Exposed: UN atrocities in
Socialist Outlook newspaper1990sPhil HearseTranscribed or corrected by hand from the printed page.
THE LONDON-based organisation African Rights has produced a damning indictment of the role of United Nations forces in Somalia (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 in the Western media.
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 for the 'use of force in certain circumstances'.
Enforcement
'Peace-keeping' has been replaced with the newly-proclaimed doctrine of 'peace enforcement'.
The most spectacular UN operations started in Mogadishu after the killing of 23 Pakistani 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 Aideed's was comprehensively demolished'.
Aidid's headquarters was almost undamaged. At the same time rockets were fired into civilian areas killing several people.
On the same day UN Pakistani troops fired on a small civilian demonstration on the Afgoy Road near the UN 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 nearby civilians were killed. Among the dead were well-known political and religious leaders 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 civilians. UN forces used Tow missiles and artillery to attack the hospital.
The report details a long list of individual, and often random, killings of civilians by UN forces. Among the most brutal have been the Belgian garrison of Kismayo. More than 100 people have been killed by the Belgians in that town.
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, where there are also numerous 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 Islamic fundamentalism (Somalis are Muslims), has detailed political objectives in the short term.
The Americans' hate-figure General Aideed is just one of several major clan leaders; he leads the Hawiye clan. Western accusations that his forces 'destroyed Mogadishu' are disingenuous:
Dictator
Aideed's forces were central to driving out the former Western-backed dictator Siad 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 Majerteen are a Darood clan, and 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 as the 'next president' of Somalia.
When the details of US strategy are examined, the precise aim of 'Restore Hope' can be clearly 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 oppose.
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.