Puntland authorities have banned female genital mutilation (FGM) after years of controversial debate over the issue. Puntland’s newly elected President Abdiweli Mohamed Gas enacted the new law outlawing FGM on Saturday.

Puntland’s cabinet had earlier proposed the ban, but it was never taken to the parliament. Somalia’s federal constitution outlaws FGM, but it is believed that over 70 percent of women still undergo the painful genital mutilation.

Lul Jama Awnor, the director of Women Development Department at Puntland’s Ministry for Women and Family Affairs, said the ban meant the practice was on its way to being eradicated.  “It’s a good step took towards empowering Somali women,” Awnor told Radio Ergo’s local reporter in Garowe.

Islamic scholars in Puntland have issued a religious fatwa banning FGM as it has no basic in Islamic studies. However, Radio Ergo’s Abdirahman Mohamed in Garowe said though the move is a very significant achievement in the fight for women’s empowerment, it will be hard for the local administration to translate the ban into action, as many families will continue the circumcision of girls that they consider as protection of girls’ chastity.

Source: horseedMedia

12 June 2013 — Today marks the adoption of the landmark International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to tackle the worst forms of child labour. While celebrating progress made since the Convention’s adoption in 1999, the World Day highlights continuing challenges, such as the many children involved in domestic work.

The ILO estimates that some 218 million children are trapped in child labour. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. Child labour is closely associated with poverty and denies children their right to education. Many poor families are unable to afford school fees or other school costs. The family may depend on the contribution that a working child makes to the household’s income, and place more importance on work than on education. When a family has to make a choice between sending either a boy or girl to school, it is often the girl who loses out.

This year the World Day Against Child Labour will provide a spotlight on children engaged in domestic work. Many children around the world work (with or without pay) in the homes of employers and other third parties. They are often hidden from public view, may be working far from home, and are at risk of abuse or exploitation. On this Day, the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls for reforms to ensure the elimination of child labour in domestic work, the provision of decent work conditions and appropriate protection to young workers in domestic work who have reached the legal working age, and for action to strengthen the worldwide movement against child labour.

Sources: ILO, United Nations Department of Public Information

ALIKAR Centre for Peace, Human rights and Democracy warns against clashes and bloodshed that may erupt in Kimayo which can bring once again difficulties and setbacks to the local Somali community that have endured and deteriorated by prolonged conflicts in the past 20 years and so.

The center proposes to the parties who are in conflict in Jubaland, who have disparities in settling the local disputes towards the Jubaland administration, to settle their differences in a manner which will not lead to chaos, avoid misunderstanding and will not affect the local community in Kismayo.

APHAD recommends the local authorities and parties that are in conflict in the control of the region to respect the rights of Journalists, recent findings by the centre highlight that some reporters received threats from the local politicians and parties that are in conflict in Jubaland towards the distribution of reports, denying the journalist to freely report the actual situation on ground and only eager for their side of the story reported.

The centre is as well proposing the Somali national government & AMISOM to carefully assess and rescue the local Somali population living in Kismayo

In the past 22 years the town of Kismayo suffered prolonged conflicts and didn’t see peace, the town had frequently encountered repeated conflicts which lead to fleeing of the local civilians to a nearby Kenya as refugees during which many of them lost their lives, many other got injured and continue to encounter these atrocities.

Protection of human rights violations does not exist in Kismayo since the collapse of the central government 22 years ago, which in turn lead to many atrocities towards the local population as well as looting the properties of the local people. So far the center has recorded 42 cases of human rights violations accumulated from the region.

Therefore the center recommends those parties in conflict and others, who have political interest in the region to jointly work towards peace and development in the region at the same time working towards protection of human rights and settle their political differences in manner that will not lead to any further bloodshed.

ALIKAR CENTER FOR PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY (APHAD)
KISMAYO, LOWER JUBA, JUBALAND, SOMALIA,
EMAIL: aphad@live.com / info@aphad.org
website: www.aphad.org

According to ALIKAR CENTER FOR PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY (APHAD) the attack that took place  on Sunday 5/5/2013 on busy junction in KM4 in Mogadishu killed 11 and wounded 20 people of civilians is considered to be a gross violation of fundamental human rights and humanitarian law and a clear example of war crimes. The APHAD condemns this attack in the strongest terms.

The Alikar center expresses its sympathy and condolences to the grieved families of the victims. May, God almighty give them the strength and patience to tolerate this unfortunate incident.

This genocide suicide attack in which civilians are killed and wounded is totally against the Islamic values. The APHAD calls on the government armed oppositions not target civilians and respect the civilian population rights to life and health.

ALIKAR Center for Peace, Human rights and Democracy is condemning the suicide bombings and multiple attacks that took place on 14th of April 2013 in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. These suicide bombings and attacks have targeted and took the lives of innocent people consisting of lawyers, police, aid workers, journalist and other civilian.

The center sends condolences to those who lost their family, friends and relatives in this heinous act; the center is feeling the grieve and distress with the Somali people. The center as well condemns the killings and assassinations of a Doctor who worked in ABUDWAK district as well as a former official of Hiran local authority that both took place on Friday in Abudwak and Balatwein districts of central Somalia.

The centre is also condemning the execution of young Somali woman in Bula Burde that was travelling on Vehicle to Balatwein, the girl was stopped in Bula Burde where she was latter executed in front of a crowd of residents in Bula Burde. At the same time ALIKAR Center is against and opposing to gender based violence and sexual violence that is perpetrated against Somali women and girls all over Somalia especially to the internally displaced persons who are the most vulnerable.

The center recommends those perpetrators who are behind the acts of sexual violence to be brought to justice ALIKAR Center is warning against renewed violence and clan fighting in JUBALAND and the lower Shabele which could add to the suffering of the local Somali people living in this area who have been in chaos for the past 22 years.

The Center Desk