MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

17.6.2008

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Cristiana Muscardini, Adam Bielan, Ryszard Czarnecki, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Ewa Tomaszewska
on behalf of the UEN Group
on Routine killing of civilians in Somalia

B6‑0323/2008

European Parliament resolution on Routine killing of civilians in Somalia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on this matter,

- having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas an estimated 100 people were killed and two hundred were wounded in the clashes and thousands fled their homes in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, over the past weekend, following renewed fighting mainly caused by the insurgents' action against the legitimate government's forces,

B.  whereas this is only the most recent in a long series of violence, killings, bomb attacks and murders in an endless internal war which has forced up to one million Somalis to flee their homes, while an estimated 6,500 civilians have been killed since 2007,

C.  whereas civilians, and in particular women and children, are the most affected by the uprising of violence and an estimated 2.6 million Somalis need assistance and the figure is expected to reach 3.5 million by the end of the year,

D.  whereas the people of Somalia desperately need humanitarian assistance and effective action by the international community to address wide-scale human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law,

E.  whereas the presence of a regional African peacekeeping force is unable to fulfil its stated mandate, which does not include civilian protection, ensuring peace and stopping violence, owing to the insufficient number of soldiers, its lack of funding or shortage of personnel,

F.  whereas a strong and adequate UN peacekeeping force is needed in the country to tackle the wave of violence and later to replace the Ethiopian troops which are supporting the legitimate transitional government in the fight against insurgents and deal with the humanitarian crisis with a larger mandate, which should include the protection of civilians,

G.  whereas Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and a faction of an Eritrea based opposition alliance have signed in Djibouti an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and whereas such an agreement, if implemented, can represent the rebirth of hope and a significant and concrete step towards peace and reconciliation in Somalia and therefore permit the deployment of economic aid for the population,

H.  whereas the most hardline and violent factions of the Islamic Courts immediately rejected such an agreement, showing their opposition to any truce or any step towards reconciliation and therefore its willingness to continue violence and clashes with all the possible consequences for civilians,

1.  Deeply regrets the recent recrudescence of violent clashes in Somalia and in particular the loss of human lives in Somalia and the suffering of the whole population;

2.  Recommends that all the parties involved in the conflict and the international community acting in Somalia ensure and strengthen respect for human rights and in particular ensure the protection of civilians;

3.  Welcomes the agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia; appreciates the efforts made by all parties involved in such negotiations and in particular the Government of Djibouti which hosted the talks;

4.  Calls on both parties not only to sign and commit but also to take concrete steps to implement the agreement with an immediate ceasefire and undertaking efforts to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations in Somalia; calls on all Somali stakeholders, whether they are a party to the agreement or not, to permit such steps;

5.  Deeply regrets the fact that part of the opposition forces rejected the agreement and considers that all responsibility for any possible continuation of clashes and suffering for the civilians should be attributed to such forces which do not want to stop violence and consider it as a legitimate means to achieve power in Somalia;

6.  Acknowledges and supports the request of both parties to the UN Security Council to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force with a large mandate, both military and humanitarian, which appears to be the only significant step to support the legitimate federal transitional government and make possible, in the long term, the withdrawal of other foreign troops still active in Somalia;

7.  Calls on the Commission to ensure, despite the difficult circumstances, every possible effort to alleviate the suffering of the Somali population, providing economic and humanitarian aid; in this respect, stresses the importance of the role played by all humanitarian organizations which operate in the area and regrets the death of some of these operators;

8.  Calls on the Commission and the Presidency of the European Union to lend their full support, by deploying any appropriate diplomatic effort, for an immediate implementation of the Djibouti agreement;

9.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Federal Transitional Government of Somalia.