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NAIROBI, 4 Feb 2004 (IRIN) - The United Nations independent human rights expert for Somalia has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the UN staff member, Rolf Helmrich, who was abducted by militias in the Lower Juba region of southern Somalia last week.
In a statement issued in Geneva on Wednesday, the expert, Ghanim Alnajjar, condemned the actions of the militia group, and said "such an action represents an infringement of the right to life, liberty and security of person as guaranteed under Article 3 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and must be condemned in the strongest terms".
Helmrich, a German national, was abducted at 11:30 GMT on 29 January at a point about 45 km north of the regional capital, Kismayo.
Alnajjar called on Somali groups to allow the
humanitarian community to do its work to protect and promote human rights in
the country. He noted that now that the Somali reconciliation was making
progress, "we must all work together to support efforts towards peace,
stability and progress for the Somali people".
Helmrich is the latest of several aid workers to be abducted by freelance
militias allied no one particular faction over the past few years. The
militias often demand a ransom before releasing their abductees.
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