100 demonstrators from the Gaboye minority group jailed

[Fyr]

Up to 100 demonstrators from the Gaboye minority group

 

Killed: Khadar Osman Dhabar (m), late 20s, married with 3 children

 

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Following a peaceful protest up to a hundred demonstrators from the Gaboye minority group are held incommunicado without charge, either in Hargeisa central prison in the capital of Somaliland or in unauthorised and secret police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detention centres where they are at risk of torture. They had been protesting at the shooting of Khadar Osman Dhabar by a police officer.

 

On 13 May, Khadar Osman Dhabar died in Hargeisa hospital of numerous bullet wounds after being shot on the night of 11 May in the street by a police officer. Details of the incident are still unclear but it seems that the shooting incident occurred when two police officers approached Khadar Osman Dhabar and his two friends in the Hawl Wadag area of Hargeisa. One of the police shot him, knowing the three were members of the discriminated Gaboye minority, against whom human rights abuses are frequently perpetrated with impunity.

 

Later on the 13 May, in an unprecedented and peaceful protest, a large crowd of Gaboye and sympathisers went to the central police station and president’s office. They were calling for justice following Khadar Osman Dhabar's death and for their human rights to be respected. They were confronted by armed police who used live ammunition against the non-violent demonstrators, mostly shooting in the air and without causing any fatalities. However, they did beat and arrest several hundred demonstrators, including children and women. Many have now been released.

 

Other Gaboye were later arrested in police raids on Dami village on the outskirts of Hargeisa, where most live in harsh conditions. Many have fled or are in hiding, wanted by the police for alleged involvement in the demonstration, criticising the government and calling for protection of the human rights of the Gaboye minority. Amnesty International considers the detained demonstrators and others arrested later to be prisoners of conscience who are imprisoned on account of their peaceful opinions and defence of the human rights of the Gaboye minority.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Gaboye is the collective name in Somaliland for different occupational minority groups (Musa Dariyo, Tumal, Madiban and Yibir) who number some tens of thousands of people and suffer severe discrimination in this nomadic pastoralist-based society. They are also found in Somalia. They experience exclusion on account of their occupations as hairdressers, metal-workers and blacksmiths, leather-workers and shoemakers, herbalists and ritual specialists – services they traditionally perform for the “noble†Somali pastoralist clans. They are customarily not permitted to inter-marry with the pastoralist clans and thus have no clan protection in the form of vengeance or compensation for murder or other crimes. They equally have little or no protection in the state system of administration of justice, which is controlled by clan members, and in practice have little or no access to education or other economic and social rights. Although attitudes to minorities are improving, with two seats reserved for minorities in parliament, and several Somaliland human rights organizations working with minority associations to defend their rights, the minorities benefit little from the human rights guarantees in the Somaliland Constitution and laws. Cases of arbitrary detention, kidnapping, rape, torture and killing of Gaboye with impunity are still reported in Somaliland as well as Somalia.

 

The self-declared Republic of Somaliland which is not internationally recognized, was established in 1991 after the overthrow of the Siad Barre government of Somalia. The north-western regions broke away to form Somaliland within the borders of the former British Somaliland Protectorate.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:

- calling for an impartial inquiry into the killing of Khadar Osman Dhabar and for the police officer responsible to be brought to justice if the killing is found to be unlawful;

- appealing for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained Gaboye demonstrators and others arrested later, for guarantees of their safety and that they are not being subjected to torture or ill-treatment;

- appealing for the detainees to be allowed immediate contact with their families, legal representatives, medical doctors if needed, and representatives of humanitarian organizations;

- urging the government to establish an independent inquiry to investigate arbitrary violence and discrimination against the minorities, and ensure that members of minorities have access to justice and equal treatment before the law, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

 

APPEALS TO: There is no postal service to Somaliland and fax messages may be difficult. Copies of letters can be sent to the only diplomatic missions (not recognised) in UK, USA and Italy asking for them to be forwarded. Where possible please send appeals by email.

 

President

His Excellency President Dahir Riyaale Kahin

Fax: +252 213 8324 or +252 252 3848

Email:

sl_victory@yahoo.com

Salutation: Dear President

 

Minister of the Interior

Mr Ismail Aden Osman

c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs or The Presidency (as above)

Salutation: Dear Minister

 

Minister of Justice

Mr Ahmed Hassan Ali Assowe,

c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Presidency (as above)Salutation: Dear Minister

 

Commander of the Somaliland Police

Mr Mohamed Egeh Elmi,

c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Presidency (as above)

Salutation: Dear Commander

 

COPIES TO:

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ms Edna Ismail Aden

Fax: +252 828 3271

Email:

slforeign@hotmail.com

Salutation: Dear Minister

 

DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS:

UK: Mr Osman Ahmed Hassan, Representative of the Somaliland Government, Somaliland Mission, 102 Cavell Street, London E1 2JA, United Kingdom, Fax: +44 207 717 1718

USA: Mr Saad Sheikh Omar Nur, Representative of the Somaliland Government, Washington DC, USA, Fax: +1 301 231 5990

ITALY: Mr Muhiyadin Ahmed Abdi Gabose, Representative of the Somaliland Government, Corso Unione Sovietica 465, Torino, Italy.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 29 June 2005.

 

Posted by Yvette Lopez

I can’t remember the last time I woke up so enraged and frustrated at the same time genuinely heartbroken for these poor Somalis. I’m so disappointment with our ordinary nomad for not accepting these poor Somalis as our own brothers and sisters. I don’t even want to go into this filthy corrupted evil government as they are only taking advantaged of the norm that has existed before them, nevertheless justice will be served whether in this life or in here after insallah.

 

I hope all of you nomads do everything you can do to publics this injustice and the ignorance that exist in our country, whether it is by email or conversation with your fellow nomads or relatives at home. I on my end will contact TvSL Europe and ask them to air a program that focuses on the imprisonment and discriminations faced by these Somali groups.

[Rokko]

To be frank, charity starts at home. If ya want to help this situation, marry a girl from that clan na'mean. If enough people make that move, this minority is accepted back into the society na'mean.

 

That is the practical way. Everything else is just talk na'mean.

[SOO MAAL]

Si xun baa loo galay muwaadiniintan soomaaliyeed, waxani waa cunsuriyad fuul xun!!!

 

 

Somalis became known for their hospitality and generosity is that accurate

Or is it that Somalis friendly to foreigners while they are hostile toward their fellow Somalis!

[Fyr]

Originally posted by Mobb_Deep:

To be frank, charity starts at home. If ya want to help this situation, marry a girl from that clan na'mean. If enough people make that move, this minority is accepted back into the society na'mean.

To be frank Mobb, you don’t marry someone out of charity or because you want help out their clan’s situation that alone is prejudice. What needs to be done here is we need to stop the clan approach “I can’t marry him/her because of clan†we need start marrying everyone regardless of their clan.

[Sky]

fyr kanten, mobb is right. gaboye may be disadvantaged, but they aint ugly. so i bet you could find yourself a suitable wife among them. if a lot of ppl do it, than theyll be accepted back in society within no time.

 

waryaa put your words into action!

 

you wont be the first. a famous singer called axmed cali cigaal who hails from a powerful clan that live in the northeast married a woman from the midgan minority group, an even better singer than him called maryan mursal . the government with its anti-tribal policy in the beginning of its rule insisted to pay for the wedding festivities and made sure that the whole country would know.

[Ex-Xisbiga]

Lets not forget Ahmed Ali Cigaal was shot in the leg by his own brother and was forced to go into hiding for several years for marrying Maryan Mursal. There's no guaraantee all of us would be that lucky.

[QUANTUM LEAP]

Very Sad indeed. Prejudices based on such silly things like clan is the cancer that’s eating away at the Somali society and should be rooted out. We should all fight this with the vigour to stamp out this cancer. Bigots will always be bigots and like any bigots in any society i.e. KKK and others around the world. They have no place in society and will never win.

[Suldaanka]

As much as this is a very deplorable development, one needs to see it as a general trend per say under Rayaale's government rather then a particular incident in which the Gaboye were targeted.

 

The Rayaale administration has been overly heavy handed to similar peaceful demonstrators before too. Not to mention, this very same issue of demonstration was indeed a hot topic recently when the interior minister anounced a total BAN on all demonstration (peaceful or otherwise) that are not permitted by his ministry. A move that was heavly criticises for and was denounced by Somalilanders inside and outside.

 

While recognising the overall plight and injustice faced by the minority clans in Somaliland (Which in comparison has better record than their peers in South - nontheless still unacceptable in democratic Somaliland), we need to view this particular incident as rather part of a wider picture or general trend by this administration of violating the indivitual rights of Somaliland citizens.

[Valenteenah.]

Very sad news. I'm getting a terrible sense of déjà vu for some reason.

 

Quantum Leap,

 

Absolutely.

[Sky]

suldaaanka=

(Which in comparison has better record than their peers in South - nontheless still unacceptable in democratic Somaliland),

thats not true. somalilanders are known to be most distasteful towards these poor, helpless ppl. in central and eastern somalia, the situation is a bit better, becuz its seen as a sign of cowardice to target these helpless ppl. in the south, the situation for them is the best. there they are left alone and sometimes even respected. which confirms the traditionally peaceful, open-minded, laid back attitude of southern somalia.

 

this is the report of one from the minority groups:

beesha gabooyaha oo xuquuq ku lahayn maamulada s/l iyo p/l, maciina baday fawdada koofurta

[Che -Guevara]

Alla Ha u Naxariisto Marxuumka

[Garyaqaan2]

Ex-Xisbiga

Lets not forget Ahmed Ali Cigaal was shot in the leg by his own brother and was forced to go into hiding for several years for marrying Maryan Mursal. There's no guaraantee all of us would be that lucky.

 

woow when sxb i never heard these before. Axmed ali Cigal was shot in the leg by his brother :confused:

 

 

Where in somalia or in Asia or America please give us more infor...... These is new input.

 

 

Indeed these is very sad ilaah dhibka hana ga saaro . i belive somalia will be the way it is right know for 60 more years. watch the new government 4.5 what is that mean .

[Fyr]

Sky

 

This doesn’t occur exclusively in Somaliland, it extends throughout the Somali peninsula. Sweeping the problem under the carpet won’t make things any better, you’re just ignoring the problem that exist in Puntland as well.

 

Hargeisa (The Rep) - Somaliland minister of Interior, Mr. Ismail Aden Osman in an interview with BBC Somali section denied charges by Amnesty International that demonstrators from the minority groups of Gaboye are held incommunicado without charge for taking part in a peaceful demonstration.

 

He said; “About a 100 of the minority Gaboye group had taken part in a violent demonstration by burning tires and throwing stones and causing damage to some business stores and a telephone company in the center of the town.â€

 

“The president has given order not to arrest of the demonstrators and the police have followed the order. None of the demonstrators is under detention,†he added.

 

Speaking about the death of Khadar Osman Dhabar he said; “A group of drunkards attacked police patrol on the night of 13/05/05 and tried to take their guns. According to police report, the dead man was one of them and one of the patrol police shot him to save his weapon. Mr. Dhabar was immediately taken to the hospital, where he later died. The policeman in detained and the case is under investigationâ€.

[Rahima]

Subxanallah.

 

Perhaps it's because of all the dulmi that Allah is punishing us .

 

The solution is Islam, if we truly believed that all were equal in the Eyes of Allah like the teeth of a comb we wouldn't have this problem.

 

The first time i heard of this discrimination some four years ago, i remember i could not stop crying. Sadness, disgust and the part of people washing their dishes (like you do with dogs) after there fellow Muslims ate with it did it for me.

 

May Allah have mercy on the brother and grant him jannatul firdows.

 

thats not true. somalilanders are known to be most distasteful towards these poor, helpless ppl. in central and eastern somalia, the situation is a bit better, becuz its seen as a sign of cowardice to target these helpless ppl.

Brother get real and be honest. My mother told me about the horrific stories of how they were treated in Gaalkacyo. It doesn't sound any better than this.

[General Duke]

This doesn’t occur exclusively in Somaliland, it extends throughout the Somali peninsula. Sweeping the problem under the carpet won’t make things any better, you’re just ignoring the problem that exist in Puntland as well.

You are 100% right brother, it happens in every corner of the country and is part of the Somali mindset to marganalise our own brothers and sister for no reason.

 

I have a question, how or when did this caste system start???

And why these particular clans, and not others for they share the same religion, language and ethnicity with us??