“We support this report in its entirety because it speaks about what is actually happening in Somalia. We at NUSOJ have been fighting for a long time to bring to the attention of the international community the existence of war crimes in our country. We are glad that at least the UN is now pointing its fingers at the right target,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ secretary-general.

In a statement issued from the UN agency’s Geneva office on Friday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, right, said it is clear that grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law – possibly amounting to war crimes – are being committed in Somalia, as fighting continues to ravage the capital Mogadishu, and the situation in South Central Somalia remains extremely precarious.

“Pillay’s assertion that attacks against civilians have been one of the main features of the conflicts that have engulfed Somalia since 1991, is very true, and targeted attacks on journalists is on the increase, and in a worrying trend and frequency” Omar said.

The fact that a total of six journalists have been killed this year alone is in itself a sign that some people would want to continue committing war crimes without being questioned and with impunity. “Even the killing of journalists is in itself a war crime,” Omar added.

“As we call for immediate and unreserved intervention of the international community to restore sanity in our country, we also support the UN Human Rights chief’s view that there needs to be a much greater effort to protect civilians and journalists who are the remaining messengers of hope in Somalia. It is an open fact that displaced people and human rights defenders, aid workers and journalists are among those most exposed, and in some cases are being directly targeted,” Omar said.

NUSOJ believes the UN report reflects the true picture in Somalia because even journalists can bear witness. There has been increasing cases of targeted attacks, killings, abductions and torture of journalists viewed from any of the two sides as being unsympathetic to their cause.

“The International community must not hide anymore behind the curtain of diplomacy. Most of these acts amount to war crimes,” Omar Faruk, left, said.

“We urge our journalists members to continue their work without fear or favour and to continue documenting the unrest. But we must warn all and sundry that those committing these heinous crimes in Somalia will one day receive their due punishment before a court of law, and their victims will finally see justice being done,” Omar said.

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For further information, contact:
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
Taleex Street, KM4 Area, Hodan District,
Mogadishu, Somalia, tel/fax: +252 1 859 944,
e-mail: newsletter@nusoj.org  
Internet: http://www.nusoj.org