Saturday, January 23, 2010

African Union: Address Justice and Accountability

On Somalia http://www.aminarts.com/july_13_2009.html

The African Union has made important efforts to tackle the massive security challenges in Somalia. The situation in Somalia continues to worsen, however, and impunity remains a key catalyst for the crimes committed there. Human Rights Watch urges the African Union to focus on neglected aspects of the crisis, namely, accountability and the human rights dimensions of the conflict.
As you know, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and injured by the conflict since the beginning of 2007. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Mogadishu remains a war zone with all parties to the conflict-including AU troops-committing crimes that devastate the civilian population. In parts of southern Somalia controlled by Al Shabaab, women in particular are forced to endure new patterns of repression and abuse linked to the severe and arbitrary application of Shari'a (Islamic law). The country's humanitarian crisis continues to deepen and recently hundreds of thousands of people were cut off from World Food Program-provided assistance in the south.
Human Rights Watch reiterates its call for a UN Commission of Inquiry into the most serious abuses in Somalia. Such an initiative could help pave the way for effective accountability and contribute to eventual stability in the region. We believe it is the AU's responsibility to take the first step in formally requesting such an inquiry and the upcoming summit provides a unique opportunity for the AU to take this step.
The AU should also ensure that all allegations of indiscriminate bombardment of civilian neighborhoods in Mogadishu by all parties, including by troops from the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), are promptly, transparently, and impartially investigated by independent experts operating under the mandate of its Peace and Security Council. Underestimating the human rights consequences arising from actions taken by various actors on the ground serves to exacerbate the suffering of Somalis and compromises ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the Horn of Africa.
On the Question of Justice for Victims of Human Rights Abuses in Africa
The AU's 14th summit will include important opportunities for Africa to advance justice for victims of human rights violations, drawing on the principle that rejection of impunity (as per article 4 of the AU's Constitutive Act) constitutes a crucial way to strengthen the rule of law and long-term stability.
The November 2009 African Union meeting, which discussed the Review Conference of the ICC in Kampala this May and June, produced recommendations, including a proposal to extend the power of the UN Security Council to suspend ICC activities under article 16 of the Rome Statute to the UN General Assembly. Human Rights Watch believes that deferrals under article 16 risk political interference in the court's work and should be avoided. The inclusion of article 16 in the Rome Statute-which was opposed by African states during negotiations to establish the court-was the result of a compromise, and should not be expanded because it would adversely affect the court's independence and effectiveness. The AU proposal on article 16 was further discussed during the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the ICC last November in The Hague. The proposal did not garner sufficient support among African and other states to be considered at the upcoming Review Conference. Nevertheless, the proposal was sent to a new committee of the ASP that will examine amendment proposals on a continuous basis.
The option of expanding the jurisdiction of the African Court on Human and People's Rights to prosecute serious international crimes also warrants close scrutiny. Adding criminal jurisdiction to the African Court's mandate will require much more than amending its statute, as an entirely new prosecutorial, defense, and witness protection capacity capable of ensuring justice in accordance with international standards would be needed. Since its inception in 2006, the African Court has suffered from a serious lack of resources and has yet to raise its profile in the eyes of thousands of victims on the continent. Part of its difficulties came from the lack of political support by the AU state members. For example, only two states have accepted the African Court's jurisdiction over complaints made by individuals. Under these circumstances, Human Rights Watch believes that investing in the African Court's human rights mandate rather than diverting resources and energy into the expansion of its competence is likely to better serve accountability and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law within Africa.
Finally, as the AU summit prepares to review the progress on the Hissène Habré case, Human Rights Watch notes that the case has remained uninvestigated 10 years after the first indictment by a Senegalese court, and three and a half years after the African Union called on Senegal to prosecute the former Chadian dictator "in the name of Africa." We hope the ongoing negotiations between the AU Commission and the European Union over an appropriate budget needed for the prosecution of this case will be concluded rapidly and that the African Union will contribute to the financing of the trial so that the Chadian victims can at last obtain justice.
Human Rights Watch enjoys a positive, productive dialogue with the AU Commission and many AU member states. We look forward to strengthening that dialogue in the coming months. Our best wishes for a successful and productive summit.
Sincerely,
Aloys Habimana,
Africa Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch  http://www.aminarts.com/july_13_2009.html
cc: Jean Ping, Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union
To all Africa Union member states

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Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

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The Foundation is dedicated to networking like-minded Somalis opposed to the terrorist insurgency that is plaguing our beloved homeland and informing the international public at large about what is really happening throughout the Horn of Africa region.

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The threat is from violent extremists who are a small minority of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, the threat is real. They distort Islam. They kill man, woman and child; Christian and Hindu, Jew and Muslim. They seek to create a repressive caliphate. To defeat this enemy, we must understand who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for.

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