STORY: Civilians paying a heavy price for armed

conflict in Somalia UN report

TRT: 4:45
SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC
INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 10/DECEMBER/2017, MOGADISHU SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the UN

Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia arriving to launch a report on
Protection of Civilians in Conflict
2. Med shot, journalists covering the launch
3. Med shot, Joseph Contreras, United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia
(UNSOM) Spokesperson, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Group
speaks at the launch
4. Close up shot, journalists looking at the report
5. Med shot, Raisedon Zenenga, Deputy Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Somalia, Michael Keating, the Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia and Kirsten
Young the Chief of the UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group at the
launch
6. Wide shot, UNSOM staff at the launch
7. Wide shot, SRSG Keating speaking at the lunch
8. Med shot, journalists covering the launch of the report
9. Med shot, SRSG Keating speaking
10. Close up shot, UNSOM staff listening
11. Med shot, journalists listening
12. Wide shot, journalists
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Keating, Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia
There were over 4,500 civilian casualties in the approximately 20-month
period up to and including the terrible bomb on October 14. Four thousand
five hundred people killed or maimed, and of course the bomb, the IED on
14th October, was the worst example of deaths of civilians.
14. Close up shot, DSRSG Zenenga
15. Med shot, journalists listening to SRSG Keating
16. Close up shot, a journalist listening
17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Keating, Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia
Sixty percent of all civilian casualties during that 20-month period that the
report covers are attributable to Al-Shabaab. So they are by far the worst
when it comes to activities that kill civilians in conflict. And of the incidents
attributable to Al-Shabaab, 79 per cent are as a result of the use of IEDs,
Improvised Explosive Devices, whether they are vehicle-borne or otherwise.

18. Close up shot, a journalist asking a question

19. Med shot, Joseph Contreras, UNSOM Spokesperson, Strategic
Communications and Public Affairs Group, SRSG Keating, DSRSG Zenenga
and Kirsten Young during the launch
20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Keating, Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia
The fundamental problem we continue to face in Somalia is that people are
using violence to achieve their political objectives. The next problem is that if
you are going to use military force or violence, you have a responsibility,
whoever you are, to protect civilians. Sharia law is very strong on the need to
protect civilians. All the other parties to this conflict, all the parties to the
conflict claim that they have a responsibility and have mechanisms to protect
civilians. And thats good that they do, and we encourage that. But the
problem is the reality is ugly. The reality is that too many young Somalis in
particular and civilians are dying as a result of military activity.

21. Med shot, a journalist asking a question

22. Close up shot, another journalist asks a question
23. Med shot, SRSG Keating, DSRSG Zenenga listening
24. Wide shot, Joseph Contreras, UNSOM Spokesperson, Strategic
Communications and Public Affairs Group, SRSG Keating and Kirsten Young
taking notes
25. Close up shot, hands
26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Michael Keating, Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia
Here are the facts, notwithstanding the commitment of nearly all the actors to
protecting civilians. The fact is that too many are being killed and maimed.
Here are the facts. And I just want to say that a great deal of hard work, often
brave work, has been undertaken to assemble the facts.

27. Med shot, a journalist asking a question

28. Med shot, SRSG Keating, DSRSG Zenenga and Kirsten Young listening
29. Wide shot, journalists
30. Close up shot, SRSG Keating and Kirsten Young taking notes
31. Close up shot, Kirsten Young taking notes
32. Wide shot, journalists covering the briefing
33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kirsten Young, Chief of the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Somalia Human Rights and Protection Group
We have indicated that 17 percent of violations could not be attributed. This
is either because they are unknown or unidentified. And this relates to also
our access in the field. So, we have tried to be conservative in the numbers
and thats why we have tried to also make the point that this is a baseline for
continued discussions.
34. Wide shot, journalists covering the press briefing
35. Med shot, SRSG Keating leaving after the briefing

Civilians paying a heavy price for armed conflict in Somalia UN report

Mogadishu, 10 December 2017 Al-Shabaab militants continue to pose the

biggest threat to civilians in Somalia, according to a new UN report that was
launched in the Somali capital today.

The report, which was issued to coincide with the international observance of
Human Rights Day, attributes 60 per cent of all civilian casualties in Somalia
over the last 20 months to attacks by Al-Shabaab militants.

Militias, state actors and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)
were responsible for 28 per cent of civilian casualties, according to the report,
which was released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia
(UNSOM) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The report notes that casualties attributed to the Somali National Army and
Police and AMISOM were significantly lower during the reporting period than
those attributed to Al-Shabaab.

Entitled Protection of Civilians: Building the Foundation for Peace, Security

and Human Rights in Somalia, the report documented 2,078 civilian deaths
and 2,507 injuries between 1 January 2016 and 14 October 2017.

The report says 729 civilians were abducted by Al-Shabaab during the same
period, of whom 403 were reportedly released. Al-Shabaab was also
responsible for 86 targeted assassinations and executed another 46 persons
during the reporting period.

So, they (Al-Shabaab) are by far the worst, when it comes to activities that kill
civilians in conflict. And of the incidents attributable to Al-Shabaab, 79 per
cent are a result of the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Michael
Keating, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG), for
Somalia, told journalists during the launch of the report.

A significant number of civilian casualties 251 killed and 343 injured - was
attributed to clan militias engaged in conflicts in areas where federal or state
security forces were largely absent. The main trigger of these conflicts was
disputes over land and resources, the report notes.

The reality is ugly, said Mr. Keating. Too many young Somalis in particular
and civilians are dying as a result of military activity (because) people are
using violence to achieve their political objectives.

He described the 14 October bombing in Mogadishu that killed at least 512

people as the worst example of civilian deaths in Somalia. Sadly, its impact
will be felt for a long time, said the SRSG.
In keeping with international humanitarian law, the report states that primary
responsibility for protecting civilians lies with the parties involved in the conflict
and the Somali government.

The report considers the implementation of a political agreement on Somalias

National Security Architecture reached by the Federal Government and the
Federal Member States last April as fundamental to achieving sustainable
security sector reform.

The report states that the agreement on a national security architecture

provides an opportunity to ensure that Somali-led security institutions are
accountable and can protect the countrys citizens in accordance with
International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law.

END