HARGEISA, Somalia — An American volunteer brushes away dirt from the bones of a Somali victim buried in a mass grave about 30 years ago. Tens of thousands of skeletons might lie on the northern edge of Somalia, where many want to see justice prevail, even if delayed.
Last year, 38 bodies were uncovered in two graves by the Somaliland War Crimes Investigation Commission, which is overseeing the work on a third site where another dozen bodies are buried.
More than 200 mass graves with the bodies of 50,000 to 60,000 people might be in the region, according to the commission.
Many African countries try to forget about recent past atrocities, said Kadar Ahmed, chairman of the commission, speaking at the gravesite. He wants this northern tip of Somalia — a self-governing region called Somaliland — to confront those ghosts head-on.
Franco Mora leads the team and said the work is about helping friends and family close the mourning process.
“Families are waiting for answers,” said Mora, who has worked on similar projects in Congo, Guatemala and Mexico.
“This country is a big mass grave,” he said. “There are graves everywhere. People are living with death.”
