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The shocking case has sparked protests, renewed debates on child protection laws, and calls for urgent legal action
Outrage has spread across Somalia after an eight-year-old girl, who had been missing for six months, was found living with a man who claimed to be her husband.
The young girl disappeared last September from her home in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia. Her family reported her missing, not knowing what had happened to her.
Months later, shocking news surfaced that the girl’s father had given his consent for her to marry a man named Sheikh Mahmoud. Security forces discovered her living in his house. When they arrived at the home, the man locked himself in a room with the child, but the police forced their way inside and rescued her.
This disturbing incident has sparked anger on social media and led to public protests in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. Many people are now calling for stronger laws to protect children, as Somalia currently has no minimum legal age for marriage.
Fadumo Ahmed, who leads the Somali Women Vision Organisation, a human rights group, expressed shock at the situation. She said that apart from the child marriage, what was even more disturbing was that the girl’s family did not know where she was for months. She urged authorities to take appropriate legal action.
The girl’s uncle explained that she was taken by a female relative, who had claimed she was taking her to visit another uncle. However, months later, a video appeared online showing the girl reciting the Quran. When her family saw the video, they began searching for her and discovered she was in the Carmo area, living with Sheikh Mahmoud.
At first, Mahmoud told the authorities that he was only teaching the girl the Quran. But after legal complaints were made, he changed his story and admitted that he had married the girl with her father’s approval. When questioned by the BBC about why he had married an eight-year-old, Mahmoud claimed that Islamic traditions and the Shafi’i school of thought permitted child marriage.
However, many Somali Islamic scholars disagree with his claim. Even when confronted with this opposition, Mahmoud insisted he would not end the marriage.
On March 25, Puntland’s police and human rights authorities intervened. After receiving a formal complaint from the girl’s family, they went to Mahmoud’s home and took the girl away. She is now back with her family, according to the Puntland police.
An official investigation into the case has now started, and many people are demanding justice for the girl.
Child marriage remains a serious problem in Somalia. A 2020 report by the United Nations Population Fund and the Somali government revealed that 35% of Somali women between the ages of 20 and 24 had been married before turning 18. In 2017, this number was even higher at 45%.
Several reasons contribute to the high number of child marriages in Somalia. These include poverty, insecurity, and cultural traditions that do not consider a girl’s age when arranging marriages.
The Somali government has been trying to address this issue. In 2023, the Ministry of Women and Human Rights proposed a child rights bill to parliament. However, some members of parliament objected to parts of the bill, leading to its rejection. The bill is expected to be presented again, but it is unclear when that will happen.
This recent case has reignited calls for stronger child protection laws in Somalia. Many human rights groups and citizens are urging the government to take action to prevent such incidents from happening again. The case has also raised awareness about the urgent need to protect young girls from forced marriages and ensure that their rights are safeguarded.