Cabinet Backs Landmark FGM Ban, Approves New Port and Security Strategies

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Cabinet on Thursday approved a landmark bill banning female genital mutilation, in one of the country’s strongest steps yet toward protecting the rights and safety of women and girls.

The decision came during a weekly Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, where ministers also endorsed a national strategy on Women, Peace and Security aimed at boosting women’s participation in peacebuilding and public life.

The Cabinet approved several other measures, including a cooperation agreement with Rwanda, a national ports strategy meant to modernise maritime infrastructure, and Somalia’s accession to the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) Convention, which officials say will strengthen the country’s telecommunications and maritime safety.

The meeting also turned its focus to the worsening drought, after the head of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), Mahamuud Moallim Abdulle, told ministers that about 4.4 million people now require humanitarian assistance. He outlined ongoing relief efforts and warned that conditions could deteriorate further without rapid intervention.

Prime Minister Barre instructed government agencies to speed up emergency operations and ensure aid reaches the hardest-hit areas, saying the protection of vulnerable communities remains the government’s top priority.

Ministers were also briefed on the national security situation and outcomes of the recent Somali Judiciary Conference.