Rights group calls on African Union to release investigations into the killing of 14 Somalis by Ethiopian troops

ESAT News (January 26, 2017)

The Human Rights Watch said on wednesday that African Union forces in Somalia (AMISOM) should release the findings of their investigation into alleged unlawful killings of 14 civilians by Ethiopian forces in July 2016.

More than six months after the incident, people in Wardinle in Somalia’s Bay region have received no reports on the investigation nor compensation for their loss.

On July 17, troops from AMISOM’s Ethiopian contingent fired on a hut in Wardinle where men had gathered to pray for a sick villager, killing 14, Human Rights Watch’s investigation found.

Those gathered included village elders, religious leaders, and Islamic school teachers as well as relatives of the sick man. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch they had seen no fighting or Al-Shabab militants in the village that day.

“The killing of elders, teachers, and religious leaders devastated the poor rural community of Wardinle and should not be swept under the carpet,” said Laetitia Bader, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The African Union and Ethiopian leadership needs to hold its forces to account by releasing its findings, ensuring that any wrongdoers are brought to justice, and compensating the victims.”

In September, AMISOM informed the United Nations Security Council monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea that an initial inquiry had found that the men were killed in crossfire. The seven witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they had not seen fighting in the village or the presence of Al-Shabab fighters that day.