GAROWE, Somalia: Nearly a third of Somalia’s parliamentary seats will be reserved for female lawmakers in an election next month, the prime minister said, a measure long demanded by women’s rights campaigners in the Horn of Africa nation.
While welcoming Saturday’s announcement by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, some women’s groups cautioned that implementing the measure in time for the Feb. 8 poll would be challenging and depended on the commitment of clan leaders.
Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991, and due to the fragile security situation, elections consist of clan delegates choosing members of parliament as opposed to a one-person, one-vote electoral system.
Roble made the quota pledge after talks with female lawmakers — who currently hold 24 percent of the 329 seats in Somalia’s lower and upper houses of parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Ensuring that clan leaders nominate enough women representatives will be vital to securing the full 30 percent quota, women’s activists said.
Somali PM reserves 30% of parliament seats for women in upcoming poll
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Somali PM reserves 30% of parliament seats for women in upcoming poll
- Roble made the quota pledge after talks with female lawmakers — who currently hold 24 percent of the 329 seats in Somalia’s lower and upper houses of parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
Jordanian air force joins US in striking Daesh targets in Syria
- Jordan’s involvement demonstrates a long-standing commitment to combating terrorism and promoting regional stability, the army said
LONDON: The Royal Jordanian Air Force participated in striking targets of the Daesh terrorist group at multiple locations inside Syria, alongside the US and other partners.
The large-scale strikes occurred around 12:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, according to US Central Command, and were retaliation for last month’s ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in Syria.
“Our message remains strong: If you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice,” US Central Command said in a statement Saturday.
The army said on Sunday that Jordan’s involvement demonstrates a long-standing commitment to combating terrorism, ensuring national security, and promoting regional stability.
It was part of coordinated regional and international counterterrorism efforts, which included Syria, aimed at disrupting militant capabilities and preventing terrorist groups from re-establishing operational footholds to threaten neighboring countries and regional security, the Jordan News Agency reported.
