PH
Skeletons belonging to 42 persons were reportedly found in a mass grave in the outskirts of Hargeisa, the capital of the breakaway republic of Somaliland.
The remains were reburied at a cemetery at the outskirts of the city on Monday.
Somaliland authorities believe the mass grave had been in existence for over 30 years. The are convinced that the skeletons belonged to people who were killed during the fighting between a local rebel group, the Somali National Movement, and the forces of the late dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, who was ousted in 1991.
Somaliland officials have maintained that General Barre’s regime committed war crimes in what is now Somaliland during the civil conflict. Local and international agencies investigating war crimes have been scouring for such mass graves in Somaliland.
Plumbers digging
The human remains were found near a place called Kaamka Biyo-Shiinaha where water supply piping was being installed. “The bones of over 40 persons were spotted by plumbers digging the land in order to lay the pipes,” said Mr Ibrahim Yonis, the director of the water agency in Hargeisa.
The remains were then collected and were given a reburial service in the city.
Somaliland ministers of Justice, Hussein Ahmed Aideed, and Industry, Shua’yb Mohamed Muse, together with the mayor of Hargeisa, the chairman of the war crimes committee, and religious leaders took part in the funeral service.
As per the norm, the skeletons were folded in white robes after which formal Islamic prayers were conducted by an imam.
