08/08/08 (B460) Shabelle Network / Trois civils ont été exécutés séparémenet dans le district du Sud de la Somalie. Civilians separately killed in southern district (En Anglais – Info lectrice)
By: Abdinasir Guled
Three people have separately been killed in the Afgoi district 30km south of Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday night residents said.
The first killing took place at Arbiska area east of Afgoi when a men armed with pistols have shot dead a woman they ordered her to get off she was aboard.
The second killing happened in Imbaghatti village in the similar district later than armed groups with pistols have shot dead a quitted army officer.
The third man was shot dead near Calamada area in Afgoi by unidentified men with revolvers.
Its yet unknown the motives/groups behind these latest killings.
Civilians are completely at the mercy of armed groups and armed soldiers in Somalia, says human rights group Amnesty International.
It says the situation is « dire » in the centre and the south with government troops, their Ethiopian allies and Islamist insurgents « out of control ».
They carry out killings, torture, rape, beatings, arbitrary detention and forced disappearances, a report says.
The Ethiopian government has dismissed the report as a « total fabrication » and demanded an apology.
« It is deplorable that Amnesty International has lent itself to an obviously disgraceful smear campaign against the armed forces of Ethiopia, using highly emotive, even racist language, » Ethiopia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
It said that Amnesty was also ignoring widespread human rights abuses committed by Somali militants.
« We have said repeatedly that our soldiers are the most disciplined soldiers in the world, » said foreign ministry spokesman Wahide Belaye.
« They have never cut anybody’s throat, never gang-raped any women, never deliberately shot civilians in Somalia. »
Mogadishu residents stated that the Ethiopian/Somali troops shot dead hundreds of civilians as well the Islmaists.