United Nations Radio

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says atrocities being committed against civilian population in Somali capital Mogadishu by government forces and rebel groups may constitute war crimes.

Civilians in Mogadishu

The High Commissioner says testimonies collected by UN investigators point to grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law as fighting continues to ravage the capital Mogadishu.

Patrick maigua reports from Geneva.

Somali capital Mogadishu, has witnessed an upsurge in violence since early May this year, as government forces battle militants from the Al Shabaab rebel group which is fighting to topple the Somali Transitional Government.

More than 200,000 people have been displaced in the past two months and hundreds of civilians wounded and killed.

The High Commissioner says there was evidence that torture, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, assassinations, death sentences, decapitation as well as amputation of limbs and other cruel forms of corporal punishment were being carried out by both sides of the conflict.

Rupert Colville is the spokesman for the office of the high commissioner for Human Rights.

"Displaced people and human rights defenders, aid workers and journalists are among those most exposed, and in some cases are being directly targeted. The so-called Al Shabaab groups fighting to topple the Transitional Government have carried out extrajudicial executions, planted mines, bombs and other explosive devices in civilian areas, and used civilians as human shields. Fighters from both sides are reported to have used torture, and fired mortars indiscriminately into areas populated or frequented by civilians. There has also been increasing evidence in recent months concerning the scale and nature of child recruitment by various forces fighting inside Somalia, which is also a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. The majority of these are teenager aged 14 to 18. Some of these acts might amount to war crimes."

Ms Pillay is urging all parties to the conflict to respect the provisions of international human rights and humanitarian law, but adds it was difficult to influence the combatants in an violent situation like that affecting much of Somalia.

The High Commissioner is however hopeful that once order has been restored in Mogadishu those responsible for human rights violations and abuses will, be brought to justice.

Patrick Maigua UN Radio Geneva.

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