Amnesty: Ethiopian troops took kids  

BBC News | April 24, 2008

Amnesty International has accused Ethiopian troops of capturing 40 Somali children during a raid on a mosque last week, and called for their release.  The rights group condemned the killing of more than 20 people, including some religious scholars, during the raid. It quoted witnesses as saying that many of the dead were unarmed civilians, and that some had had their throats cut.

Ethiopia denied its troops were involved in the killings, which came during fierce clashes with insurgents. "The safety and welfare of the children must be paramount for all parties," said Amnesty's UK Director Kate Allen.  "The UN Security Council must endeavour to investigate human rights violations committed during the armed conflict."

Throats cut

Somalia's Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein said his government was defending itself, with the support of Ethiopian troops, during the weekend's clashes in the capital. But Amnesty said the throat-cuttings were a form of extra-judicial execution practised by Ethiopian forces in Somalia.

The Ethiopian forces said they would only release the children from their military base in north Mogadishu "once they had been investigated" and "if they were not terrorists", witnesses told Amnesty.

Some 80 people were killed during the weekend, local residents say, including at least six religious leaders from the Tabliq Sufi sect, which is not involved in the conflict. Ghanim Alnajjar, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Somalia, denounced the killing of civilians and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Locals have accused the Ethiopian troops of shelling residential areas of the capital. "The use of heavy weaponry in areas where civilians are concentrated left reportedly 81 civilians dead and more than 100 wounded," said Mr Alnajjar.

The UN says more than half of Mogadishu's population has fled recent fighting in the city, and has warned that Somalia faces the possible twin catastrophes of war and famine.

The Ethiopians intervened in 2006 to help government forces oust Islamists who had taken control of much of southern Somalia. The country has not had an effective national government since 1991.

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Amnesty International USA Press Release
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, April 23, 2008


Amnesty International Demands Release of 41 Children Held by Ethiopian Military in Mosque Raid

(New York) -- Amnesty International today called on the Ethiopian military to release some 41 children held after a raid on Mogadishu's Al Hidya mosque last Saturday, which left 21 people dead.

"The safety and welfare of the children, some as young as nine years old, must be paramount for all parties,"said Amnesty International.

Witnesses have told Amnesty International that Ethiopian forces would only release the children from their military base in north Mogadishu "once they had been investigated" and "if they were not terrorists."

While Amnesty International has received reports that a small number of children were released on Tuesday, the majority are still being held by Ethiopian forces.

Amnesty International strongly condemns the targeted killing of civilians in the raid. Eleven of the 21 dead were killed inside the mosque, including the Iman Sheik Saiid Yahya, Sheik Abdullah Mohamud and several Tabliq Islamic scholars. Eyewitnesses report that those killed inside the mosque were unarmed civilians taking no active part in hostilities. Seven of the 21 were reported to have died after their throats were cut – a form of extra-judicial execution practiced by Ethiopian forces in Somalia. A spokesman for the Ethiopian government has denied the involvement of Ethiopian troops in these killings.

The U.N. Security Council must take steps to end impunity across Somalia by launching an International Commission of Inquiry, or similar mechanism, to investigate human rights violations committed during the armed conflict, said Amnesty International.

"The Ethiopian government and the Transitional Federal Government must allow an independent investigation into these killings, and those found responsible must be prosecuted according to international standards of justice," said Lynn Fredriksson, advocacy director for Africa for Amnesty International USA. "The U.S. government must use its significant influence to call on the government of Ethiopia to ensure accountability for this disturbing incident of egregious human rights violations committed by its armed forces."

Background
The attack on the Al Hidya mosque occurred during two days of fighting between the Ethiopian military and TFG against armed groups opposed to them, in which the Elman Human Rights Organisation documented 81 deaths and more than one hundred injured. It is not known how many of these were civilians. The attack also followed increasing attacks by armed groups opposed to the TFG on towns in southern and central Somalia, including an attack on Beledweyne by Al-Shabab militia on April 13, where local residents reported that militia members killed four teachers. An Al-Shabab leader has claimed the teachers were shot in crossfire.