International Medical Corps Offices in Somalia’s Central Region Looted; Activities Suspended

Armed men identifying themselves as Al-Shabab, a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), invaded four International Medical Corps (IMC) offices in the Bakool and Bay regions of Somalia on Wednesday. Al-Shabab demanded keys to all offices and warehouses and in the subsequent two days looted IMC property from all four sites, including drugs, medical supplies, equipment and supplementary and therapeutic food intended for malnourished children. No IMC staff was injured during the course of these attacks.

Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on Council of Europe action to improve the protection of human rights defenders and promote their activities

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 6 February 2008 at the 1017th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,
Noting the commitment made by Heads of State and Government meeting at their Third Summit in Warsaw 2005 that the Council of Europe “shall – through its various mechanisms and institutions – play a dynamic role in protecting the right of individuals and promoting the invaluable engagement of non-governmental organisations, to actively defend human rights”;