A human rights lawyer calls Hirshabelle to hold its officials accountable over human rights violations

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A human rights lawyer calls Hirshabelle to hold its officials accountable over human rights violations

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) A local human rights lawyer has on Tuesday vowed to push for a lawsuit targeting key officials of Somalia's Hirshabelle State over human rights violations and targeting ethnic minorities in the region.

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Hirshabelle Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ali Adle (left) and Police Chief, Hassan Dhi'isow (right). | PHOTO/FILE.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) A local human rights lawyer has on Tuesday vowed to push for a lawsuit targeting key officials of Somalia's Hirshabelle State over human rights violations and targeting ethnic minorities in the region.

Barrister Abdirahman Hassan Omar, a member of the Somali Bar Association ad advocates for human rights and press freedom said it was clear to him that human rights violations are committed by senior government officials in Hirshabelle.

"It has been established that authorities in Hirshabelle including police and interior minister have committed serious human rights violations. We are now confident to go further and bring a case against them. Even if Somali courts are not able to pursue justice, we will not rest from seeking external courts under international frameworks," Advocate Omar told Horn Observer.

He said under the federal and regional constitution, state authorities have greater responsibility to ensure providing redress to victims and accountability for human rights violations. Also, non-state actors have obligations in the accountability of the perpetrators.

The abduction and expulsion of Somali Bantu ethnics in Jowhar, looting their property, denying their economic, social and cultural rights by closing their media stations and other businesses and excluding them from police service, sexual violence against their women and girls are some of the examples described in the lawyer's documentation.

These violations, according to Advocate Omar, were committed by Hirshabelle Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ali Adle and the powerful Police Commissioner, Hassan Dhi'isow. Both men are affiliated to the region's president, Ali Gudlawe Hussein which constitutes a denial of the victims' right to justice and redress.

Last week, heavily armed police officers raided a hotel where journalists were holding safety training and arbitrarily detained Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the secretary general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and his colleague, Hanad Ali Guled. SJS is the nation's largest journalists' union which monitors press freedom violations and promotes free speech.

Addressing the media in Mogadishu, Mr. Mumin on Saturday said he was beaten and threatened with death after he criticised Hirshabelle Interior Minister, Mr. Adle and his police chief, Mr. Dhi'isow.

"The intention was to kidnap me and eventually kill me. But thanks Allah, they were scared by the international and local pressure that was coming to their doors," SJS secretary general said "I am not speaking for myself today. I am speaking for the rest of the community in this region who continue to suffer from ongoing human rights violations. Women and children, journalists activists - all from minority communities who are unable to raise their voices."

"When you see the pattern of violations taking place in Hirshabelle, it is a coordinated criminal behaviour by key government officials against certain segments of the society. These violations often happen on daily basis, and when a human rights violation intersects with the breaking of laws by armed individuals, it's known as a war crime," Mr. Omar said.

ABDUCTION OF THE NGO EMPLOYEE

Two years ago, a group of armed men under the authority of the Interior Minister Adle abducted a young Islamic Relief — an international aid agency that provides humanitarian relief and development programmes in over 40 countries— employee in Jowhar. This was after the employee refused to pay bribes to government officials. He was held in a secret prison run by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

"An innocent NGO worker was kidnapped and held in a secret location without access to court and lawyer. He was threatened and beaten. Shockingly, the perpetrators are government officials whom until today were not held accountable," he added.

The lawyer and his colleagues at the Bar Association are now entreating victims of human rights violations in Hirshabelle to come forward. "While we understand the victims' right to privacy, we need to collect all available evidences for holding perpetrators accountable," said Omar.