Somalia has announced the first prosecution related to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
It follows the death of a 10-year-old girl who was subjected to the act.
The girl called Deeqa suffered severe bleeding after her mother took her to a traditional cutter.
Somalia’s Attorney-General Ahmed Dahir made the announcement of the prosecution of the offenders at a news conference.
The attorney general has now sent a team of investigators to find out more about the death of the girl.
“We are ready to take it to court,” the attorney general was quoted as saying on Twitter.
He spoke at an event organized by the Global Media Campaign to End FGM and the Ifrah Foundation in Mogadishu.
It was attended by state officials, religious leaders and journalists.
The girl’s death attracted anger across Somalia urging campaigners to renew calls for Somalia to pass a law on FGM.
98 per cent of women in the east African country are at threat of FGM, the highest rate in the world, according to UN data.
Somalia’s constitution prohibits FGM, but efforts to pass legislation to punish offenders are facing challenges as lawmakers delay in passing them.
Source: Africafeeds.com
