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Somalia peace talks – is there any hope for human rights in the future? There will be no lasting peace in Somalia if human rights are not at the forefront of the ongoing reconciliation talks in Eldoret, Kenya. At the current time it looks as if human rights are being sidelined. In a promising start to this 14th attempt to bring peace to the world's longest crisis of state collapse, 17 faction leaders signed a cease-fire agreement on 27 October 2002. Despite protracted debates about representation details, the conference was due to move in January towards discussions of constitutional issues, disarmament, land and property rights, economic reconstruction, conflict resolution and regional and international relations. The final stage would be the formation of a new government to succeed the failed three-year Transitional National Government. The tragedy of Somalia is that hundreds of thousands of unarmed civilians have died in faction wars since 1991, and earlier through the massive abuses of the former Siad Barre government (1969 to 1991). There has been no accountability for the horrendous and continuing human rights abuses, only an apparent impunity. There is no rule of law and some areas have been frequent fighting zones. Violence and discrimination against other clans or clan divisions, minorities and women are rampant. A fifth of the population has been forced to become refugees in neighbouring countries and elsewhere around the world. Although important efforts have been made locally to try to resolve conflict and generate sustainable livelihoods, most of those who stayed in Somalia have little access to healthcare, education or development. A few have profited from the chaos in collaboration with faction leaders fighting for power and financial gain. Among Somalia's "leaders" at the Eldoret conference are some who could be prosecuted for crimes against humanity or war crimes, and many others who have been responsible for human rights violations. AI's message to the conference is that there should be no general amnesty agreed among themselves for their human rights abuses. Civil society groups went to the conference in large numbers and supported this call, but felt increasingly marginalized by the "warlords". AI delivered an open letter to the conference with the message that a future government – supposedly committed to international human rights standards – would not be acceptable if it contained perpetrators of gross human rights abuses. Appeals to faction leaders to give priority to protecting human rights in areas they control have gone largely unheeded. No significant human rights commitments for the future appeared in the cease-fire document. AI is calling on the international community representatives at the conference to provide much greater support for human rights monitoring and protection, and substantially increase assistance for reconstruction and good governance. All sections of Somali society should be empowered to build a new human rights future. Somaliland- The breakaway self-declared Somaliland Republic in the northwest, which is peaceful in comparison, refused to attend the talks. It held its first multi-party local elections in December after an orderly transition earlier in the year on the death of its President, Mohamed Ibrahim Egal. Presidential and parliamentary elections are due in early 2003. Source: Lybia Daily |
| Amnesty International - Library - The Wire, February 2003. Vol. 33, No.01. |
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| Foosiya Yuusuf Xaaji Aadan |