The elder, King Khadar Ali Jama, praised the 67-year-old minister for his role in facilitating the creation of a controversial new regional administration in northeast Somalia, supported by the Mogadishu-based federal government.

In front of an audience, he declared “The girl and the horse are at Adhi Cadeeye village. We will marry her to you once you come for the inauguration.”

Minister Hosh, smiling and shaking hands with the elder, responded: “I accept the girl and the horse. I will come for them.”

Video clips of the exchange quickly circulated on Somali social media, provoking widespread anger and condemnation.

Many Somalis described the act as child abuse, slavery, and a violation of human dignity, pointing to Somalia’s long-standing problem with forced and early marriages.

“This is modern-day slavery dressed up as culture,” said Afifa Warsame, a Somali women’s rights advocate. “A girl is not a utensil, not livestock, and certainly not a political gift. Fathers who ‘donate’ their daughters should donate their kidneys instead — at least those belong to them.”

Sacdiya Sulayman, an 18-year-old from Sool region, told Kaab TV she was horrified: “It feels like girls are treated like animals, like livestock exchanged for political favors. They are not respected as humans. I am scared for myself and for other Somali girls.”

A Culture of Normalized Sexual Violence

The incident reflects a deeper problem in Somalia, where rape, sexual violence, and child marriage are not only common but often normalized within communities.

In many cases, perpetrators escape justice by marrying their victims — a practice widely condemned by rights advocates but still defended by clan elders under the guise of preserving “honor.”

In July this year, Laascaanood itself witnessed a particularly brutal case: 24 local men were arrested after gang-raping two displaced sisters who had fled conflict to seek refuge in the town.

The crime sparked public protests and outrage, yet the men have still not been brought to trial, reinforcing public anger over impunity for sexual violence.

“Rape survivors are silenced, shamed, or forced to marry their rapists,” said Anab Abdullahi, a women’s rights activist in Mogadishu. “This is not justice — it is institutionalized abuse.”

Somalia remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a girl.

According to UNICEF, 45% of Somali girls are married before the age of 18, while 98% are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM).

Forced and early marriages remain common, often used for dowry, political influence, or clan alliances. Somalia’s Sexual Offences Bill, which could outlaw such practices, has been repeatedly blocked in parliament — of which Hosh himself is a sitting member.

Government Silence and Impunity

Despite the severity of these abuses, Somali leaders have largely remained silent. Neither Minister Hosh nor the federal government has faced scrutiny over the Laascaanood “girl gift” scandal.

The 24 men accused of gang rape remain untried. For many, this represents a system of impunity where those in power — or protected by clans — are shielded from accountability.

“If a minister can accept a girl as a gift on camera, and rapists can go free after brutalizing displaced children, what hope is there for justice in Somalia?” asked Abdirahman Dahir, Nugaal university student.

“Protecting Somali girls is not optional — it is the foundation for a just and democratic Somalia,” Afifa Warsame stressed.

The case of Minister Hosh and the Laascaanood gang rape stands as a painful reminder: until Somalia confronts the normalization of sexual violence and child marriage, girls will continue to be treated not as citizens with rights, but as bargaining chips in a system of abuse.

The post Somali Minister “Gifted” Young Girl as Wife by Clan Elder, Sparking Outrage appeared first on Kaab TV.

According to SSC-Khaatumo police, the brutal assault took place on 14 June in Laascaanood, the regional capital.

Photos of the suspects were released by the police following their arrest on Tuesday 17 June.

“Twenty-four men who gang raped two sisters are now in our custody, and we will be taking them to court,” said SSC-Khaatumo Police Spokesperson, Captain Liibaan Barre.

The horrific case triggered mass protests on Wednesday, with hundreds of residents taking to the streets.

Demonstrations began after reports emerged that one of the suspects had been temporarily released to sit for the national high school exams.

Police later confirmed that the suspect was re-arrested.

The unrest led to property destruction, looting, and the death of at least one person.

The two victims, both teenagers, had recently been displaced from Erigabo, Sanaag region, and were seeking refuge in Laascaanood, where ongoing conflict has already taken a toll on the civilian population.

A police source told Kaab TV that one of the girls went into shock and remains hospitalized.

Support services for survivors of sexual violence in the region are nearly non-existent. Local health workers lack the specialized training to deal with rape cases, and deep-rooted social taboos often prevent women and girls from coming forward.

SSC-Khaatumo leader Abdiqadir Aw-Jama Firdhiye, who returned to Laascaanood from Mogadishu on Thursday, condemned the attack and pledged swift justice.

He confirmed that a team of police investigators had been brought in from the capital to assist with the case.

“I want to state very clearly: we will ensure justice for the girls,” Firdhiye said.

He criticized police for releasing a suspect to sit for exams, calling it “a serious mistake that should never be repeated.”

He also extended condolences to residents who lost property during the protests.

The Laascaanood case is yet another stark example of the violence women face in Somalia, where rape cases are frequently resolved through clan negotiations — often forcing victims to marry their attackers.

In a separate statement, police acknowledged attempts by some individuals to interfere with the investigation.

“We warn against any attempt to obstruct the pursuit of justice for the girls, who have suffered physical abuse, psychological harm, and violations,” the police said on Thursday. “Those responsible are in custody and will be brought to justice as intended.”

Local officials told Kaab TV that the case is now being handled by an investigative committee appointed by the SSC-Khaatumo Minister of Justice.

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This topic in the Ma Huraan film has sparked intense discussion on social media in recent weeks.

This week, Mohamed Bulbul sat down with Anfa Aden Abdi to talk about the often unspoken issue of sexual violence against women at work—and the brave women who are trying to break the silence around it.

The post Baraarug Podcast: Confronting Sexual Violence Against Women in Somalia appeared first on Kaab TV.

Amnesty International’s latest report outlines how these atrocities amount to war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity.

The report, titled They Raped All of Us: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Sudan, details horrific incidents of sexual violence, including the rape or gang-rape of 36 women and girls as young as 15, across four Sudanese states between April 2023 and October 2024.

The victims suffered brutal assaults such as a mother being raped after her breastfeeding child was forcibly removed, and a woman held in sexual slavery for 30 days in Khartoum.

In addition to sexual violence, survivors were subjected to severe beatings, torture with hot liquids and sharp objects, and even murder.

Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact, condemned the RSF’s actions, saying, “The RSF’s assaults on Sudanese women and girls are sickening, depraved, and aimed at inflicting maximum humiliation. The RSF has targeted civilians, particularly women and girls, with unimaginable cruelty during this war. The world must act to stop the RSF’s atrocities by stemming the flow of weapons into Sudan, pressuring the leadership to end sexual violence, and holding perpetrators, including top commanders, accountable.”

30 survivors and their relatives

The civil war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has led to the deaths of tens of thousands and displaced more than 11 million people.

Both sides have committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law, including widespread sexual violence.

Amnesty’s report is based on interviews with 30 survivors and their relatives, mostly from Ugandan refugee camps.

All victims identified RSF fighters as the perpetrators of these attacks.

Many of these assaults took place in front of other soldiers, civilians, or victims, suggesting that the perpetrators did not fear reprisals or punishment.

In one of the most harrowing testimonies, a woman from Nyala, South Darfur, recounted being tied to a tree and raped in front of others by RSF soldiers.

“It was the most horrific day in my life,” she said.

In another case from Madani, Gezira, a woman was gang-raped by three RSF soldiers while her 12-year-old daughter and sister-in-law looked on.

“It was so humiliating,” she said. “I feel broken.”

Many survivors shared that they were targeted by RSF soldiers on suspicion of supporting the SAF.

Female medical workers reported being raped if they failed to save injured soldiers, with one nurse recalling how 13 soldiers abducted her in Khartoum North, forced her to treat critically wounded men, and then gang-raped her.

Amnesty documented cases of sexual slavery, including a woman held captive in a Khartoum house for a month, enduring daily sexual assaults.

Survivors of sexual violence described how resisting rape resulted in beatings, torture, or death, including the killing of an 11-year-old boy who tried to protect his mother.

The report highlights the inadequate global response to the crisis.

Survivors, now refugees, face severe physical and psychological trauma but have been unable to access timely medical care due to ongoing conflict and stigma.

Furthermore, cuts to critical USAID-funded programs have reduced access to sexual health care for those affected.

“The international response to the suffering of Sudanese women and girls has been reprehensible,” Muchena added. “The world has failed to protect civilians, provide sufficient humanitarian aid, or hold perpetrators accountable. It’s time for the international community to acknowledge the truth of what has happened in Sudan, ensure justice for the victims, and offer reparations and comprehensive health care to survivors.”

The report calls for an urgent response from the global community to end the RSF’s impunity, stop the flow of weapons to Sudan, and provide justice for the survivors of these heinous crimes.

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At around 2:30 PM local time, Mogadishu police attacked five local journalists who were reporting on a group of women protesting in Mogadishu streets against the reported gang rape of a young Somali woman in Nairobi, Kenya and the alleged forced marriage of an underage girl to an older man in Puntland.

These two incidents have sparked public outrage across Somalia in recent days, highlighting the brutal violence that women and girls continue to face.

A police officer from Hodan district, identified as Amin Abukar ‘Muniish,’ along with his officers, arrived as the women protestors—who were chanting “We want justice, and we do not consent to be raped.”—marched from KM4 towards Maka al-Mukarama on Friday. The police dispersed the protestors who were mainly young women and then turned their attention to the journalists, ordering them to stop recording interviews with the protest organizers.

As a result, four journalists—Abdirazak Haji Sidow Nor (cameraman for Himilo TV), Abdullahi Abdukadir Ahmed (reporter for Himilo TV), Abdirizak Abdullahi Adan (reporter for Radio Mustaqbal), and Abdirahman Barre Hussein (cameraman for Radio Mustaqbal)—were arrested and taken to the Hodan district police station. Later, the police also detained female journalist Anisa Abdiaziz Hussein, who was reporting for Himilo TV from the protest.

Four of the journalists interviewed by SJS stated that upon arrival at the police station, their camera equipment was confiscated, and their interviews were deleted. The male journalists were locked in a narrow cell with other detainees, while Anisa was held separately from her male colleagues. The police informed them that they would be released only on the condition that they refrain from covering protests in the future.

Eventually, all five journalists were released, and their equipment was returned.

SJS welcomes the release of the five journalists, however, SJS strongly condemns this blatant violation of press freedom of intimidating journalists, confiscating their equipment and deletion of the material from the protest, which amounts of full censorship of independent media reporting and suppression of peaceful protests. We call for the respect for media freedom and the right to protest. The officers responsible for these actions must be held accountable.

“When Somalia’s Mogadishu police attack journalists and deny women the right to protest against rampant sexual violence, it only proves that the Somali government stands with perpetrators rather than victims. This repression sends a clear message that justice for Somali women who are victims of sexual violence remains out of reach,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

“We condemn the unlawful arrest of the five journalists yesterday in Mogadishu, and the violent suppression of women protesting against sexual violence. We urge the Mogadishu authorities to return to the law and order, respect what the Somali constitution says, and uphold press freedom and protect the rights of women instead of siding with violent abusers,” Mr. Mumin adds.

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Harerimana said most of the women she has assisted were raped while looking for food outside of their camp. She added that she had personally documented 19 cases of sexual assault in the first five months of 2023.

A ‘catastrophic’ number of cases

DRC has long topped lists of neglected humanitarian crises, but the situation has worsened significantly since the M23 – which is led by Congolese Tutsis and claims to be protecting the community against threats – re-emerged after a 10-year hiatus.

Up to 2.3 million people have been displaced in North Kivu since the conflict escalated around March 2022. Vast numbers are clustered around Goma – the provincial capital, and a hub for UN and NGO offices – and across the more remote Masisi territory.

Despite ballooning needs, the World Food Programme (WFP) currently has a funding gap of around $750 million. The agency has reached under a third of the 6.7 million acutely hungry people in the east so far this year.

When interviewed in April and May, displaced people told The New Humanitarian they had only received one distribution of food this year. Though local mutual aid groups are on hand in some camps, women said they have been leaving sites to ask for help in nearby farms or to gather firewood from forests, which they then sell for a small profit.

In recent months, reports of sexual assaults targeting these displaced women have reached a “catastrophic scale”, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which described the problem as a “medical and humanitarian emergency” in a May statement.

MSF said it cared for 674 victims in the last two weeks of April in the Goma area alone, amounting to roughly 48 patients a day in six of the camps where MSF works. The NGO told The New Humanitarian it also treated 123 rape cases in April, from its base in Masisi town.

“The figures are alarming, but we have to consider that many women do not look for healthcare, because they are afraid of being stigmatised by the community,” Alessandra Guidiceandrea, MSF’s head of mission, said from the capital, Kinshasa.

Hunt for food makes women vulnerable

Mwamini*, who is 27, told The New Humanitarian she escaped attacks by the M23 in a rural part of Masisi in January and arrived in Kalinga camp, which is perched on slopes surrounding Masisi town. By early May, she said she still had not received any food aid.

In April, Mwamini left the camp with four other women looking for food. It was early afternoon when about seven armed men appeared, wearing a mix of military uniforms and civilian clothes, Mwamini said. They beat the women with sticks. Two raped her.

Mwamini said she received treatment at an MSF-supported hospital in Masisi town and was also counselled by Harerimana, the camp-appointed protection officer.

A similar story was shared with The New Humanitarian by Kavira*, who fled her village in Masisi in January with her children. The family settled in Mahyutsa camp in the town of Sake, just to the west of Goma.

One day in May, Kavira left her camp to find food. She said she had only planned a short trip, but outside the camp she was attacked by two armed men who demanded sex and threatened her with weapons when she refused.

They covered her mouth, held her down, and raped her, she told The New Humanitarian. “They were tall, they wore uniforms, military uniforms”: This is all Kavira, who is 30, was able to recall.

Traumatised and in pain, she returned to her camp and sought out Picuna Mitutso, another volunteer protection officer who assists displaced women who have been sexually assaulted.

“She was in a bad, bad situation,” Mitutso said. “I stopped all that I was doing and immediately brought her to a nearby hospital.”

Later, Mitutso wrote Kavira’s name in a small notebook. Her handwritten accounts describe how two other women were raped after leaving the camp in March, and another three were raped in April, including a 16-year-old girl.

Continuing conflict

In an email to The New Humanitarian, WFP said it was attempting to “scale up and strengthen” its activities, but did not directly answer written questions about the links between the lack of food aid and sexual violence.

UNICEF says it is providing medical and psychosocial services in four camps in Goma, and has partnered with Heal Africa, a local hospital and foundation, to establish safe spaces for women and girls.

Still, such programmes do not tackle the lack of food and poor living conditions that displaced women blame for forcing them to venture into dangerous areas often multiple times over.

Attempts to resolve the M23 conflict are also falling short. M23 leaders say they will continue to fight until their grievances are heard, but the Congolese government appears unwilling to engage in a political dialogue.

Though an April ceasefire led the M23 to retreat from some of its holdings in Masisi and Rutshuru territories, the group has kept its administrative wing in vacated areas and continues to occupy the trading town of Bunagana, which is on the Ugandan border.

In the absence of reliable assistance for sexual violence survivors, Mitutso, the protection officer in Mahyutsa, said she would like support to open her own meeting space, so she can counsel women who have been assaulted safely and in private.

“I have been trained for this. It is my work.” Mitutso said, explaining that she had previously served as a sexual health adviser in her home village. “My community has chosen me.”

Mwamini, the survivor from Kalinga camp, said she worried about the possibility of future attacks. “I expect that this thing can just happen again,” she said, “I am afraid of going to the field to look for food.”

*Names have been changed to protect identities due to security reasons.

(Source: The New Humanitarian) 

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But the country has not adopted two vital laws to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence.

This means rape will be normal in the country.

In a statement On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the United Nations in Somalia today called for enhancing the legal protection of all Somalis from sexual violence.

“The severe drought that has affected Somalia for the last five years, coupled with the ongoing conflict, has exposed women and girls to increased risks of sexual violence – the adoption of laws that reinforce the legal protection of all people, especially women and girls, from sexual violence will help make a difference,” said the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Catriona Laing.

Rape and other forms of sexual violence have long been part of the multitude of human rights abuses committed by different actors in Somalia, during more than two decades of conflict.

Prosecutions and convictions for rape and other forms of sexual violence are rare in Somalia, where survivors not only experience fear and shame in reporting such crimes, but at times face greater abuse and stigmatisation if they do report the attack.

The inability and unwillingness of the Somali authorities to impartially investigate cases of sexual violence and bring perpetrators to justice leaves survivors further isolated.

Local human rights groups say this remains as a major factor contributing to a pervasive climate of impunity in which perpetrators know that they can commit such crimes and get away with it.

Somali government is yet to adopt a law to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence.

The federal parliament failed to pass the Sexual Offences and the Female Genital Mutilation bills.

The International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is observed annually on 19 June, with the date marking the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution recognizing sexual violence as a weapon of war and a threat to international peace and security.

The aim of the Day is to remind the world of the collective responsibility to prevent and end sexual violence in conflict, and to uphold the dignity and human rights of everyone.

The post As women and girls endure sexual attacks, Somalia is yet to pass protection laws appeared first on Kaab TV.

On Thursday, February 23, 2023, shortly after noon prayer, the Ma’awisley militia launched a terrifying assault on the unsuspecting family, leaving them traumatized and terrified.

Eyewitness accounts reveal that three armed men, brandishing AK47 rifles, stormed into the small house, instilling fear in everyone present. As one man menacingly brandished a knife, the other two stood guard.

The violence escalated when one of the attackers forcibly dragged an 18-year-old pregnant woman, who will be referred to as ‘Asha’ to protect her identity. Despite her struggle, Asha was overpowered by the assailant, who proceeded to inflict wounds on her hand and thigh with his knife, causing her immense pain. In a heartbreaking interview with Kaab TV, Asha shared her harrowing experience, recounting how the assailant raped her before callously leaving her lying on the ground.

“I was pregnant and living with disability therefore I was brought at my mother’s place so that I can get assistance for my delivery,” said Asha, who was in her third trimester when she was raped.

Overwhelmed by the pain and trauma, Asha was unable to stand up until her family members transported her to the nearest local clinic, a distance of 12.5km (approximately 7.7 milies) from the village. She remained there for several days, thankfully giving birth to a healthy baby girl while under the care of a traditional midwife.

Asha vividly remembers the attackers, dressed in government military uniform, speaking the local accent. According to her, the Ma’awisley militia was led by the Jalalaqsi district commissioner, Nuur Dheere. Although Nuur Dheere visited Asha in the clinic, promising to apprehend the militia men responsible for the heinous act, no arrests have been made to date.

Disturbingly, this incident is not an isolated case. Widespread reports of rape, torture, looting, beheadings and violence against civilians have plagued the Hiiraan region, leaving its residents in a state of fear and vulnerability. Additional incidents include the rape of a 12-year-old girl from the minority Makanne community on the outskirts of El Jaalle, near Beledweyne city, and the rape of a 50-year-old mother from the Baadi Cadde community in Buur Weyn, as corroborated by reports from local health workers.

Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, a freelance journalist and the secretary general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate, who investigated these incidents, expressed concern over the need to protect and save girls and mothers, emphasizing the importance of accountability for those responsible. “Anyone who committed these crimes must be held to account,” Mr. Mumin wrote.

However, Somali government officials have remained silent, failing to respond to inquiries regarding these horrifying events in Hiiraan.

Mohamed Qasim who is the deputy commissioner of Jalalaqsi said he met the victim at the clinic, where her harrowing ordeal was painfully evident. “Despite our knowledge of the identity of the rapists, shockingly, no action has been taken. As a government official who has been in this position for only seven months, I have tirelessly attempted to bring the perpetrators to justice, but unfortunately, all of these efforts have proved futile,” expressed Qasim.

The people of the Hiiraan region, having previously endured relentless attacks by the al-Shabaab extremist group, had placed their hopes in the government forces and local militias for protection.

However, recent events have shattered this trust, leaving the local communities feeling abandoned. In response, men in the affected villages are now organizing to arm themselves, forming a new resistance against the rapist militia that operates alongside government forces.

The Somali government has previously touted its combined efforts with the Somali army, clan militias, and international partners, such as the United States and Turkey, to eradicate the presence of al-Shabaab in central Somalia. While some initial successes were achieved, human rights groups and security experts have cautioned against the government’s reliance on unregulated clan militias, warning that it could result in even worse violations against the civilian population than those committed by al-Shabaab.

The recent attack in Bilaal village has not only exposed the vulnerability of the people in Hiiraan region but also highlighted the urgent need for swift action, accountability, and an overhaul of security measures to protect innocent lives and restore faith in the government’s ability to ensure safety and justice.

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