All sides in Somalia guilty of war crimes’
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:24 am
The Muslim Weekly 24 - 30 AUG 2007
War crimes have been committed by all sides in the conflict in Somalia - Ethiopian troops, Somali government forces and the insurgents they are fighting - according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.
Researchers say Ethiopian forces indiscriminately bombarded highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery during two periods of intense fighting in March and April.
Hospitals were targeted and some civilians were executed.
Insurgents loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) were also criticised for deploying in densely populated neighbourhoods and carrying out targeted killings of civilian officials in the Somali government.
Tom Porteous, of Human Rights Watch, said: "It was pretty clear some very serious fighting was going on and that civilians were bearing the brunt of it. The US and the EU need to start taking the situation in Somalia seriously and stop turning a blind eye to it," he said.
http://www.themuslimweekly.com/fullstor ... nal%20News
War crimes have been committed by all sides in the conflict in Somalia - Ethiopian troops, Somali government forces and the insurgents they are fighting - according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.
Researchers say Ethiopian forces indiscriminately bombarded highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery during two periods of intense fighting in March and April.
Hospitals were targeted and some civilians were executed.
Insurgents loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) were also criticised for deploying in densely populated neighbourhoods and carrying out targeted killings of civilian officials in the Somali government.
Tom Porteous, of Human Rights Watch, said: "It was pretty clear some very serious fighting was going on and that civilians were bearing the brunt of it. The US and the EU need to start taking the situation in Somalia seriously and stop turning a blind eye to it," he said.
http://www.themuslimweekly.com/fullstor ... nal%20News