Hundreds of Civilian Casualties in Somalia Fighting
Recent clashes between insurgents from the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and Ethiopian troops backing Somali government forces have resulted in at least 291 civilian casualties in the Somali city of Mogadishu. Spokesmen from the Elman Human Rights Organization, a Somali based group, have said many of the victims were caught in crossfire. Six insurgents were reported killed as well, though reports from early April put the total civilian death toll at over 600, as residents have been urged to abandon the capital city.
Figures from the United Nations state more than 320,000 people, nearly a third of Mogadishu, have fled since February. The UN has been warning a humanitarian disaster is imminent. Many residents have been dying from cholera and diarrhea, and food and water is increasingly scarce. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged warring parties to respect the laws of war and accuse combatants of blocking humanitarian aid to troubled regions.
The UIC were ousted in December after six months in power. The hardliners in the group swore they would start an insurgent war against the Ethiopian supported Somali transitional government. The insurgent forces of the group are also loyal to Hawiye clan, the largest clan in the region. The Hawiye clan declared war against the Ethiopian armies in early April.
Somalia has been under control of various warlords and has not had a legitimate government in 16 years. The UIC emerged from this chaos, as local businessmen wanted to have some method to ensure respect for contracts. During their control, the UIC stated they wanted to restore stability and order in Somalia, though their methods include strict observance of Islamic law and the banning of outside influence, football, and monitors radio and news programming. Though similar to the Taliban in Afghanistan, many locals welcomed the order the UIC brought.
The UN recognizes the Somalia transitional government that was setup in 2004. The region has been battling over border disputes for many years. Ethiopia’s rivals in Eritrea are accused of supplying the UIC forces with weapons and the battle in Mogadishu is symbolic of the larger conflict. African Union troops are trying to mediate the conflict, though their troops fall short of their stated goals. In January, US Special Forces were deployed to the region to hunt al Qa’ida operatives and provide training to Ethiopian and Somali forces.
Wire services are reporting heavy shelling in the Somali capital today, marking the 6th day of conflict.
Photo credit: Reuters
April 26th, 2007 at 8:50 am
“In Somalia, Those Who Feed Off Anarchy Fuel It” is a front-page story in the April 25 “NY Times.” Talk about war crimes! This comports, of course, with Paul Collier’s view that intra-state conflict is largely driven by greed. “Economists who have studied rebellions tend to think of them not as the ultimate protest movements, but as the ultimate manifestation of organized crime.” See this recent paper of his, “Economic Causes of Civil Conflict and their Implications for Policy,” for instance.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:02 am
The International community is watching while the innocent civilians are being indiscrimately bombarded with Artilery and anti airocrafts. The Islamic courts union where genuene grass root organisation and somali nationalists. They were the hope and aspirations of the somali people.
However, Ethiopia, US and Somali warlords who are happy to see the turmoil of somalia to continue attacked the somali people and destroyed the peace they have acquired during the ICU.
The leaders of the warlord goverment of somalia and Ethiopian goverment should be charged as war criminals as they indiscrimantely targetting the civilian targets, levelled 1/3 of the city to ground and forcefully displaced people from their homes. Furthermore, the Ethiopian soldiers have used mustrad gas during the fighting in somalia (May be this chemicals were what they acquired from North korea).
The somali people want freedom and justice.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Thanks for commenting! What do think the motivation would be for the “Ethiopian, US and Somali warlords” to seek the destruction of the Somali people? If there is no political will to intervene to stop the atrocities, where is the political will to start it?
May 4th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Dear Daniel,
Here is a good article written a somalian who really articulates the views of average (humane) somali national.
We are not asking any thing the world just leave us alone and don’t force on us a warlord goverment. If east Timor, Iraq and Congo can have elections why can’t the somalis are not allowed to have the right to elect their leaders.
Anyway, Here is the topic have a read:
Dancing with the warlords
BY: Shaair Mataan
May 5th, 2007 at 7:27 am
First of all, thanks again for your insightful comments. I’m learning more about the situation every day and it’s your comments that drive me to look further.
Democracy is not the guaranteer of peace, however. The situation here seems more and more like the situation in Afghanistan if we equate the Islamic Courts Union to the Taliban, or even the Baathists in Iraq. I don’t see Western style democracy as the panacea for world conflict. I think that lies somewhere else and I’m not quite sure where. There are all sorts of conflict triggers, such as environmental change, inadequate trade and economic scenarios, the infiltration of transnational criminal groups (a/k/a terrorists) that precede an escalation to questionable conduct. To say that democracy addresses and remedies these triggers, I think, is a bit utopian.
May 7th, 2007 at 5:32 am
http://www.markacadeey.com/maqaalo/The_Last_Warlord_of_IGAD.pdf