HARGEISA– The Human Rights Centre condemns the brutal rape of Hinda Omar Abdi, on 8, July, 2021, in Hargeisa, and offers condolences to Hinda’s family and friends who are now without a daughter, sister, and a friend. As such, we wish to grant the family reprieve and privacy from further questions to heal.
The Human Rights Center advocates for the safety and security of women in Somaliland, and the dignity to live a peaceful life in the country enacted by the constitution, which preserves rights onto the citizens of Somaliland.
The treatment suffered by women in the country weakens Somaliland society and peace, limiting the progress of our democracy and the security Somaliland espouses.
According to eyewitness accounts and the accounts of family members, Hinda Omar was traveling on a bus from Mohammed Mooge to her place of residence on July 8th, 2021 around 8:30 when the rape and subsequent assault of injuries had taken place. She was found on the street of a bus injunction bloody and almost unrecognizable according to the eyewitnesses who found her.
Her subsequent injuries were clarified to the family after a check by medical professionals, who according to the family, informed them that she was raped and further trauma resulting in her death.
HRC paid a visit to the family of Hinda Omar and wishes to inform the grounds of the case. The family requests that justice prevails for their case and those future offenses accounted by other victims of such cases of violations are heard, recognized, protected and granted justice to the unspeakable trauma of these violations.
Article 24 stipulates everyone has a right to life and security of their person, which failed Hinda Omar and her family.
HRC calls on Somaliland Police to protect the citizens of the country in which they are called to serve, as well as asking the Criminal Investigation Department and the prosecutor’s office to be transparent and swift in allowing victims of such cases to have both retributive and restorative justice in order for further offense to not take place in Somaliland.
We call on the Somaliland governmental institutions to allow transparency to be at the forefront of this case, as further victims have co me forward to inform the court that the perpetrator/s had prior incidences of gender-based violence violations and there was no accountability, nor punishment.
We urge the government of Somaliland to enforce the rape law and to properly implement it so that prosecution of such crimes take place. We call on traditional leaders to stop interfering in the implementation of the rape law, as to prevent another case such as Hinda Omar.
We urge the Somaliland president, H.E Muse Bihi Abdi, to be a pioneer in the enforcement of the Rape Law to pass it as a bill. Article 24(1) and (2) stipulates the right of life and security of a person. Article 36 (2) states that the government encourages, legislates for the right of women to be free from injurious practices that are contrary to the dignity of their life and Shari’ah.
HRC wants to emphasize the need for these articles to be applied, so that the egalitarianism we tout, and the progressive movement of our independence is respected and valued by those in the country and globally. We urge H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi to the pioneer of the improvement of women in Somaliland culture and the safety and security of women.
We call and urge all those involved to care for and respect the trauma suffered by the families and to bring forth justice for the victims to prevent further violations taking place in our society.
We urge on those involved from the political ladder, policy makers to civil society organizations to recognize that other methods such as restorative justice is needed when it comes to cases such as these, and to not condemn our population and society to be repeat offenders of women rights, as the treatment of women are upheld, designed, and amended by political elites rather than the true justice system governed by the country.
HRC recommends that Hinda Omar Abdi receives justice. To decrease cases of further offenses and crimes, HRC recommends the previous law of 2018 be reinstated and be applicable to such crimes and offenses until a new law is implemented.
Yasmin Omar H. Mahmoud
Chairperson of Human Rights Centre
Yasmin Omar Haji Mohamoud