WUNRN
Somali Women - Crisis Challenges
& Peace Advocacy
WUNRN Power Point:
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16 September 2010 - After witnessing first-hand the
devastation of the conflict in
At the end of a three-day visit to Kenya, Somaliland and
Puntland, Kang said: “Such a brief mission of course allows me to only scratch
the surface of what is a complex situation resulting from prolonged conflict,
but I do come away with a profound sense that we can – and must – do more now
to contribute to Somali efforts to create a peaceful and prosperous country in
the long run.”
During her visit to
She told the story of a woman who has been displaced with
her three young children, during fighting in the capital
“Her husband had been killed three months earlier due to the
fighting and her oldest son wounded. She described to me the indiscriminate
nature of the violence in
She decried the victims’ insecurity amid the heavy fighting,
with bullets everywhere and firing of missiles between the Al Shabaab, the TFG
(Transitional Federal Government), and AMISOM (Africa Union Peacekeeping
Mission).
She added: “It is difficult to find words strong enough to
condemn the ruthless attacks and abuses against civilians by the Al Shabaab and
other armed groups that have caused this forced displacement, as well as their
cowardly attacks against AMISOM peacekeepers. It is disheartening that such
attacks are ongoing.”
The senior Human Rights official said she was encouraged by
the commitment from AMISOM leadership to take steps to ensure that their
soldiers respond with the utmost respect for civilians and international
humanitarian law. She called for a closer collaboration between the United
Nations and the African Union in preventing and responding to the allegations
of excesses by AMISOM.
But despite the desperation and state of anarchy, the Deputy
High Commissioner said she observed the willingness of the Somali people to
restore their nation.
“Somalis have made it clear that they have the courage and
ability to do much inside their country today. We on the outside must find the
will and means to match that courage,” Kang said.
She expressed the UN Human Rights office’s commitment to
work with Somalis and members of the international community to combat one of
the key roots of the conflict, “an embedded culture of impunity.”
“Addressing the continuing cycle of impunity and violence
should be a cornerstone in the foundation of building peace in
Kang lauded stability and development progress in
Kang urged Somali leaders from all sides – and in particular
the Transitional Federal Government – to put aside self-interest and work with
more intensity towards an inclusive and sustainable peace.