Editor’s note: Human Rights Watch recently released a report on sexual exploitation and abuse of Somali women and underage girls by AMISOM soldiers. The tragedies encountered or experienced by Somali women and girls in the hands of Somalia’s warring factions, and unscrupulous individuals, is now added to these foreign troops, preying on the vulnerability of the internally displaced people in Southern Somalia. The report has unearthed a compelling evidence of sexual abuse and rape against Somali women and underage girls by AMISOM soldiers. There is a saying that goes “when a crime goes unpunished, the world is unbalanced.” WDN adds its voice to the countless Somalis and human rights defenders to demand from the African Union, donor countries and the Somali government to expeditiously investigate the abuse of power by AMSIOM soldiers and bring justice to the perpetrators. WDN had an opportunity to discuss the case further with Laetitia Bader, HRW researcher for the Africa division. The interview was conducted by Abdelkarim A. Hassan for WardheerNews.
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WardheerNews (WDN): What are the circumstances that led Human Rights Watch to take on such research on sexual exploitation and abuse of Somali women and girls by AMISOM soldiers?
HRW: Over the past three years Human Rights Watch has carried out ongoing research into the scope and scale of abuses against Mogadishu’s internally displaced communities, including sexual and gender-based violence. In February 2014 we released a report on widespread sexual violence against displaced women and girls in Mogadishu which documented rape by Somali government forces, allied militia and non-military perpetrators.
During the research for the February report, survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse by AMISOM forces came forward and described their experiences to Human Rights Watch prompting us to conduct further research into the problem. Simultaneously, various interlocutors reported that AMISOM and the troop-contributing countries were not adequately investigating and prosecuting these cases.
WDN: How did you verify the victim’s accounts? Was there an independent medical expert (s) who could confirm their account?
HRW: Human Rights Watch interviews victims and witnesses who can provide first-hand accounts as the primary basis for the organization’s research. Many of the women had sought or were seeking medical care as a result of the sexual abuse. For this report, Human Rights Watch interviewed women and girls who alleged having suffered rape, sexual assault, and exploitation at the hands of AMISOM soldiers. We identified people to interview through a range of channels, and we sought to corroborate accounts with secondary sources, including Somali and international staff working on the AMISOM bases, reports by nongovernmental organizations and media.
In some instances, the survivors shared medical records with Human Rights Watch; however, our research focused on the circumstances in which sexual assault and exploitation had occurred. Human Rights Watch, and medical experts, has expressed concern in the past about the types of medical examination still being used in Somalia, notably the “finger test,” an unscientific, inhuman, and degrading “test” that has no forensic value, and so did not focus on medical records as the main form of corroboration.
WDN: In response to the HRW report in a press release on Sept 8, AMISOM questioned the validity of your findings, citing that you did not collaborate in confidence with AU senior leadership to further investigate and provide input to your report. Why didn’t you seek their assistance?
HRW: With two exceptions, none of the women and girls Human Rights Watch interviewed for this report had publicly spoken out about the abuse or filed a complaint. They said they feared the very real risk of reprisals from perpetrators, the government authorities, and the Islamist insurgent group, Al-Shabaab, as well as retribution from their own families. Some said they felt powerless and worried about the social stigma. Others questioned the purpose of complaining when there is limited redress. Some were reluctant to lose their only source of income.
Irrespective of their reasons, and regardless of the commitments of confidentiality made by the AU, if victims of human rights violations wish to maintain confidentiality, Human Rights Watch is obliged to respect this decision.
We are very happy to discuss with the AU and with AMISOM how to conduct an impartial and meaningfully investigation into sexual exploitation and abuse on AMISOM bases. Creating an environment more conducive to women being able to report and guaranteeing the confidentiality of people interviewed would be important first steps.
WDN: WardheerNews talked to several Somali women organizations who complained your lack of reaching out to them, in your research, did you talk to non-profit organizations owned or headed by Somali women that work at the IDP camps? If so what was their account? If not, why not?
HRW: We are regularly in touch with key women’s rights organizations in Mogadishu on a range of issues, in order to get their input, advice on areas of research and recommendations; we also engaged with and meet with a range of women’s rights organizations during this specific research, including during a mission to Mogadishu in February 2014.
WDN: Your report included a detailed recommendations specific to those organizations and countries that are involved in AMSIOM mission for Somalia, could you share with us the response you have received thus far from them?
HRW: The AU, AMISOM and relevant troop contributing countries have publicly committed to investigating the allegations put forward in our report. It is not clear at what level these investigations will take place, whether at the level of the troop-contributing countries, or AMISOM.
We hope that any investigations into the abuses documented in our report be independent, thorough, transparent and carried out in a manner that ensures confidentiality and protection of witnesses. Crucial to the success of any such investigations, will be for the AMISOM leadership, and the Somali government more generally, to create an environment in which women and girls can come forward and report abuses without fear of reprisal. Strong messaging from AMISOM against reprisals is important, as are efforts, in partnership with the UN, to develop safe and confidential complaints’ mechanisms.
It will be important for AMISOM and UN to consult women’s rights organizations and legal aid services working in internally displaced camps on how to best establish complaints’ mechanisms and referral systems.
WDN: How is your report received by the media and public at large? Do you think it has done what you intended it to accomplish?
HRW: The report received significant attention in the Somali, regional and international media, as well as in the social media, which is excellent. Now we hope to see this attention lead to concrete and effective action on the part of key actors- starting with the AU, AMISOM and troop-contributing countries, but also key donors and the Somali government, to ensure that victims of all abuses by AMISOM forces see justice being done.
WDN: Thank you Laetitia.
HRW: You are welcome Abdelkarim and thank you for the opportunity and interest in the report.
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