Bay Centre Urges End To Somali Warlords Assistance Program
Story Filed: Monday, February 14, 2000 10:35 PM EST
Baidoa City (southern Somalia (Bay Centre For Conflict Prevention, February
14, 2000) - Conflict Monitoring Officials of "Bay Centre for Conflict
Prevention" (BCCP)- a Platform for Rahanwein Intellectuals and Clan Elders -
have reported to the Centre's security team today that increasing number of
humanitarian workers has taken sides in conflicts in many parts of southern
Somalia last few months, through directly delivering humanitarian assistance
aimed at the Rahawein needy people to the militiamen of south Mogadishu
warlord Hussein Aidid.
According to the Centre's sources, Mogadishu business community leaders play
an active role in the management of humanitarian aid towards southern
Somalia and in facilitating external business affairs of south Mogadishu
warlord Aidid.
'If the humanitarian organisations had really cared for well-being of
innocent civilian populations in southern Somalia, they would have carried
considerable relief assistance to needy villages of Bay and Bakol regions in
southern Somalia, instead of enriching those Mogadishu business leaders and
feeding those who are now involved in murdering, torturing and raping
against the Rahawein unarmed civilian population', according to the Centre's
report, which quoted a humanitarian worker in Nairobi, Kenya.
Meanwhile, more than 2, 000 drought victims of 1999 in Margaga Refugee Camp
of Puntland State of Somalia (an autonomous administration in northeast of
Somalia) are desperately in need of life-saving assistance. The situation in
Margaga Refugee Camp continues to deteriorate, with a lack of water, food,
medical care, basic sanitation and shelter, according to the Centre's
drought monitoring officials.
So far, the humanitarian organisations (most of them stationed in Nairobi,
Kenya) and international community neglected the displaced people in Margaga
Refugee Camp. The local communities of Puntland State have achieved a
remarkable stability and peace, without a support by international
community, since the collapse of a central government.
The Centre strongly believes that such incentive assistance to the
militiamen of Mogadishu warlords will only reinforce the long period of
Somali civil war and threaten the courageous efforts of some parts in
Somalia to rebuild their lives.
'There are no valid reasons for any humanitarian organisations in southern
Somalia to conduct active humanitarian operations with the militiamen of
warlords and Mogadishu business leaders, given the nature of their behaviour
which is based on social destruction and enhancing personal gains ',
according to the Centre's report, which quoted a senior diplomat in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Centre calls upon the Somalia Aid Coordination Body (SACB) to use its
influence with humanitarian organisations to halts the continuing misuse of
humanitarian assistance by the militiamen of warlord Aidid against the
unarmed civilian populations and to assure a humanitarian assistance to
needy people. There is nothing to be gained by further bloodshed in Somalia.
It also calls upon SACB to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian
assistance to the displaced people in many parts of the country and of
technical assistance to the relative stable regions.
Meanwhile, reports arriving in Baidoa City (southern Somalia) show that the
militiamen of warlord Aidid are still taking unarmed Rahewein civilian
people from their homes, toturing and wilfully causing serious suffering and
injury to them - such as harassment and use of intimidation tactics.
The Rahawein civilian populations have experienced the same atrocities,
brutal campaign of repression and ethnic cleansing by the forces of warlord
Aidid in Bay and Bakal regions during warlord Aidid's occupation in those
regions.
The RRA liberated the regions few months ago and declared, on December 9,
1999, the establishment of an autonomous administration for the regions of
Bay and Bakol of southern Somalia. RRA's leaders of autonomous
administration support the initiative of the President of Djibouti towards
peace restoration in Somalia.
The Centre believes that it is only through political dialogue and
negotiations with all parts of Somali civil society that durable peace and
stability can be achieved in Somalia. The Centre is therefore encouraged
that the president of Djibouti, Mr. Ismail Omar Guelleh, intends to continue
in his efforts to promote a peaceful resolution to Somali conflict.
The Centre remains gravely concerned about the forced movement of the
Rahawein unarmed civilian populations from their homes and its humanitarian
and human rights consequences.
The Centre's conflict monitoring officials are closely continuing to monitor
events in many parts of the southern Somalia including changes in command of
militiamen.
For more information on this report, contact: baycentr@dds.nl Baidoa city,
Southern Somalia
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