Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Chris Mburu Past Human Rights Abuses in Somalia: Report of a Preliminary Study Conducted for the United Nations, published in 2002; and what assessment they have made of its recommendations following the Isaaq genocide.

The Government is aware of the findings of the report 'Past Human Rights Abuses in Somalia: Report of a Preliminary Study Conducted for the United Nations', by Chris Mburu, published in 2002. The UK is committed to improving respect for human rights in Somalia, including Somaliland, which is crucial to building a more secure, democratic and prosperous Somalia. It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgement as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.