GENEVA – An independent human rights expert today strongly condemned the 2 August suicide attack at Lido Beach in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu that killed 37 civilians and injured over 210, including many young people. “This attack is unacceptable, and more so because the deliberate targeting of civilians is contrary to humanitarian principles and constitutes a serious breach of international law that protects civilians in times of armed conflict," said Isha Dyfan, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia. “The perpetrators of this attack must be identified quickly and brought to justice,” Dyfan said. She expressed her solidarity with the people and authorities of the Federal Republic of Somalia in their quest for peace and stability. The expert extended her sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Ms. Isha Dyfan (Sierra Leone) is the Independent Expert on the Situation of Human Rights in Somalia. The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. UN Human Rights, country page – Somalia For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Sandra ATCHEKPE, Human Rights Officer, atchekpe@un.org For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org) Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter: @UN_SPExperts.