Ikran Tahlil Farah, a 24-year-old Cyber Security Specialist employed by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), went missing two months ago. Ikran was picked up from her house, which is located close to the NISA headquarters in Mogadishu, on the evening of June 26th by a vehicle that was presumably known to her. On July 12th, Ikran’s mother Qali Mahmoud Guhaad spoke to Somali media … Continue reading The Curious Case Of Ikran Tahlil Farah

Obesity Centre, a plastic surgery and beautifying clinic in Mogadishu that recently went viral on social media, has been shut down. The controversial clinic was the first place in Somalia that offered dermal fillers. The clinic was recently profiled by Shabelle TV, a local Somali news station. In the segment, a woman is shown undergoing a procedure that involved receiving skin treatment and hyaluronic acid … Continue reading Somali Authorities Shut Down Viral Plastic Surgery Clinic In Mogadishu

A squad of female police officers is set to return to Somalia after concluding specialized training in Turkey. The 49 police recruits were selected based on their performance at the General Kahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu. Somali Police Commissioner Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijaar traveled to Turkey to attend the closing ceremony. In a tweet, the Major General called Turkey “a great friend” and … Continue reading Somalia’s First All-Female Police Unit Concludes Training In Turkey

UNICEF Somalia has received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in order to boost the fight against COVID-19 and strengthen emergency services throughout the country. According to UNICEF, this contribution will allow them to reach 1 million people with COVID-19 prevention messaging; 484,000 people with health services; 83,000 children with treatment for severe acute malnutrition; and 300,000 people with emergency and … Continue reading UNICEF Somalia Receives $20 Million To Combat Covid-19 In The Country

On the 25th of July, the spokesperson of the Federal Government of Somalia and Senior Media Adviser to the Somali Prime Minister, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, shared on Twitter that Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had appointed a 13-member committee “to guarantee & advocate for achieving at least 30% quota of women’s seats in parliament”. This committee seems to have been set up at the recommendation of … Continue reading Somali PM Sets Up Committee To Oversee Implementation Of Women’s Quota In Parliament

According to recent media reports, a young girl from the Galmudug region of Somalia died earlier this month after having undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). The girl, identified as Fartun Hassan Ahmed, bled to death after the procedure. According to the girl’s mother who spoke to the media, the family was unable to find transportation to the local hospital, which led to Fartun dying at … Continue reading 13-Year-Old Girl Dies After Undergoing FGM In Somalia

On 13th July, reports surfaced on social media about the murder and rape of a girl who has been identified as Hinda Omar in Hargeisa. It is not clear how old the victim was. The girl’s family and the people who discovered her body spoke to local media detailing the gruesome case. According to Hinda’s sister-in-law who was the last person to see her alive, Hinda … Continue reading Girl Killed And Raped By Bus Driver And Tout In Hargeisa

On the 13th of July, current member of the Somali parliament Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam declared her candidacy for the upcoming Somali presidential elections. As of now, Ms Adam is the only woman running for president in Somalia. Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam served as Somalia’s first female Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister between 2012 to 2014. Her appointment was historic in a multitude … Continue reading Former Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam Declares Her Presidential Bid

On the 17th of June, a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped in Elasha Biyaha, a town 16 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu. The girl’s mother who spoke to local media stated that she had sent her daughter to the market, but that she never returned home. Some of her relatives who also spoke to the media claimed that there were allegedly 20 rapists involved in this … Continue reading 14-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped Outside Of Mogadishu

Puntland is set to pass a historic bill that would see the complete ban of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the state. Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and his cabinet last week approved the bill to be submitted to parliament that would criminalize the practice. The FGM Zero Tolerance Bill states that anyone who practices FGM including midwives, hospitals as well as individuals will be … Continue reading Puntland To Ban FGM