A/HRC/21/61
and food insecurity as their reasons for flight, including fear of forced recruitment by AlShabaab. Many new arrivals came with all their belongings, including donkey carts and
whatever livestock they still possessed.
C.
Forced displacement
62.
In February 2012, the anticipation of fighting in the Afgooye corridor owing to
offensives by AMISOM and Transitional Federal Government troops against Al-Shabaab
triggered the movement of about 22,000 people from Afgooye into Mogadishu where,
according to UNHCR, around 185,000 internally displaced persons had already taken
refuge, an extra burden on the meagre existing basic services, such as water and sanitation.
63.
In addition, the Transitional Federal Government ordered evictions in order to
reclaim 93 long-term occupied public buildings in Mogadishu. While the need to put such
buildings to public use and to take advantage of rehabilitation promised by the international
community was understandable, it was clear that alternative solutions should have been
found to avoid making people homeless. At the time of reporting, the United Nations was
working with the Government to develop a policy on internally displaced persons to
contribute to durable solutions.
64.
In Somaliland, the Government’s policy of fighting any Al-Shabaab activity led to
many official statements criticizing immigration from southern Somalia as being mainly
responsible for the insecurity. On 11 September 2011, the Government of Somaliland
announced that it would expel some 100,000 illegal immigrants within 30 days.
65.
During his meeting with Somaliland authorities, the Independent Expert expressed
his concern at the forced repatriation of Somalis from the south-central region, as well as of
Ethiopian, Eritrean and other refugees and asylum seekers, as it might put some of them at
risk upon return. The Minister for Justice informed him that Somaliland had always offered
hospitality to Somalis from the South and central regions and other African migrants.
During the drought of 2011, Somaliland sent a group of ministers to Mogadishu to provide
emergency aid to their “brothers and sisters” in Somalia. Moreover, Somalis came from
various parts of Somalia to settle down and study in Somaliland universities. The capital
city was, however overwhelmed, its huge population further extenuated by the drought
situation. As a result, Somaliland could not afford to receive a greater influx of refugees
and asylum seekers.
D.
Violence against women
66.
People living in camps remained vulnerable. Cases of sexual violence against
internally displaced women and girls were reported and documented by United Nations
teams. As noted, however, by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women ),5 its
causes and consequences, who visited Somalia in December 2011, the exact number of
cases was not known owing to the lack of a standardized database used by all protection
partners in Mogadishu. After the Special Rapporteur presented her report to the Human
Rights Council at its twentieth session, the Independent Expert thanked her for her
important recommendations, which he felt would provide guidance to the Somali
leadership.
67.
Victims of sexual and gender-based violence in camps for internally displaced
persons identified “Somali armed men in khaki uniforms” as the perpetrators. Few cases
5
12
See A/HRC/20/16/Add.3.
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