Islamist "Justice" in Somalia

Earlier this month, Sharia court in Somalia found a man found guilty of stealing clothing worth about $90. He was punished by having his right hand cut off. It is believed to be the second amputation this year in Somalia. Hardliners from al-Shabaab, a group of Somali Islamists that has been linked to Al-Qaeda, follow the Wahhabi school of Islam, which is based on a very strict reading of Islamic texts. Most Somalis practice the mainstream Sunni faith and al-Shabaab's rules have created an "alien culture" in areas that are controlled by the group.

Michelle Kagari, of Amnesty International's Africa programme, said: "Punishments like these illustrate the extent to which violence still substitutes for the rule of law in many areas of Somalia."

She said she wanted the United Nations to take concrete steps to stop such human rights abuses, and that an independent commission of inquiry or similar mechanism should be set up to investigate.

Amnesty International has also called on the fragile Somali transitional government - and the militias which currently run Kismayo and other parts of the south - to publicly condemn all human rights abuses, including punishments carried out without due process of law.