Xarunta Xuquuqal Insaanku waxaay maanta soo saartay war-bixin afar bilood leh ah oo ku saabsan xaaladda xuquuqal insaan ee Somaliland. War-bixintu waxaay ku sallaysan tahay xog ururin la sameeyey laga soo bilaabo 10kii December 2017 ilaa 31 March 2018. Mudadani waxaay ku soo beegantay iyada oo uu is-bedel ku yimi hogaanka Somaliland. Madaxwayne Muuse Biixi Cabdi yaa xilka loo dhaariyay 13 December 2017 kadib markii uu ku guulaystay doorashadii dhacday 13kii November oo uu kula tartamay laba murashax oo ka socday xisbiyo mucaarad ah.
Mudada ay warbixintu ka hadlayso, waxa la xidhay 11 suxufi oo lagu kala xidhay gobolo kala duwan. Shan ka mid ah dacwad ayaa lagu soo oogay (afar shantaas ka mid ah waa la sii daayay kadib markii ay bixiyeen ganaax, midna weli waa xidhan yahay), lix kalena waa la sii daayay iyada oo aan dacwad lagu soo oogin.
Todoba qof oo kale ayaa loo xidhay hadallo ay yidhaahdeen ama qoreen. Abwaan Niciima Axmed Ibraahim oo la xidhay 27 January 2018, waxa dacwad lagu soo oogay 4tii March. Waxa lagu eedeeyey hawlo ka dhan ah qaranka iyo ceebayn dal.
Sida ku cad eedda, waxa lagu haystaa Niciima qoraal ay ku qortay Facebook ga oo xeer-ilaalintu sheegtay inuu yahay mid wiiqaya “jiritaanka Qaranka JLS, midnimadiisa iyo wada jirkiisa.” Eedda kale waxaay la xidhiidha “canbarayn qaranka JSL” loo gaystay, sida ku qoran eedda Xafiiska Xeer-ilaalinta. Dacwadda Niciima oo ka socota Maxkamadda Gobolka Hargeysa waxaay bilaaban tahay 17kii March.
Maxamed Kayse Maxamuud oo la xidhay 7 February ayaa isna weli xidhan. Waxa loo haystaa laba qoraal oo uu Facebook ga ku qoray. Sida ku qoran eedda xafiiska xeer-ilaalinta, Maxamed waxa lagu haystaa inuu “macno darro ku tilmaamay in Somaliland gaadho xuduudeheeda.” Waxa sidoo kale lagu haystaa inuu “meel kaga dhacay sharaftii iyo haybadii uu leeyahay madaxwaynaha Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland Mudane Muuse Biixi Cabdi” sababta oo ah inuu u sheegay inuu yahay “madaxwayne local ah.”
Iyada oo ay caqabadahaasi jiraan hadana waxa madaxwaynuhu 26 December 2017 uu saxeexay Xeerka Booliiska. Arinkaas oo ah talaabo loo qaaday xagga horumarka. Xeerku wuxuu abuurayaa gudi madax-banaan oo looga cawdo booliiska. Sidoo kale xeerku wuxuu ogolanayaa in dacwadaha ka dhanka ah booliiska ay qaadaan maxkamadaha caadiga ah ee dalka (civilian courts). Wuxuu xeerku si cad u mamnuucayaa in xabad nool lagu rido dad shacab ah oo aan hubaysnayn. Haseyeeshee, waxa la dhaafay sadex bilood oo xeerku waajibiyay in lagu sameeyo gudida. Welina lama samayn gudidii sharcigu waajibiyay.
6dii February waxa Golaha Wakiiladu ansixiyay Xeerka Kufsiga iyo Dembiyada kale ee la xidhiidha. Xeerkaa soo hada horyaal Golaha Guurtida. Xubno ka mid ah Guurtida oo ka dooday 19 March ayaa qaarkood eedo ujeediyeen xeerka. Dadka dhibaatada kufsigu soo gaadho ayay weli haysataa caqabado sharci oo dhib ku ah gaadhitaanka caddaaladda.
Wasaaradda Diinta iyo Awqaafta ayaa soo saartay 6di February Fatwo ay ku mamnuucday gudniinka fircooniga ah ayna ku ogolaatay wax loogu yeedhay “gudniinka Sunaha ah.” Go’aanka Wasaaraddu wuxuu waxyeello ku yahay dadaal mudo dheer loogu jiray in la cidhib tiro noocyada kala duwan ee gudniinka hablaha. Dawladda Somaliland waxaay u baahan tahay inay qaadato siyaasad ay ku cidhib tirayso gudniinka hablaha.
Human Rights Centre Releases Quarterly Report
Today, Human Rights Centre released a quarterly report. The report covers incidents documented by HRC from 10th December 2017 to 31st March 2018. It is based on data gathered, verified and recorded by the Centre. This period coincides with a change in leadership in Somaliland. President Muse Behi Abdi was inaugurated on 13th December 2017 after he won the 13th November presidential election contested by three presidential hopefuls, two of them from opposition parties.
During the reporting period, 11 journalists were arrested in different regions. Five of them were prosecuted (four of them were released after paying fine, and one is still in detention facing charges), and six were released without charges.
Other seven people were arrested for statements they made. Poet Naema Ahmed Ibrahim, arrested on 27th January 2018, was charged on 4th March 2018 by the Office of the Attorney General. The prosecution charged Naema of two accounts: Anti-national Activity of a citizen abroad (article 212 of the Penal Code) and Bringing the Nation or the State into Contempt (article 219(2) of the Penal Code).
As stated in the charge sheet dated on 4th March, the first charge relates to a Facebook post allegedly written by Naema in her Facebook account. The prosecution says the post “weakens the existence, unity, and solidarity of the State.” The second charge is about “insult and defamation against the state circulated in the media,” by Naema, the charge sheet says.The first hearing of the case started on 17thMarch 2018.
Mohamed Kayse Mohamoud was arrested on 7th February 2018 for Facebook posts. According to a charge sheet submitted by the Office of the Attorney General, Mohamed is accused of “subversive or anti-national propaganda,” and “offending the honour of the President.” The first charge relates to a Facebook post saying “it is meaningless Somaliland to reach its borders,” according to the charge sheet. The second charge is about another Facebook post in which Mohamed said “the President is a local.” The charge sheet says such statement is defaming the president, but it does not provide details.
Despite these challenges, on 26th December 2017, the President signed a Police Act into a law. The approval of the Act is a positive step forward. The Act creates an oversight body independent from the Police, and subjects the police to the jurisdiction of civilian courts. It expressly bans the Police from using live ammunition against unarmed civilians. However, three months period set by the Act for the establishment of the complaint committee has passed and the committee is not established.
On 6th February, the House of Representatives approved the Rape and other Related Offences Bill. The Bill is currently before the Upper House (Guurti). On 19th March 2018, the Upper House of Parliament debated the Bill. Many members criticized the Bill and stated it is contrary to the religion of Islam. Victims of rape cases continue facing legal challenges in accessing to justice in the absence of a law.
On 6th February 2018, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a Fatwa (religious declaration) banning what it called “Pharaonic FGM” and legitimized so called “Sunna FGM.” The decision of the Ministry harms long time advocacy and awareness aimed at eradicating all forms of FGM. Somaliland needs to adopt and implement zero tolerance policy towards FGM and to legislate a law prohibiting all forms of FGM.
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Guleid Ahmed Jama
Director of Human Rights Centre, Hargeisa Somaliland
Phone: +252634468227 Email: hrcsomaliland@gmail.com
Human Rights Centre (HRC) is the only local human rights watchdog based in Somaliland. It is registered with the Somaliland government as a non-profit-making, non-governmental organization with its own legal personality.