Somali women and women from all communities in the UK and around the world are outraged and condemn the speech made by Somaliland Minister of Presidency Hersi Ali Hassan at a public gathering in Liverpool on the evening of Saturday 1st February 2014. Somali women activists urge the British government and the international community to condemn the Minister’s statements.
In front of Somaliland’s President Ahmed Siilaanyo, and of hundreds of people from the Diaspora community and the UK, the minister bragged about how he would make his political rivals ‘’cough up goat’s milk’’.
His exact words were: “I come from a goat herding family. A man in my family who was a goat herder used to practice his wrestling skills on his two wives and two children after he drank a lot of goat’s milk. He would have one wife on each side of him, and a child on each leg, and then he would throw them to the ground”. The implication of his story is that each woman is worth only a half of a man, and each child worth only a leg.
After Hersi had received loud cheers from his audience he continued: “One day the man went to the city and wrestled with a lion man. He lost the wrestling match and coughed up goats milk”. His words were directed at the Speaker of the House Abdirahman Cirro who recently dismissed his two deputy speakers. Hersi was comparing the two dismissed deputy speakers to the two wives and comparing himself to the lion man. After more loud cheers Hersi concluded: “We shall see who coughs up goats milk.” The Minister’s reference to “coughing up goat’s milk” is a common way of issuing a threat, and adds to the many threatening phrases used against women and children in a conflict region where the risk of sexual attacks and violence is high.
The statistics on violence against women and children in Somaliland are disturbing. The Somali Human Development Report 2012 describes Somalia as “one of the worst countries in the world to be a woman”. Female genital mutilation/cutting is commonplace; domestic violence is a serious problem; and 70% of reported cases of rape and sexual violence occur in internally displaced populations. The Minister of Interior Ali Mohamed Waran-Ade reported on Friday 27th September 2013 that rape cases are on the increase in Somaliland.
According to Abdikadir Ahmed Mohamed, programme manager of the Baahi Koob Centre in Hargeisa, rape is on the increase in Somaliland. 104 cases of rape were reported in during the first four months of 2013. In 2012, out of 195 rape cases reported to the police, 67 were children. 30% of reported cases were gang rapes and 55% of the victims were under 15 years old. According to the United Nations, there were at least 1,700 cases of rape in IDP Camps alone in 2012 in Somalia. In Somaliland women and girls do not go out to get bread from the corner shop after 6pm. 57% of women do not feel safe from violence in their communities. 47% of women believe that insufficient victim support and access to justice discourages reporting of sexual assaults and violence against women and children.
Only two days after the minister made his ‘’goat’s milk’’ threat, his government banned Universal TV Channel from Somaliland for broadcasting Faaliyaha, a comedy show ridiculing Somaliland President Siilaanyo. But to this day the government has failed to condemn the actions of Minister Hersi.
The Minister’s ‘’goat’s milk” threat is real, and it incites hatred against women and children. His words violate their human rights. In light of this, we call urgently for his resignation to protect women and children from further violence.
The UK, the EU and the International Community place great importance on improving conditions for Somali women. They seek to promote gender equality, to empower Somali women, and to reduce the levels of violence they face.
Somali women in the UK therefore urge the British government to condemn the statement by Minister Hersi, who frequently comes to the UK. We call on the British government to make it clear that Minister Hersi’s inflammatory, dangerous and sexist language has no place in democratic politics.
Amina Souleiman
Empower Group
Sheffield
