Situation since March 1995 13. The absence of an accountable Government and the lack of infrastructure in the country, combined with a continued situation of anarchy, made the capture and bringing to justice of the perpetrators of gross human rights violations an impossible task. General Aideed issued a decree on 16 August in which he promised to confiscate weapons, and declared his goal to ensure free and fair elections within three years. These initiatives are evidence of a cautious move away from the emergency phase towards one of recovery and reconstruction. Assessment of the current situation 17.
Shari'a law is noted as the dominant system of law, particularly in southern Somalia.
There is also frequent, indiscriminate use of heavy weapons, resulting in heavy civilian casualties. Extrajudicial executions are widely reported to be used as a political tool to remove particular opposition leaders. Of grave concern is the apparently deliberate targeting of those clan elders involved in moves towards reconciliation. As regards the treatment of minorities, it is noted that most of the violence in Somalia is clan based. As regards forced displacements and refugees, it is estimated that there are some 150,000 refugees in camps in Kenya, over 300,000 refugees still in Ethiopia and Djibouti, and a further 350,000 persons internally displaced within Somalia.