Outrage has erupted across Somalia after the discovery of an eight-year-old girl living with a self-proclaimed “husband” following her six-month disappearance.
The child, who vanished from her home in Puntland last September, was initially reported missing by her family. Authorities later discovered that her father had allegedly consented to her marriage to an adult man identified as Sheikh Mahmoud.
Security forces intervened last week, surrounding the man’s residence and forcibly entering after he barricaded himself in a room with the child. The incident has triggered widespread social media anger and public demonstrations in Mogadishu.
“What’s more shocking than the tragedy itself are the allegations of abduction and the fact that her family had no knowledge of her whereabouts for months,” said Fadumo Ahmed, chairperson of the Somali Women Vision Organisation.
According to the girl’s uncle, she was taken from Bosaso in September by a female relative who claimed to be bringing her to visit another uncle. Months later, the family discovered a video online showing the girl reciting the Quran and launched a search, eventually locating her in the Carmo area with Sheikh Mahmoud.
When confronted, Sheikh Mahmoud initially claimed he was only teaching the girl, but later changed his statement, asserting he had married her with paternal consent. When questioned by the BBC about marrying an eight-year-old, he cited Islamic traditions and the Shafi’i school of thought as justification, maintaining his position despite opposition from numerous Somali Islamic scholars.
Puntland police and human rights authorities removed the girl on March 25 after her family filed a complaint. She has been returned to her family, and officials have launched an investigation.
The case has intensified debate about child protection laws in Somalia, which currently has no minimum legal age for marriage. Child marriage remains widespread, with a 2020 report by the UN Population Fund and Somali government showing 35% of women aged 20-24 were married before 18, down from 45% in 2017.
Factors driving child marriage include poverty, insecurity, and traditional customs that often disregard girls’ ages. Somalia’s Ministry of Women and Human Rights submitted a draft child rights bill to parliament in 2023, but it was returned after MPs objected to certain provisions. While the bill is expected to be reintroduced, no timeline has been established.
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