The Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO) strongly condemns the Federal Government’s
ongoing manipulation of the process to establish Somalia’s Independent Human Rights Commission.
What should have been a milestone for justice has become a political tool, engineered by Villa Somalia
to shield power, silence critics, and suppress accountability.
SWJO speaks not only as a women-led media rights organization but as a voice of conscience in a
country where institutions are being weaponized against the very people they are meant to serve.
The formation of this Commission is not a political game; it is a constitutional obligation under Article
41 of the constitution and Law No. 18 of 2016. Yet the current process violates every principle of
independence, transparency, and merit. It excludes legitimate actors, bypasses the Ministry of Family
and Human Rights Development, and is driven by political operatives with vested interests.
“This Commission is not being formed to uphold justice, it is being weaponized to silence dissent,
intimidate journalists, and protect those in power. It is a betrayal of the Constitution and a threat to
democracy,” said Farhia Mohamed Kheyre, Chairperson of SWJO.
“Villa Somalia’s interference has turned a constitutional mandate into a political disgrace, excluding the
rightful stakeholders and sidelining all integrity. This process is illegitimate and unacceptable,” she
added.
The current process demonstrates a flagrant disregard for gender equity, reducing women to ornamental
roles while centralizing authority in male hands. Such tokenistic inclusion is categorically rejected by
SWJO, which demands substantive representation and decision-making power for women.
Symbolic presence cannot substitute rightful leadership. A governance structure that marginalizes half
the population cannot claim legitimacy or moral authority.
This is not inclusion—it is institutionalized subjugation. If left unchallenged, it will further corrode
public confidence and accelerate institutional decay.
SWJO is equally dismayed by the passivity of civil society actors, whose silence risks conferring
legitimacy on a process that deliberately erases women’s agency and violates democratic standards.
This deliberate marginalization also contradicts Somalia’s obligations under international and regional
instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW), and the African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women. A government that violates
its own constitutional duties and international commitments cannot stand unchallenged.
URGENT APPEAL
The Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO) urgently calls on all relevant actors to address
the politicization of institutions and the deliberate exclusion of women—an intentional violation of
public trust and constitutional order.
For that reason, SWJO calls on:
The Federal Government of Somalia to:
• Immediately halt the illegitimate formation of the Human Rights Commission.
• End political interference and restore the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development’s
independent mandate.
• Commit to a transparent, inclusive, and merit-based process that ensures gender equity and
upholds both constitutional and international obligations.
The Federal Parliament of Somalia to:
• Exercise full oversight, investigate legal violations, and hold accountable those responsible.
• Enact safeguards that protect institutional independence and guarantee gender inclusion.
Somali Civil Society to:
• Reject and expose any process that is unconstitutional or exclusionary.
• Mobilize public pressure and actively defend women’s rightful place in national decision
making.
The International Community to:
• Withhold recognition and support from any commission formed through political manipulation.
• Condition cooperation on constitutional compliance, gender parity, and civil society
participation.
• Prioritize and fund women-led organizations driving institutional reform.
The Somali Public to:
• Reject silence and complicity in the face of exclusion and corruption.
• Demand inclusive governance and hold leaders accountable to the public good.
SWJO warns that institutions built on exclusion and corruption endanger the very foundations of justice.
A future without rights, fairness, or public trust is at stake. We urge all actors to act decisively, before
the damage becomes irreversible.
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