Further, in Somalia, intense fighting in Mogadishu and other parts of the cou...

Further, in Somalia, intense fighting in Mogadishu and other parts of the country severely limits the access of human rights officers. Human rights officers of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia have been working with internally displaced persons in Somaliland and Puntland and interviewing on a regular basis individuals who had fled southern and central Somalia. Their testimonies indicate a pattern of risk and violations occurring throughout the country. Human rights officers also work with national monitoring networks in order to gather relevant information from within Somalia. Apart from these constraints, it is essential that the Council give missions the requisite mandate and resources, including the prioritization of logistical support and access of human rights monitoring and investigation. Unfortunately, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, insufficient access to vulnerable populations by human rights officers, due in part to limited air assets or military escorts, has impeded our ability to adequately identify threats, plan accordingly and ultimately protect civilians from violations.