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 Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org) - Reactions are coming out from the local human rights and civil rights groups after European Parliaments adopted new resolution on the on going fighting between Somali government forces backed by the Ethiopian troops against Islamist insurgents in capital city Mogadishu.
Ethiopian government, Transitional Federal Government and Insurgents did not haste commenting on the issue.
Mogadishu inhabitants are shifting from the bombardment in an area to another area which is going to be shelled next while mothers and children are waiting when to be hit by the bullets and rockets from the insurgents and the indiscriminate shelling of Mortars and artilleries of the Ethiopian troops, said in a statement issued by Somali Human Rights Defenders (SOHRIDEN), a network of about 24 Human rights organizations.
More than 200 people mostly civilians were killed and almost another 300 wounded while more than a thousand of people fled from the capital, said Elman Peace and Human Rights centre in it's monthly report of October of this year.
There are violations of Geneva Convention of Protection of Civilians on regular basis. In the past few months there was increased fighting that takes place continuously in the densely populated areas which the insurgent forces are rocketing from and the extensive indiscriminate shelling and bombardment of these civilian areas by Ethiopian forces in response." Said Ahmed "kiimiko" the focal point of Somalia for East and Horn of Africa Human Right Defenders Network.
The death toll of the latest fighting reaches now sixty three civilians as reliable sources indicating while more dead bodies are found in some areas and became difficult to collect since Ethiopian sharpshooters are shooting any attempt to collect.
Thousands of civilians are displaced, casualties are over three hundred while a heavy loss of property is in place. Both sides have shot innocents in their residences and in the streets.
Excessive power was used by government and Ethiopian troops in the most populous residential areas in the capital city. Tank shells, mortars and heavy artillery hit almost every angel of city inhabited about one and half million people.
Furthermore, organized assassinations were being committed by unknown gunmen killing government officials, elders, business people, teachers, police commanders and district officials. This has further increased the tension in the city. These cold blooded murders continue besides road bombs and both the government and insurgents blame each other for these crimes against innocent people only being suspected of either supporting the government or the insurgents.
As government tries to crack down, there are mass arrests without due process of law. This causes division between general public and government which is playing to hands of insurgence. It is also understood that, Somali government use secret detention camps in which the most notorious one is the former Socialist party Investigation Center: Baarista Xisbiga. There are other secret detention centres exist.
The conditions in detention centres is extremely harsh. "It is like being in a hell, you can not wear anything except an underwear because it is an underground cell, dark and solitary confined" said former inmate of the detention camp who declined to be named for security reasons..
The suspects are always interrogated and tortured being beaten with whips or used for electric circuits, as referred from an other inmate who spoke with anonymity.
Human Rights Watch, a human rights organization based in New York show it’s concern to the deteriorating human rights situation in Somalia.
"War crimes were committed in Somalia" said HRW in a statement issued earlier this year blaming the Somali government calling residents withdraw from their residents. Local media outlets were silenced by ordering to stop their broadcasts by shutting down and making it off air with out giving specific reasons for their crackdown.
Ethiopian officials confirmed this week for their first time that some of their soldiers could be under investigation for the killing of civilians around the Hurawa neighborhood after volunteers gathered dead bodies scattered in streets mostly civilians. European Parliament, Human Rights Watch and local Human Rights Groups believe that independent inquiry committee is needed to be step for the investigation of alleged war crimes said to be committed during the fighting in Mogadishu.
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