THE LONDON-based organisation African Rights has produced a damning indictment of the role of United Nations forces in (UNOSOM).
The report confirms in detail a catalogue of murders, beatings. robberies attacks on hospitals and children. by American troops and those of several other nations.
Brutality against the civilian population is much more widespread than generally reported African Rights' report has to be seen in the context of the political and military goals of the United States which have led to a re-interpretation of Chapter 7 of the UN charter which allows tor ine use or sorce it certain circumstances.
Enforcement
"Peace-keeping' has been replaced with the newiv-oroclaimed doctrine of peace enforcement.
The most spectacular UN operations started in Mogadishu after the killino of 23 Pakistant soldiers in three battles with local militia.
On June 12 a US helicopter attack was launched on the headquarters of 'warlord' Aideed. As Africa Rights reports:
*In a remarkable display of precision bombing. the house next door to General Aldeed's was comprehensively demolished.
Aidid's headquarters was almost undamaged. At the same time rockets were fired into civillan areas killing several people.
On the same day UN Pakistani troops fired on a small civilian demonstration on the Afgoy Kos near the Uk compound killing several demonstrators.
Meeting
On July 12 another helicopter attack was launched on the house of Adbi Abdiid, a senior Aideed aid. Inside a political meeting was taking place of which the UN had been told in advance.
Fifty four people. including were killed. wall als the dead were wellleaders from different Somali clans. There is no evidence that there were weapons in the house, and the attackers were not fired upon.
On 17 June a combined force of French, US and Moroccan forces launched a combined attack on Digfer hospital in central Mogadishu, which they claimed was being used by militia forces, and killed nine patients and other civians. Un fores used Tow missiles and artillery to attack the hospital.
The report details a long list of individual, and often random. killings of civilans by UN forces. Among the most brutal have been the Belgian garrison of Kismayo. More than 100 people have been killed by the Belgians Despite the conflict between Italy and the US over the goals of the Somalia operation, Italian forces have themselves been involved in killings and acts of brutality in the town of Belet Weyn, documented cases of theft from civilian houses by Italian troops.
Brutality by UN troops is par for the course in imperialist interventions. The UN/US operation in Somalia, in addition to attempting to stabilise the regions for •Western interests and fight Istamic fundamentalism (Somalis are Muslims), has detailed political objectives in the The Americans' hate-figure General Aideed is just one of seyeral major clan leaders; he leads the Hawiye clan. Western accu'destroyed Mogadishu® are disingenuous:
Dictator Aideed's forces were central to driving out the former Western-backed dictator Stad Barre, and it was during the final battles of that campaign that Barre's forces destroyed much of Mogadishu.
The US intervention is aimed at sidelining the Hawiye clan and promoting the Majerteen. The Barre was also Darood: key Majerteen leader Mohammed Abshir, whose forces control part of the South, is pro-American and being promoted by the US 'next president' of Somalia.
When the details of US strategy are examined, the precise aim or Restore Hope can de clearty seen: it is about the time honoured practice of putting the US's man in control.
Somali politics are clan politics. Aideed is a clan leader, and someone whom socialists would But he is no more or less a 'warlord" than is Mohammed Abshir, the US favourite, and his demonisation and effective UN death-sentence passed against him are part of a propaganda smokescreen which is wearing increasingly thin. It's bad enough the police brutalise the left