Date: 23 July 2015 Örebro, Sweden
Purpose: Massacre, widespread looting and displacement in Bakool region, Somalia
An emergency meeting on the phone has been held by the members of the executive commitee of South West Somalia Association in Sweden on Wednesday evening 22 July 2015, 19: 30-21: 40 about the reports of mass killings, displacement and loss of public property in parts Bakool region, particularly, villages of Buurdhuhunle, Goobato, Wargaduudo, Buurcadey and areas close to the town of Wajid, and Merka district, Lower Shabelle region.
After the emergency meeting, the following points have been agreed upon:
1. The South West Somalia Association in Sweden strongly condemns all reports that confirm that there is a mass killing, looting, burning of property and other casualties among the civilians in those villages around Wajid district, Bakool region, such as the villages of Buurdhuxule, Goobato, Wargaduudo, Buuradey and nearby areas and elsewhere.Reports from the region indicate that those killed were not armed people those took part in the war against the government, but they were targeted directly – leaving many innocent civilians dead, burned and injured in their houses or farms. The number of innocent people killed are estimated to be between 60-70 persons of all ages including men and women.
2. Furthermore, the reports indicate that the massacre occurred between 15 – 22 July 2015. Those who are being victimised are ranging the age between 10 – 60 years old. The innocent people who have been killed and subjected to massacre include children, youth, women and the elderly and people belongs with the same family. Reports from the area of Buurdhuhunle confirmed that two women of the same family were even brutally-killed through smashing them with vehicles!
3. The hitches and problems above is being reported to have been committed by the Somali-speaking (Mahaa) Ethiopian forces who are part of the AMISOM mission in Somalia. Several times, they have also been committing similar crimes of killing, looting and burning public properties in Buurdhuhunle and other surrounding villages of Wajid district, Bakool region.
4. The South-West Somali Association in Sweden is proposing to the South-West State of Somalia, Somali State of Ethiopia, Government of Ethiopia and the Federal Government of Somalia, to institute a fact-finding independent commission that will investigate the violence against civilians in Bakool region and establish the reports claiming that there is a mass killing, looking, burning of properties, and displacement of innocent people living in all the affected villages under Wajid district in the Bakool region.
5. The Association also strongly condemns the killing incident that occurred on 21 July 2015 and that Amisom forced had gunned-down innocent unarmed people in Marka town, Lower Shabelle region. Therefore the South-West Somalia Assocition in Sweden calls upon the Lower Shabelle region local-authorities, South-West State and the Federal Government of Somalia to send an independent commission who will establish the facts of the ground so that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
6. The Association calls upon all members of the Association of South-West Somalia in Sweden and other Somalis to support the affected people in Bakool region, particularly in the areas of Wajid district. It has been reported that there is water and food shortages in these villages where the problem occurred. The elderly, children and many other people are i dire situation of starvation in the areas where the disaster occurred.
7. The association appoints also a special task-force to address and follow-up the reported massacre and displacement in those areas. It has also been agreed upon to establish exact statistics and the list of victims in the mass killings, burning, displacement and the widespread burning that affected the local properties so that this will be shared with the human rights organization and other International Organizations . A list of names of people killed in the area Buurdhuhunle, Goobato and other areas will be shared in due course.
The task-force appointed by the SWS-Association include:
1. Mustafa Ahmed – Chairman
2. Abdifatah Roble – Secretary
3. Nimco Issac, Member
4. Zahra Mohamed Nur, Member
5. Haji Mubarak, Member
Thank you.
Abdulkadir Abukar Sheikh
Chair – South-West Somali Assoatiation in Sweden
E-Mail: sydvast.somaliska@outlook.com
c / o Föreningarnas Hus
A 13 Slottsgatan
703 61, Örebro, Sweden