Photo shows refugees in makeshift camps at the Social Welfare Centre, Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Refugees and asylum seekers have also provided graphic photos of attacks by Somaliland authorities and armed groups resulting in injuries and deaths. These are being used in such as the report compiled by Dr Trevor Trueman, of the Oromia Support Group. The report includes individual accounts of torture on refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom are of the ethnic Oromo group.
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**Historical reminder: Widespread student protests began on 9 November across Oromia Region and continued sporadically until June 2006. Hundreds were arrested and 67 were reported killed. OSG named 20 of those killed and 339 who were detained. In addition, 19 Oromo detainees in Kaliti prison were shot dead in their cells in November 2005.**
Suggestions – of Trevor Trueman
In my opinion:
*Supplementary feeding must be reinstated immediately for children of refugees and asylum-seekers in Hargeisa.*
*Despite the misgivings of the Somaliland administration, UNHCR should reinstitute the provision of allowances to recognised refugees in Hargeisa and should extend this to registered asylum-seekers.*
*Unregistered asylum-seekers should be assessed for registration as a matter of urgency.*
*If it is not possible to provide, within a very short period, support to destitute refugees and asylum-seekers in Hargeisa, in order to prevent continuing deaths, UNHCR must arrange for the transfer of refugees and asylum-seekers from Hargeisa to a place where such support can be provided – that is to refugee camps in Djibouti or Kenya.*
Dr Trevor Trueman, Chair, Oromia Support Group. 21 February 2012.
