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Each single day, hundreds
are prosecuted without fair
trail and hands are cut-off
on suspicion and assumption
of stealing. These unfair
legal procedures are carried
out daily by illiterate and
unqualified judges across
southern Somali. These
courts are run by militias
groups who unlawfully
appropriated large sections
of Digil & Mirifle
agricultural lands. The
lands appropriated include
Merka, Afgoye, Barawe, and
Qoryoley. These lands are
now bases for the most
dangerous and barbaric
militia leaders, and a
number of Sharia courts are
in the above named regions
and other regions. These
courts do not adhere to
Islamic and international
standards of fair trial and
there was generally impunity
for faction militias which
committed human rights
abuses. Courts imposed
several death sentences
which were swiftly carried
out. As it was reported by
many media agencies, an
amputation sentence from the
Benadir regional court in
Mogadishu in June was widely
criticized as unfair, and
withdrawn under TNG pressure
for a retrial.
These unfair punishments
that constitute torture and
other cruel, inhuman or
degrading punishment, such
as floggings, amputations,
and death by stoning. Minors
(persons under the age of
eighteen) have been among
those receiving flogging and
amputation sentences, some
of which have been carried
out. Many of the locals
reported a great concern
about the absence of respect
for due process in many
trials in Sharia courts, and
the fact that defendants
have been sentenced to death
and other cruel punishments
after trials that were
blatantly unfair.
Amnesty International
currently reported that
Inter-factional and
inter-clan fighting in the
south claimed scores of
civilian lives, as well as
combat casualties. Several
factions used children as
combatants and scores of
people died from landmine
injuries. Faction militias
and other gunmen raped women
and girls of opposing clans
and other vulnerable groups,
particularly internally
displaced people and the
severely underprivileged
Somali minorities such as
the Bantu (also known as
Jarir), Bravanese and also
the Benadiri community.
Also, a report released by
the Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor,
indicates that in the
Qoryoley district, militia
members reportedly created
checkpoints along the river
where residents obtain water
and charged them to take
water from the river. The
militia members also
reported charged money from
persons who were going into
or out of the town. Persons
who refused to comply with
the extortion attempts
reportedly were punished by
having their belongings
taken or were killed by
militia members. As reported
these militia members are
led by Salaad Cali Koofi who
is the head of the Islamic
court.
Also, another report
released by the U.S.
Department of State in
February 2001 states that in
June 2001 an Islamic Court
in Buulo village, Lower
Shabelle, sentenced Nuurto
Muhammad Ali to death by
stoning after she was
discovered to have three
husbands. The same court
sentenced Dalmar Mahmud
Ahmad to a punishment of one
hundred lashes for adultery
on April 8. These types of
false allegation are common
in southern part of Somali
not in Somaliland, Puntaland,
Guriyo Ceel or any other
parts of Somali where most
of the tribes that occupy
these areas are well armed.
The Sharia courts
systemically and unlawfully
targets and operates those
regions where the minority
and defenseless tribes are
known.
Somali communities in North
America, who believe in
freedom and equality for all
Somalis should stand
together and urge the
militia leaders that control
Juba regions to forbid the
imposition of the death
penalty, amputations and
other forms of cruel,
inhuman or degrading
punishments by the Shari'a
courts in areas under their
control. Also, to express
their grave and concerns
about reports that dozens of
other prisoners are
currently awaiting
execution, or amputation of
their hands.
As a young American citizen,
belonging one of the peace
loving and unarmed Somali
minority tribes. I would
kindly and urgently plea to
the TFG government to give
urgent attention and take
effective action in
protecting the rights of the
people of Merka & Brawa. I
would also appeal to the
international media to
profile the above-mentioned
cases, and European members
of parliament protested to
Somali president Abdullahi
Yusuf.
"History will have to record
that the greatest tragedy of
this period of social
transition was not the
strident clamor of the bad
people, but the appalling
silence of the good people."
--- Dr. King
What can we all do?
* Write to your state
senators express concern
about the human rights
abuses reported by many
international news agencies.
S.M Mohamed BS
Socioeconomist
North Dakota State
University
E-mail:
jubaland25@yahoo.com |
Barnaamijyada
Idaacadda 04:00 GMT
