STORY: High-Level Panel

Deliberates On Sexual Offences Bill

for Somalia
DURATION: 3:33
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC
INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 17/MAY/2016, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
SHORT LIST
1. Wide shot, participants present during the
conference
2. Med shot, participants present during the conference
3. Close up, Ambassador Mikael Lindvall, Swedish
Ambassador to Somalia
4. Med shot, participants present during the conference
5. Close up, an invited guest present during the
conference
6. SOUNDBITE: MOHAMED OMAR ARTEH, DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
SOMALIA.
Classifying rape as a crime against the state and we want
the prosecution to make sure that this is not dealt in
traditional resolution mechanism. It has to be a crime that
has been committed against the state so that it will not be
possible for them to take out of the courts systems to deal
with it in a clan level/ customary law. The other thing that is
quite important is to get all elders (especially clan elders,
traditional elders) to sign a commitment that they will not
deal with rape crime out of the Justice system.
7. Med shot, participants present during the conference
8. Close up, Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar, Somali
Federal Minister of Women and Human Rights

9. Med shot, a participant types in key notes from the

discussions
10.
Close up, a participant types in key notes from
the discussions
11.
SOUNDBITE: SAHRA MOHAMED ALI
SAMATAR, SOMALI FEDERAL MINISTER OF WOMEN
AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
Sharia law will not allow impunity and it has zero tolerance
on sexual violence. What we have now developed is that the
Sexual Offensive Bill which is a great bill complements both
Sharia and the Somali Penal code. We took that into account
together to make this bill as a standard Somali justice 100%
while protecting Sharia law as well.
12.
Wide shot, participants present during the
conference
13.
Med shot, participants present during the
conference
14.
Close up, a participant present during the
conference
15.
SOUNDBITE: AMBASSADOR FRANCISCO
CAETANO JOSE MADEIRA, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION
COMMISSION FOR SOMALIA.
AMISOM has established a recreational facilities for AMISOM
personnel in order to ensure that the socialization is done in
an environment that is more conducive and less prone to
abuse and exploitation. AMISOM has moved all shops out of
AMISOM base camp to Marine area which lies outside of
AMISOM are of control. And you know that was one of the
issues that were raising a lot of concern then, we have done
it.
16.
Med shot, participants present during the
conference
17.
Close up, an invited guest present during the
conference
STORY

High-Level Panel Deliberates On Sexual Offences

Bill for Somalia

Mogadishu 17th May 2016 - A proposed new law on

Sexual Offences in Somalia has received a nod from the
countrys key development partners.
A discussion forum attended by different stakeholders and
interest groups and moderated by a high-level panel
comprising of the AU Special Representative for Somalia
Ambassador Francisco Madeira, the Deputy Special
Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General
(DSRSG) for Somalia Peter De Clercq, Somali Deputy Prime
Minister Mohamed Omar Arteh and the Somali Minister of
Women and Human Rights Development Sahra Mohamed
Ali Samatar, fleshed out issues in the Sexual Offences Bill,
prior to its tabling before parliament.
The discussants and other participants were unanimous
that if enacted into law, the bill would stem rising cases of
sexual offences.
UK and Swedish ambassadors accredited to Somalia,
attended the panel discussion organized jointly organized
by the Somali Ministry of Women and Human Rights
Development and Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), and
which is a follow-up of the first high-level panel discussion
held in March 2015, and which focused on sexual violence
perpetrated by security forces,.
In his contribution to the panel, the Special Representative
of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission
(SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose
Madeira emphasized AMISOMs commitment to the
safeguarding of human rights and directed AMISOM Force
Commander, AMISOM Police Commissioner and other
senior officers to fast track the implementation of
recommendations of an independent investigation on
sexual exploitation and abuse by AMISOM personnel.
AMISOM has established recreational facilities for AMISOM
personnel in order to ensure that the socialization is done

in an environment that is more conducive and less prone

to abuse and exploitation. AMISOM has moved all shops
out of AMISOM base camp to Marine area which lies
outside of AMISOM control. And you know that was one of
the issues that was raising a lot of concern then, we have
done it, said Ambassador Madeira, as he explained
measures being taken to deter such offences within the
Mission.
Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister, Mohamed Omar Arte
urged Somalis to discard the retrogressive practices that
infringed on fundamental human rights.
Classifying rape as a crime against the state and we want
the prosecution to make sure that this is not dealt with in
under the traditional resolution mechanism. It has to be a
crime that has been committed against the State so that it
will not be possible for them to take it out of the court
systems to deal with it at clan level/customary law. The
other thing that is quite important is to get all elders
(especially clan elders, traditional elders) to sign a
commitment that they will not deal with rape crime out of
the justice system, stressed the Deputy Prime Minister
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a tradition which is
practised almost universally in Somalia will also be a
criminal offence once the bill is enacted into law.
The Federal Minister for Women and Human Rights
Development Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar hailed the bill
as a win for Somalia and explained that it harmonizes the
Islamic Sharia law and the secular law.
Sharia law will not allow impunity and it has zero
tolerance on sexual violence. What we have now
developed is that the Sexual Offenses Bill which is a great
bill that complements both Sharia and the Somali penal
code. We took that into account together, to make this bill

as a standard Somali justice system, while protecting

Sharia law as well, Minister Sahra said.
The Legal Advisor to Somali Womens Development Centre
Zahra Mohamed Ahmed, promised that the civil society
would work as a bridge between the community and the
government in the implementation of the proposed new
law. In the past, her organization lobbied for the training of
Somali female lawyers and paralegals. To date at least 40
such lawyers and paralegals have been trained and now
work in various departments within the judicial system.
END