By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 29 -- In Somalia as elsewhere, the UN counts casualties but doesn't say, at least on the record, who is responsible. The most recent UN report on Somalia says that “during the period of 1-19 June, [the UN / World Health Organization] reported 973 casualties from weapon-related wounds treated in the three main hospitals in Mogadishu.”
Inner City Press asked for the breakdown between those caused by Al Shabab and those caused by the Transitional Federal Government or AMISOM troops. Officially, there is no answer. On background, the UN estimated 60% caused by Al Shabab, 40% by the government or peacekeepers.
The latter percentage is higher than the UN says publicly. Now the UN mission UNSOA has brought on board a retired UK general to try, it's said, to minimize civilian casualties from the AMISOM peacekeepers to which the UN provides logistical support.
At least this shows a plan. When Inner City Press has asked UN spokespeople on the record, they say it is entirely up to AMISOM, despite the UN assistance and payments provided to AMISOM. It leads some to question how the new mission in Sudan's Abyei region, UNISFA, will be run, and how it will monitor for human rights as “requested” in the Security Council's resolution.
Elsewhere in the UN, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's adviser on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, if her office is in any way engaged with the UN's work through UN Office of Drugs and Crimes and the Office of Legal Affairs under Patricia O'Brien in setting up courts for piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Coomaraswamy said that while in Somalia - the TFG has been accused of recruiting child soldiers, as well as Al Shabab - she spoke with some underaged pirates, but that beyond that there has been little engagement.
A professor she had invited, Joseph Rikhof, told Inner City Press that while what happens “on land” in Somalia constitutes armed hostilities, the piracy does not. He called youths' participation voluntary, and said they could be prosecuted. So continues the UN's engagement in Somalia.
