HARGEISA, Somaliland – A young woman from the Madhibaan community has shared a chilling account of betrayal and systemic injustice, alleging that her husband, a member of the Isaaq clan, was lured into a trap by his own relatives before being handed over to the police.
Deeqa, who moved to Hargeisa from the Somali region of Ethiopia, spoke to Horyaal TV outside the Mansoor Hotel. Her appeal coincided with a high-level conference on judicial reform, highlighting the stark contrast between official rhetoric on “accountability” and the reality of clan-driven interference in the legal system.
Lured by the Promise of Work
According to Deeqa, her husband had been struggling to find consistent work to support their household. In what appeared to be a gesture of family support, her husband’s maternal uncle (Abti) approached him with an offer.
Deeqa explained that the uncle told her husband, “My nephew, you are a family man now and you need to cover your rent and expenses. I will give you my car to use as a taxi so you can earn a living.”
The uncle reportedly asked the husband to drive him to his house first, telling him he could take the car and begin working immediately afterward. However, Deeqa says this was a calculated “trap.” As soon as they arrived at the family home, the husband was ambushed by four men—two soldiers and two of his own brothers—who were waiting for him. He was arrested on the spot and has remained in custody ever since.
“My Husband is in Jail Because I am Madhibaan”
The root of the conflict, Deeqa insists, is the deep-seated prejudice against her clan. Despite being legally and religiously married (Halal), the husband’s Isaaq family has refused to recognize the union, viewing his marriage to a Madhibaan woman as a violation of their clan status.
“They didn’t just want to separate us; they wanted to punish him for choosing me,” Deeqa said. She described how her husband was eventually charged with “Aasi-waalidayn” (parental disobedience), a charge she claims was fabricated to legitimize his imprisonment.
While the husband’s father reportedly pressured the court for a three-year sentence, the Hargeisa judiciary sentenced the man to one year and six months in prison.
An Appeal to President Abdirahman Irro
Standing in front of a banner promoting “Promoting Accountability and Modernizing the Judiciary,” Deeqa directed her plea to the highest levels of government. She called on President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Abdirahman Irro) to look past the clan politics and uphold the constitutional rights of all Somalilanders.
“I am asking President Abdirahman Irro: Is this the justice we are modernizing?” she asked. “My husband was tricked by his own uncle and jailed because of my lineage. He committed no crime other than being a husband to a Madhibaan woman. I am asking for his freedom and for the law to protect our marriage.”
Deeqa’s testimony has sparked a wave of sympathy and outrage on social media, with many calling for a review of how “parental disobedience” charges are used to enforce clan-based discrimination in Somaliland.
