The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has warned on Monday of the worsening humanitarian situation in Somalia due to the increase in the number of civilian casualties caused by the latest attacks carried out by the terrorist group Al Shabaab.
«This year has brought an abrupt halt to the overall decline in the number of deaths and injuries documented since 2017,» he said, before showing his «deep concern that more Somalis continue to lose their lives on a daily basis.»
UN data reflects that at least 613 civilians have been killed and 948 injured so far this year, the highest number since 2017 and 30 percent more than in 2021. Most of the casualties—315 killed and 686 injured—have been due to bomb attacks and 94 percent of those have been attributed to Al Shabaab.
Some of the remaining casualties have been caused by Al Shabaab suicide bombings, including the Oct. 29 attack near the Education Ministry headquarters in the capital, Mogadishu, which left more than 120 dead and 330 wounded, according to Somali authorities.
«All parties to the conflict must fulfill their obligations under humanitarian law and ensure that civilians are protected. This includes armed elements involved on the government side in the conflict against Al Shabaa, as well as international forces,» Turk stressed.
He also called on the Somali government «to take all necessary steps, in cooperation with the international community, to strengthen the protection of civilians, in line with international human rights and humanitarian law standards».
Turk’s office stressed that, in addition to attacks against civilians, Al Shabaab has destroyed and poisoned wells in the Hiiraan region, at a time when the country is experiencing a severe drought that has deepened an already critical humanitarian crisis.
«This wanton destruction is condemnable, particularly given the difficult humanitarian situation due to the failure of five consecutive rainy seasons and large-scale displacement in the country,» Turk has reviewed, who has recalled that this type of actions «constitute war crimes.» «They must stop,» he said.
Finally, Turk stressed the importance of accountability for serious violations of humanitarian law and argued that such actions are crucial to avoid fueling new cycles of violence in the African country.
Somalia has in recent months stepped up offensives against Al Shabaab and has even banned the group’s name to refer to the organization, which has ties to Al Qaeda. Thus, it has demanded that it be referred to as ‘jauarij’, a word that means «deviant sect».
The offensives against Al Shabaab, which are supported by clans and local militias, are part of a series of decisions taken by the new president, Hassan Shaykh Mohamud, who promised on taking office to put the fight against terrorism at the center of his efforts to stabilize the African country.
