MOGADISHU, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Bahame Nyanduga, has called on the world to support the Horn of Africa nation to avert humanitarian crisis and its current state-building process.
Nyanduga called for unremitting support for Somalia's state-building process and improvement of the human rights situation in the country, saying Somalia is experiencing one of its worst humanitarian crises following three years of drought.
"This drought has come at a time Somalia has not recovered from the effects of the 2011 drought," he said in a statement issued at the end of his fourth mission to Somalia on Friday night.
"I call upon the international community to respond to the appeal for 4.4 billion U.S. dollars to assist Somalia to deal with its biggest humanitarian crisis in history," he added.
"The severe has affected more than half of Somalia's population, creating an acute food and water shortage, child malnutrition and mortality, and loss of livestock," said the human rights expert.
Nyanduga urged the international community to continue technical and financial support to Somalia towards the reform of the police, judiciary and other rule of law institutions, and ensure the establishment of the new justice model, which is the cornerstone of democratic governance.
"The justice sector should be provided with commensurate resources to those currently being directed towards the security sector," the human rights expert emphasized.
During his 11-day visit, the rights expert also inquired about the role of traditional elders in the Somalia justice system, where Traditional Dispute Resolution remains strong because of the institutional weakness of formal judicial institutions.
He recommended the Somalia government, the Federal Member States, and Somaliland "to undertake a comprehensive review of the traditional dispute resolution frameworks in order to ensure that traditional elders protect the rights of women, in particular from rape and other sexual and gender-based violence cases."
Nyanduga expressed concern regarding cases of detention without trial, police brutality, intimidation of journalists, and other violations of the right to freedom of expression and media rights across Somalia.
"I call on the authorities to continue their engagement with media owners and professionals in order to review existing media laws or adopt laws that respect freedom of expression and media rights," he said.
