| Refugees Are Entitled to Safety and Protection
Appeal To: The President of Puntland State of Somalia November 19, 2009 His Excellency President .Dr.Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole), President of the Puntland State of Somalia
Garoowe Tel:     + 2525 844151 , or + 2525454764
Fax: + 2525 4 54764 Your Excellency, First of all, Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) would like to express its appreciation to the people of the Puntland State of Somalia and to its government for their hospitality and kindness towards thousands of Oromo and other refugees who have fled their homes to escaped government persecutions in Ethiopia; and now living in Puntland State of Somalia. Especially since they TPLF Government came to power, thousands of Oromo and other nationals have run away from arbitrary detentions, degrading tortures and violent killings in Ethiopia to save their lives by seeking refuge in Puntland State of Somalia and other neighboring countries However, HRLHA recently received a disheartening report with which it was deeply shocked, the cold-blooded murder of Mr. Tanna Kabballe, an Oromo refugee from Western Oromia, in Ethiopia. Mr. Tanna Kabballe, age 30, was gunned down with five bullets shot at him by yet unidentified gunmen on November 5, 2009 at around 6:30 PM in the town of Garoowe in Putland State of Somalia. It is difficult to imagine of any thing that is more saddening than refugees who fled their home lands to escape persecutions and other forms of human rights violations being met with a similar fate in host countries. Unless there is an absolute lawlessness reigning in the country, it is also difficult to imagine how such helpless and defenseless refugees are shot and killed so cruelly. HRLHA’s expectation is that persons, be they refugees or not, are legally apprehended, tried and punished in law-abiding countries if they are suspected of committing a crime or caught red-handed.   Mr. Tanna Kaballe Mr. Issa Mohammed In a related development, Mr. Issa Mohammed Osman, another Oromo refugee from Eastern Oromia, in Ethiopia, survived an attempted murder by the same or different unidentified gunmen on the same date at about 8:00 PM in the same town of Garoowe, in Putland State of Somalia. Mr. Issa Mohammed Osman, 50 years old and a father of six, miraculously survived the attempt of murder after receiving two bullets. Both Mr. Tanna Kabballe and Mr. Issa M. Osman were UNHCR-registered refugees awaiting decisions to resettle in a third country. HRLHA has learnt that what happened to Mr. Tanna Kabballe and Mr. Issa M. Osman has created an enormous feeling of insecurity among the rest of the refugee population in Putland State of Somalia. HRLHA would like to draw the attention of the government of Putland State of Somalia as well as other regional and international bodies to these worrisome situations of refugees in Putland State of Somalia. It would also call upon the Putland State of Somalia government to take all necessary legal actions to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice in a way that the safety and protection of other refugees in the country could be guaranteed. Background Information; HRLHA reported in February 2008 in its No9 Press Release that 65 Oromo refugees from Ethiopia were murdered and more than 100 others were seriously injured when two grenades were thrown at two different hotels owned by two Oromo refugees, Melaku and Jamal Arsii, in port town of Bossaso in Puntland State of Somalia. The HRLHA is a non-political organization which attempts to challenge abuses of human rights of the people of various nations and nationalities in the Horn of Africa. It works on defending fundamental human rights including freedoms of thought, expression, movement and association. It also works on raising the awareness of individuals about their own basic human rights and that of others. It encourages the observances as well as due processes of law. It promotes the growth and development of free and vigorous civil societies. Sincerely,
Garoma Wakessa, Executive Director, Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) Cc: H.E. Abisamad Ali Shire, Vice President of the Puntland State of Somalia Tel: + 2525454764
Fax: + 2525 4 54764 - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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Suisse. telephone number: +41 22 739 8111
- African Commission on Human and Peopls’ Rights
The Gambia Tel : (220) 4410 505 – 6 , Fax: (220) 4410 504 Email : achpr@achpr.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - Amnesty International – London Telephone:
 +44-20-74135500
Fax number: +44-20-79561157 · Human Rights Watch – New York, Tel:  +1-212-290-4700
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
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