Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Somalia

SOMALIA: UN expert deplores Mogadishu fighting

[Togo] This Togolese opposition supporter fled his home town of Aneho after being attacked by memebers of the ruling RPT party with machetes. Thousands of Togolese refugees have fled to Benin and Ghana after violence erupted following a disputed 24 April IRIN
Togolese refugee says he was attacked by ruling party supporters
    LOMÉ

    The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia has expressed deep concern at the recent upsurge of violence in Mogadishu.

    Mona Rishmawi "strongly condemned the continuing use of weapons as a means of resolving conflicts and particularly deplored violence against civilians", according to a UN statement, received by IRIN on Thursday.

    Rishmawi said heavy mortars, anti-aircraft artillery and armour-piercing weaponry were widely used during recent fighting which left dozens of civilians trapped in north Mogadishu's Karan market. Thousands of families fled their homes in the Karan district and their property was looted and destroyed.

    The situation in both north and south Mogadishu was still tense, with deteriorating security at K-50 airport and on the road between the airport and the city.

    Rishmawi reminded the warring factions that they were bound by the Geneva Conventions to protect civilian populations from hostilities, and urged them "to continue to meet and pursue the dialogue which they have begun".

    The UN High Commission on Human Rights in Geneva is due to consider Rishmawi's report on the human rights situation in Somalia on 22 April.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join