightest provocation by insurgents.
These methods are not impacting the insurgents and it is not succeeding
against the insurgents, they are causing only civilian deaths and injuring
hundreds more every day. It is about time the United Nations forces in
Mogadishu respect the rules of engagement and stop shelling population
centers. The commanders of United Nations Forces in Mogadishu should be told
by their superiors in New York Headquarters to immediately end opening
barrages of inaccurate long-range artilleries against densely populated
areas and markets. Millions of Somali citizen's lives are at stake not to
mention the credibility of the United Nations as a peacekeeping force.
Ali Osman <mailto:ccusmaan@gmail.com> ccusmaan@gmail.com
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