Human rights watch urges upcoming meeting to end Somali conflict

A global rights group on Wednesday called on participants to this week's international meeting on Somalia to press for an immediate end to abuses against civilians by militia and authorities in the East African nation.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the intervention of foreign governments in Somalia, including some represented in the contact group, has often proved counterproductive to promoting the security of civilians.
"The Cairo meeting is an important opportunity for the key international players to begin to fix their broken policies on Somalia," said Georgette Gagnon, HRW Africa director.

"The place to start is to support an international commission of inquiry into abuses by all sides," Gagnon said. She said abuses by Somalia's transitional government, African Union forces, and armed opposition groups should be stopped.

The International Contact Group, which brings together governments and intergovernmental institutions including the United States, European states, the African Union, the Arab League, and the United Nations to coordinate policy on Somalia, will meet on April 21-22 in Cairo, Egypt.

Read here