Somalia

Tabled by Margrete Auken, Marie-Hélène Aubert

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Amnesty international report of 1 November 2008,

– having regard to the statement of 8 November made by Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for children and armed conflict condemning this incident,

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

A. whereas on 27 October 2008 a 13 year old girl named Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was stoned to death in Kismayo, Somalia, after having been convicted of adultery,

B. whereas Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was in fact raped by three men, and when she reported the rape to the Islamist al-Shabab militia took the decision to convict her of adultery,

C. whereas the al-Shabab militia, who control the southern port city of Kismayo, detained and ordered the execution by lapidation of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, and did not arrest or detain those responsible for raping her,

D. whereas the stoning to death was carried out by a group of 50 armed men loyal to the Kismayo administration in a stadium, in front of around 1,000 spectators,

E. whereas a boy who attempted to prevent her execution was killed by the militia authorities,

F. whereas the continuing conflict and political instability in Somalia has given rise to acts of violence and human rights violations, 

G. recalling that Somalia has had no functioning government since the overthrow of the Said Barre regime in 1991 and since then the political situation is one of anarchy, marked by inter-clan fighting and banditry,

1. Condemns the stoning and execution of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, a 13 year old girl;
2. Calls on the Somali government to bring to justice those accused of raping Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow by due process;
3. Calls on the Somali government to issue documents and make statements to restore the honour of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow posthumously;
4. Calls on the international community to establish a commission of enquiry into this and other human rights abuses committed in Somalia;
5. Calls on all Somali factions to end violence, fully respect human rights and individual freedom, commit themselves firmly to peace and to a genuine process of national reconciliation by establishing constructive political dialogue among them;
6. Calls on the AU and  EU to examine ways and means on how to assist the Somalis to achieve peace and national reconciliation and to put an end to a situation which causes much distress and suffering among the civilian population;
7. Calls on Member States to further aid towards creating a lasting democratic government in Somalia and to further aid the government of Somalia to assert its control over the whole country;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the General Secretary of the African Union and the government of Somalia.