Somalia War Crimes – The World Must Act to End the Bloodshed

As the intensified violence and bloodshed in Somalia escalates out of control, the international community continues to pay a blind eye to the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged East African nation. Washington continues to justify the American sponsored, Ethiopian invasion of Somalia on the grounds of fighting “terror” in the Horn of Africa. To date, no single terrorist on the US list has been captured or killed in Somalia. Many believe that the US is using the “war on terror” as a cover to extend its hegemony in a strategic region rich in untapped oil and other natural resources.

United Nations officials now concede that “the country was in better shape during the brief reign of Somalia’s Islamist movement last year” noting that “It was more peaceful.” Mr. Eric Laroche, the head of the UN Humanitarian operations in Somalia is quoted in the New York Times as saying “It was much easier for us to work. The Islamists didn’t cause us any problems.” On Somalia’s brief lull of stability under the ICU, Mr. Ould-Abdallah, the UN’s special envoy for Somalia describes the ICU’s days in power as “Essentially the only epoch of peace most Somalis have tasted for years”, saying it represented “Somalia’s golden era.”

Washington argues that the American backed; Ethiopian occupation of the beleaguered nation would bring “peace” to Somalia. But the entire world is horrified by the ongoing violence that has caused mass civilian casualties and displaced one million people in less than a year in what has now become the worst humanitarian disaster in Africa.

Disturbingly, the international community has failed to react to the worsening security situation. Salim Lone, the former UN spokesperson for the Iraq Mission says that the international community bears a major responsibility for Somalia because it has supported the invasion of Ethiopia and the installation of the unpopular government that is “under stress”, “under attack” and “incapable of governing”.

Human Rights Watch adds that the failure of the international community to end the violence in Somalia “Reflects contempt for the value of African life”.

Like the US, both the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) can be held responsible for the ongoing mayhem in Somalia. In an email sent to Eric van der Linden, the Chief EU official for Kenya and Somalia, a European Union conflict expert warned in early April that Ethiopian and Somali forces might have committed war crimes and foreign donors could be complicit of these crimes. The email, whose authenticity was confirmed by Eric van der Linden, says in part: “There are strong grounds to believe that the Ethiopian government and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the African Union Force Commander, possibly also including the African Union Head of Mission and other African Union officials have through commission or omission violated the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court”.

UN officials too assert that war crimes have been committed in Somalia. The United Nations envoy to Somalia recently said “Somali war crimes suspects should be prosecuted at the international Criminal Court in order to end impunity in the lawless African nation”.

Yet the EU, AU and other international actors that have provided aid to Ethiopia and the TFG have failed to take decisive action to end the bloodshed. The EU parliament has called for an “Independent panel to investigate war crimes in Somalia.” But analysts say that unless the US, the principal backer of the Meles Zenawi regime reins on Ethiopia, member EU states can do little to contain the violence in the war-torn nation.

Progressive forces in the world must act by calling for international war crimes investigations for Somalia, demand an immediate cessation to hostilities and the unconditional withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. Concerned global citizens should step up efforts to provide humanitarian relief for the displaced and support the establishment of a civil society driven peace process to be held at a neutral venue. This in the long run, will help create conditions conducive to resolving the Somali conflict through peaceful negotiations, dialog and national reconciliation.