U.N. Criticizes Beheadings in Somalia

UNITED NATIONS -- The top United Nations human-rights official said that extremists trying to overthrow a fragile transition government in Somalia are carrying out ad hoc trials and killing prisoners by stoning, decapitation and amputation of limbs -- acts that "might amount to war crimes."Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in Geneva that the al Shabaab militant group, which is attempting to gain control of the capital Mogadishu, had also been using human shields and indiscriminately firing mortars into populated areas where they have also planted bombs and mines."In this new wave of attacks, it is clear that civilians -- especially women and children -- are bearing the brunt of the violence," Ms. Pillay said. "Displaced people and human-rights defenders, aid workers and journalists are among those most exposed, and in some cases are being directly targeted."The militants on Friday beheaded seven prisoners, accusing them of abandoning the Muslim faith and spying for the government, the Associated Press reported.The fighting has displaced 200,000 people in the past month. There are now 1.2 million displaced Somalis.Ms. Pillay called on those able to do so to gather evidence that might one day be used in court.Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991, when Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown. Since then, competing groups of warlords and Islamic groups have vied for control. Western diplomats say the current transitional government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, which came to power in February, offers Somalia the best hope in years for political stability.
Toward that end Western governments, including the U.S., have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to help shore up the government's and other regional security forces.