Somalia: The forgotten crisis

Often considered to be a ‘forgotten crisis’, the conflict in Somalia has crippled the country for several years. But in recent months the war has intensified, destabilising every part of the country, and thousands of people are being brutally killed in the process, propelling the situation into the global media spotlight.

The recent tragic story of the young teenage girl who was stoned to death in Kismayo is one an example which has brought the daily violence of Somalia into sharp focus.

13-year-old Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow had been raped by three men, but instead of receiving care and support, was convicted of committing adultery – and was punished by being stoned to death under the authorities of al-Shabab, an opposition armed militia group which currently controls the economically important port town of Kismayo.

Although thankfully uncommon, the horrific death of this young girl is yet another example of the dreadful human rights abuses that are allowed to persist in the region, unchecked.

Nearly nine million people are struggling to survive in a country that is being ripped apart by the downward spiral of violence, while the rest of the world dismisses it as a "failed state" and quickly moves on to other matters.

Meanwhile, the threat of attack, abduction and death is very real for millions of Somalis. In recent months the country’s Transitional Federal Government (or TFG), backed by Ethiopian troops, has lost control of increasingly large areas of southern and central Somalia. And in their place, armed opposition groups – notably al-Shabab – have taken over strategic and economically important towns, like Kismayo.

Over the course of the year, those trying to alleviate the suffering of civilians have been targeted, with dozens of aid workers and human rights activists being caught in the crossfire. This year alone, at least 40 humanitarian and human rights workers lost their lives.

In October two UN staff were killed in a bomb blast at a UN compound in Hargeisa, northern Somalia, while in the same month a women’s rights activist was shot dead by gunmen in Guriel.

Armed militia are trying to instil a climate of fear in aid workers, peace activists and human rights defenders in the country. They are eager to control the actions of aid workers and to prevent them from carrying out any duties that may contravene their ideology. Some women’s organisations have been accused of teaching women ‘false rights’ or teaching them to ‘leave the house’.

Aid workers are seen as spies for the TFG or the Ethiopian military by some opposition groups, and have come under attack.

The impact of targeting humanitarian and human rights workers is far reaching. Almost half of the population in Somalia are expected to have to depend on food aid by the end of the year. But violence and instability has led many organisations to suspend programmes and withdraw staff from the region, putting over three million Somalis, who require emergency humanitarian assistance, at risk.

The international community has to act rapidly to remedy this problem, and they can do so by making Somalia a top priority at international discussions.

Consistent and high-level global pressure must be applied to the TFG, armed opposition groups and the government of Ethiopia to stop the killing of these workers and the widespread abuses affecting everyone in Somalia.

And there are some practical measures which can be taken to quell the instability: for a start, the UN arms embargo must be strengthened to stop weapons reaching the perpetrators of human rights abuses; then an international Commission of Inquiry ought to be established to investigate violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed in Somalia over the past two years.

In addition, any peacekeeping mission in Somalia should ensure that it has a strong human rights component with the capacity to monitor, investigate and publicly report human rights violations.

Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government and the Ethiopian government have a part to play here also really. They must also take responsibility for the protection of Somali citizens. They can start by ensuring that no human rights violations are carried out by TFG or Ethiopian forces. And they should remove all roadblocks and other restrictions affecting the delivery of aid to ensure that it reaches the people who most need it.

If these attacks against aid workers and rights defenders are allowed to continue, the impact on the general population could be ruinous.

Somalia is already beset with an intense conflict and instability. Should aid workers and rights defenders be forced to suspend their activities completely, the impact on the people depending on them could be catastrophic.

There is no more time for the UN to waste on this. Closer scrutiny of the conflict and decisive action is required. Immediately.