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REJECT THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST FOR IMMUNITY IN THE SAMANTAR CASE.  AND LET JUSTICE TAKE ITS COURSE

REJECT THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST FOR IMMUNITY IN THE SAMANTAR CASE. AND LET JUSTICE TAKE ITS COURSE

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This petition has been created by SOMALILAND S. and may not represent the views of the Avaaz community.
SOMALILAND S.
started this petition to
Obama administration , United States Secretary of State, Us department of justice Secretary, United Nations Secretary General, European Commission , British Prime Minister

The on-going civil cases brought by US citizens against former General and Prime Minister of Somalia (and US resident) at the US courts are the only chance that a few of the thousands of victims of “torture, extra-judicial killings and prolonged arbitrary imprisonment” in Somaliland (then Northern Somalia) have in seeking justice. Mr Samantar held one of the highest offices in, what human rights groups observed was, “a government at war with its own people” when the main cities of Somaliland were bombed by aircraft and artillery by the air force and army under his command and control.

The US Supreme Court has already rejected in 2010 that Mr Samantar was entiltled to “statutory” immunity and the US Government has subsequently also informed the courts in 2011 and again in 2012 that Mr Samantar was also not entitled to “common law” immunity. Despite all this, when the US recently formally recognized the Somalia government on 17 January 2013, the latter lost no time in requesting, within a few weeks, that the US should reverse its previous stand and extend immunity to Mr Samantar.

This litigation arising from the appalling crimes committed during the 1980s and early 1990s by the then Somalia government against the majority population of Somaliland has nothing to do with clan and warlord in-fighting and terrorism that kept Somalia in ruins from 1991 to date. Somaliland took a different path from May 1991 by re-asserting its previous independent status and establishing peace, reconciliation within its communities and democracy in its territory.

The pre -1991 events that occurred in Somaliland on which the Samantar case is based have nothing to do whatsoever to the on-going search for reconciliation and peace in Somalia. These cases were started in 2004 and were and are still of no concern to the various groups and factions in Somalia. A reversal of the previous position of the US government will therefore only reinforce the culture of impunity that is already prevalent in Somalia and will worsen the relationchip between Somalia and Somaliland.

Posted (Updated )