Press
Release
Somalia:
Investigate Killing of Puntland Human
Rights Defender
17th
July 2013
The
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project is
appalled by the killing
of Abdi Farah Dhere, a prominent human rights defender on 13th
July
2013 in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, and
sends its deepest
condolences to his family and friends. EHAHRDP calls on the
authorities to
ensure that a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation is
carried out and to
bring the perpetrators to justice, in line with international
human rights
standards.
Mr.
Abdi Farah Dhere was deputy chair of the Peace and Human Rights
Network (PHRN/INXA)
and head of its sub office in Bosaso region, Puntland. PHRN is a
founding
member of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders
Network. On the
night of Saturday 13th July 2013, he was gunned down
by two
unidentified men as he left a mosque in the northern part of
Galkayo town.
His
death follows less than a week after the killing of Mr Libaan
Abdullahi Farah
on Sunday 7th July by two unknown assailants in
Gassor
neighbourhood, also in northern Galkayo, on his way home from
work. Four other
journalists – Mohamed Ibrahim Ragel, Abdihared Osman Adan,
Mohamed Ali Nuhurkey
and Rahmo Abdulkadir – have also been killed in Somalia this
year.
“We
are
shocked and saddened to learn of Mr. Dhere’s killing,” said Mr.
Hassan Shire,
EHAHRDP Executive Director. “Authorities at all levels – local,
regional and
federal – must take responsibility for ending the scourge of
attacks on human
rights defenders in Somalia.”
On 14th
July 2013, the president of the Puntland state of Somalia, H.E.
Abdirahman
Mohamed Mohamud Farole issued a statement postponing the local
council elections
that had been scheduled to take place on 15th July,
citing threats
to peace, security and stability for the people of Puntland.
Puntland has been
marred by violence in recent weeks in the lead-up to the local
council
elections, after clashes broke out at protests held against
alleged electoral
malpractices. On 14th July 2013, residents of several
major towns in
Puntland burned ballot boxes that they said had been pre-filled
and sealed. The
residents also claimed that the Election Committee had not
announced the locations
of polling stations where residents would cast their votes. Five
people were
reported to have been killed and more than ten wounded in
fighting in the city
of Gardo between the residents and government troops on Sunday
14th
July.
EHAHRDP
calls
for an impartial, thorough and prompt investigation into Mr.
Dhere’s
death. We call on the Puntland authorities and the Federal
Government of
Somalia to put in place measures for the protection of human
rights defenders
and end impunity for their killings. The vital role played by
human rights
defenders should be recognized and promoted by state actors at
all levels.
For
more
information, please contact:
Hassan Shire Sheikh, Executive
Director: +256 772
753753 or executive@defenddefenders.org
Rachel Nicholson, Advocacy Officer:
+256 778 921
274 or advocacy@defenddefenders.org
-- Estella Kabachwezi. M. Advocacy Assistant East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256312265824 Twitter:@EHAHRDP Web:www.defenddefenders.org
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