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Khadra Ibrahim, London, England
As if recent arrests and maltreatment of the protestors were not shocking enough, we learn that among those young people, who were unlawfully detained, beaten and then sentenced in a kangaroo court, were two pregnant young women. I will certainly be justified to lament Somaliland's current disastrous state of affairs. However, I will not venture into explaining how we got to this disastrous state of affairs. Instead I like to register my outrage and extreme sadness over the brutality and beating of two young Somali women. We learn through the paper that these young women were brutalized to the point of miscarrying.
To make matters worse, when these young women were brought to hospital, they were chained to their hospital beds, as thought they were killers of the first order. After a reported shock and outrage from the citizens of Somaliland, the injured women were transported back to jail without even being properly treated. This is an outrage. These women could suffer lasting effects; they might never have children because their body was brutalized so badly in a sensitive time which caused miscarriage and bleeding. These young women might very well be dealing with infections that could be the beginning of long lasting health problems. Never mind the psychological and emotional toll the experience might bring.
Therefore, it is shocking that Minister Edna Aden, is silent about this brutality. Edna after all is well aware of the health hazards and lasting affects of torture and beating on pregnant women. As a midwife and an experienced nurse, Edna knows that pregnant women need rest, nourishment and care not beating and brutal treatment. So why then our beloved minister is silent about this, why isn't she demanding the release or at least the treatment of these young women? Why isn't she resigning over this outrage?
Minister Edna, we expect that you will share our outrage over the brutal treatment of young women. This goes against everything that people of Somaliland's liberation movement has fought hard to establish. After long liberation, which we sustained countless losses, we expected that young Somali women will never again be used to terrorize, intimidate and punish their society to submission. This is against everything a free and democratic Somaliland should stand for. What took place is criminal. International law confirms this; it recognizes this sort of treatment as violence, a weapon of war and a form of persecution and torture, especially when perpetrated by soldiers or police in the course of carrying out an interrogation or arrest of women, regardless of where such interrogation or arrest takes place.
Minister Edna, we expected more from you. We expected that you of all people will be up in arms and will demand at least that these young women are offered medical treatment. We expected that you will be scandalized that a government you are part of is inflicting torture on young pregnant women. Clearly, we were mistaken and you are part of this corrupt political system and your slogans were just that slogans.
Will you raise and proof that our initial believe in you were not misplaced. Will you restore our faith in you and proof to us that you truly care about the well-being and the development of Somaliland women. Minister Edna will you speak up against this inhumane treatment of women?
I am hopeful that you will not forget your moral responsibility to these helpless young women?
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