Amnesty International has called for much stricter controls for the military assistance being given to Somalia's transitional government.

国际特赦组织呼吁对索马里过渡期政府的军事援助必须进行更加严密的控制。

Amnesty wants arms transfers to the Somali government suspended

The human rights group says weapons are all too often being used against civilians¹ or they end up in the hands of由……掌握 groups opposed to the government.

There is currently an arms embargo武器禁运 in place for Somalia.

But with UN approval weapons have been delivered to the government which is under attack from Islamist militants³.

Somalia is awash被浪冲打的 with weapons already, and there are many armed groups fighting for power.

But as the international community tries to prop⁴ up支撑，支持 the beleaguered⁵包围的，围困的 transitional government, more and more weapons are being sent in.

Last year, the United States delivered 19 tonnes of weapons and ammunition弹药，军火 and may have sent a lot more as other requests for exemptions免税额，免除 to the arms embargo武器禁运 were made.

Amnesty International wants arms transfers to the Somali government suspended because it says these weapons are used in indiscriminate任意的，无差别的 attacks against civilians, especially when mortars⁸混凝土 are fired.

It also says some of the weapons end up in the hands of militias民兵，国民军 fighting against the government - partly as a result of troops defecting叛变 from one side to another.

Islamist groups

The Somali government is protected by several thousand African Union troops, without whom many analysts¹⁰ believe the government would not be able to survive.

But there are efforts to boost the long-term capacity of the pro-government soldiers and police.

The US, European Union countries and several east African nations have pledged or are already delivering training to more than 20,000 of these forces.

Amnesty International says that all sides in Somalia's conflict have been committing human rights abuses, and it therefore says it is essential that international humanitarian¹¹ law be part of any training that is given.

Whilst当……的时候 the transitional government has widespread international backing, several countries including Eritrea have been accused of funding and arming the opposition¹² hardline Islamist groups like al-Shabab. Last month, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo² on Eritrea.

It will however be incredibly hard to stop the inflow流入 of weapons to Somalia.

And there is as yet no sign that the civilians will have any respite暂缓 from the fighting which has displaced 1.5 million people.