Hargeysa, Somaliland, October 17, 2009 (SL Times) – Somaliland government announced that it intends to bring officials of Somalia’s now defunct military regime to justice, no matter how long it takes.

The US Supreme Court is now looking at a civil case against Gen. Muhammad Ali Samatar who was the minister of defense during Muhammad Siyad Barre’s regime at a time when innocent civilians were subjected to massacres by that regime.

Somaliland government was responding to this court case and reports that Sheikh Sharif (the head of Somalia’s nominal government) has met with Gen. Muhammad Ali Samatar and pledged to support him.

According to these reports, Sheikh Sharif’s Foreign Minister, Mr Jangali, was instrumental in arranging the meeting between Gen. Muhammad Ali Samatar and Sheikh Sharif.

Gen. Muhammad Ali Samatar is also among a group of former Somali military officers who are being in organized by the United Nations with the backing of the US to lend their expertise to Sheikh Sharif’s shaky government. Towards this end, a meeting was held in Washington in August this year. Many of these military officers have committed serious human rights violations when they were in power.

For a Somaliland Times report on the Washington meeting, click here:

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2009/394/3.shtml

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