UN Data Reveals Sharp Increase in Human Trafficking Post-Pandemic

Human trafficking has seen a significant resurgence, with cases rising 25% above pre-pandemic levels in 2022, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This alarming trend, outlined in the latest Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, highlights how conflicts, climate change, and global crises exacerbate vulnerabilities exploited by traffickers.

Criminal networks are adapting their methods, increasingly coercing victims into forced labor and cyberfraud. Women and girls, however, remain disproportionately targeted for sexual exploitation, accounting for over 60% of cases involving female victims. Children make up a staggering 38% of detected victims, with boys often subjected to forced labor, criminal activities, and begging.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest number of trafficking victims globally, with 26% originating from the region. However, the sharpest increases in cases have been detected in North America and Western and Southern Europe, largely fueled by migration flows. Unaccompanied minors arriving in these regions are particularly vulnerable, often falling prey to traffickers.

While improved detection methods may partially explain the rise in identified cases, the report suggests that the overall prevalence of trafficking is increasing. Organized crime groups continue to exploit economic and social upheavals, capitalizing on displaced populations and vulnerable communities.

The international community must prioritize counter-trafficking efforts, focusing on strengthening protections for vulnerable populations, dismantling criminal networks, and addressing the root causes of trafficking, such as poverty, migration pressures, and gender-based violence. The UN report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for coordinated global action to combat this escalating crisis.

The Brenthurst Foundation has released its comprehensive report on Somaliland’s 2024 presidential and political organizations elections, held on November 13. The elections marked the ninth competitive poll since Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The mission highlighted the significant strides Somaliland has made in fostering democratic practices in a volatile region, while also addressing the logistical and political hurdles that accompanied this year’s elections.

Historical Context: A Legacy of Resilience

Since its self-declared independence, Somaliland has emerged as an outlier in East Africa, cultivating a functional democratic system despite the lack of international recognition. Its historical journey—from the destruction wrought by Somalia’s Siad Barre regime to the establishment of an inclusive multiparty system—has earned it a reputation as a beacon of stability in a tumultuous region.

Somaliland’s three-party system, enshrined in its constitution, continues to serve as a cornerstone of its democratic framework. However, this election faced heightened scrutiny due to political tensions stemming from delayed polls and agreements with neighboring Ethiopia.

Key Features of the 2024 Election

This year’s elections were distinct in several respects:

1. Simultaneous Presidential and Party Elections: For the first time, elections determined both the presidency and the recognition of political parties, with seven new associations vying to replace the incumbent three-party slate.
2. Delayed Timeline: Opposition parties criticized President Muuse Biixi Cabdi for extending his term, initially scheduled to end in 2022, alleging a deliberate delay to maintain power.
3. Technological Advancements: The deployment of IRIS biometric verification at over 1,000 polling stations marked a significant technological milestone, although its coverage remained limited to urban areas.

Despite these challenges, 1.2 million registered voters participated in the process, with more than 13,000 officials facilitating the election across 2,648 stations.

Election Day Observations

The Brenthurst Foundation deployed 20 international observers across four key districts: Hargeisa, Borama, Burao, and Berbera, covering 26% of the electorate. Observers noted the following:

• Peaceful Conduct: Voting was largely orderly, with polling stations opening on time and being efficiently managed. The prominent participation of women, both as voters and officials, was a standout feature.
• Adherence to Procedures: Voter identification, ballot allocation, and counting processes were rigorously followed. Party agents actively monitored and verified results at polling stations.
• Technology in Action: The IRIS biometric system functioned effectively in most locations, with staff cross-checking entries against physical voter rolls to ensure accuracy.
• Security Challenges: Minor incidents of crowd control occurred in Hargeisa and Burao, requiring police intervention. However, these disruptions were swiftly managed, allowing voting to proceed.

Assessment and Credibility

The report lauded Somaliland’s electoral commission for conducting a transparent process despite limited financial and logistical resources. The elections were deemed “free, fair, and credible,” with improvements noted in areas such as voter verification, lighting, and the efficiency of counting compared to the 2021 elections.

However, the mission acknowledged areas for improvement, including the exclusion of underage voters, enhanced crowd control, and better accommodation for voters with disabilities.

Recommendations for Future Elections

The Brenthurst Foundation proposed 11 recommendations to strengthen Somaliland’s electoral process:

1. Maintain NEC Independence: Ensuring the commission’s impartiality remains critical.
2. Equal Treatment of Observers: Local observers should receive the same support as international missions.
3. Address Underage Voting: Voter rolls should be scrutinized to eliminate discrepancies.
4. Ban Election-Day Campaigning: A clear prohibition on politicking during voting would enhance integrity.
5. Expand Biometric Coverage: The IRIS system should be extended nationwide and supported with reliable power sources.
6. Improve Crowd Management: Better marshaling outside polling stations is essential to prevent crushes.
7. Enhance Transparency: Publishing polling station results on-site would align with global best practices.
8. Monitor Political Financing: Transparent reporting of funding sources is necessary to level the playing field.
9. Promote Policy-Based Campaigning: Candidates should focus on issues rather than identity-based politics.

Challenges and Regional Dynamics

Somaliland’s agreement with Ethiopia earlier this year to lease coastal land near Berbera sparked tensions, both domestically and with Somalia. The report highlighted concerns over external funding influencing opposition parties and the resulting destabilization of the political landscape. Despite these pressures, the election demonstrated Somaliland’s resilience and its commitment to democratic ideals.

Conclusion

The Brenthurst Foundation commended Somaliland for its achievements in holding credible elections under challenging circumstances. While external recognition of its independence remains elusive, Somaliland continues to set an example for democratic governance in the Horn of Africa. Strengthening electoral processes and addressing political tensions will be vital as the region looks to the future.

Africa’s port infrastructure has experienced significant growth, spurred by an estimated $15 billion in investments since 2005. These investments have allowed African ports to accommodate larger vessels and increase cargo throughput, with container traffic rising by nearly 50% from 2011 to 2021, according to the African Development Bank. Yet, despite these advancements, the continent’s inland logistics remain a significant hurdle to efficient supply chain operations, as highlighted by the Africa Finance Corporation’s 2024 “State of Africa’s Infrastructure” report.

Gabriel Sounouvou, a logistics and supply chain specialist, notes that while modernizing ports has led to improvements such as greater integration into the global supply chain and reduced corruption, these gains have not translated into more efficient movement of goods within Africa. The primary bottleneck lies in underdeveloped road and rail networks, which, despite port expansions, remain inadequate, unevenly distributed, and underutilized.

The poor quality of road networks is especially problematic. Sounouvou explains that many trucks are forced to navigate poor road corridors, causing severe delays. Goods transported from ports to landlocked countries often take more than 10 days to arrive instead of the three days that could be expected under better conditions. This logistical challenge is exacerbated in areas far from coastal ports, where the cost of doing business soars due to infrastructure deficits.

In addition to infrastructure, human factors also present significant challenges. Jonas Aryee, a maritime trade expert, points out that regulatory roadblocks such as customs checks, police stops, and border delays contribute to the high costs and inefficiency of transporting goods across African countries. These barriers, along with protectionist policies that safeguard domestic industries at the expense of regional trade cooperation, further stymie the development of a seamless continental logistics network.

According to the AFC study, Africa’s paved road network totals just 680,000 kilometers, a mere 10% of the road infrastructure found in India, despite Africa’s larger land area and comparable population size. This stark gap illustrates the lack of coordinated investment and infrastructure development across the continent. Experts argue that without a concerted effort from African nations to jointly invest in and manage cross-border highway networks, the potential benefits of port modernization will remain unfulfilled.

While inland infrastructure remains a critical issue, the momentum for port investment continues. Several new terminal projects are slated for development in countries such as Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ivory Coast. However, for these investments to translate into broader economic gains, African nations must address the chronic underdevelopment of road and rail systems that are vital for efficient logistics and trade integration.

Ultimately, the development of a more robust and interconnected transportation network—integrating ports, roads, and railways—is crucial for unlocking the full economic potential of Africa’s growing port infrastructure. Without it, Africa risks missing out on the opportunity to fully participate in the global supply chain, with inefficiencies continuing to hamper economic growth and regional trade.

A UN report uncovers how Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah transformed Yemen’s Houthi rebels into a regional military force, despite arms embargoes. 

Iran’s invisible hand continues to reshape the dynamics of the Middle East, and nowhere is this more evident than in Yemen, where the once-limited Houthi rebels have evolved into a formidable military force. According to a damning United Nations report, the Houthis’ transformation is largely due to the extensive support of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists. This revelation exposes the deeper implications of Tehran’s grander ambitions to dominate the region through proxy wars and asymmetric warfare, despite global attempts to curb its influence.

What began as a localized insurgency in Yemen has grown into a powerful, militarized faction, largely because of the sophisticated weapons and advanced military training provided by Iran and its allies. The Houthis, who now possess missile and drone capabilities, have launched repeated attacks on crucial Red Sea shipping lanes—disrupting global maritime trade and aligning themselves with Tehran’s broader agenda, including showing support for Palestinians amid the Gaza-Israel conflict.

The UN’s independent panel of experts revealed that Houthi fighters are receiving tactical and technical training far beyond Yemen’s borders. Using fake passports, they have been sent to Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq for advanced military instruction, a clear violation of the UN arms embargo imposed in 2015. This level of foreign involvement has enabled the Houthis to maintain complex weapons systems, which Yemeni officials and military experts insist they could not develop independently.

The report underscores the significance of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, a Tehran-backed network of armed groups opposed to U.S. and Israeli influence across the Middle East. Besides the Houthis, this axis includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, and various Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria. Over the years, the IRGC-Quds Force, led by the late General Qassem Soleimani, has been pivotal in training and equipping these groups, creating a united front against Iran’s regional adversaries.

This external support has given the Houthis access to drones, missile technology, and financial backing, allowing them to operate as a quasi-state actor. The similarities between the weaponry operated by the Houthis and those used by other Axis of Resistance groups further point to Iranian influence.

Beyond the military buildup, the UN report raises alarms over new partnerships emerging in the shadows of this conflict. The Houthis have reportedly increased their cooperation with both Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab, sharing smuggled weapons and coordinating attacks. This collaboration, between groups that are often at odds ideologically, suggests a new level of pragmatic extremism, driven by shared enemies and external support.

The use of fake passports by Houthi operatives has also been flagged as a growing concern. These documents are handed out to individuals tasked with procuring and transferring illicit goods, including weapons, or those traveling abroad for military training. The sophisticated nature of this operation demonstrates the logistical support and organization that external actors—namely Iran—are providing.

This revelation adds yet another layer of complexity to the geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. Tehran’s support for the Houthis not only disrupts the balance of power in Yemen but also heightens tensions with neighboring Saudi Arabia, which has led a coalition fighting the Houthis since 2015. Furthermore, the Houthis’ ability to target international shipping lanes with drones and missiles poses a direct threat to global trade, forcing companies to reroute their vessels and further destabilizing a region already on edge.

The UN report also touches on the delicate ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. While no formal peace agreement has been reached, the IRGC’s continued support for the Houthis threatens any progress towards lasting peace in Yemen.

Despite repeated denials from Tehran, the evidence speaks for itself. Iran has long denied supplying weapons to the Houthis, yet their fingerprints are all over the conflict. From sophisticated missile systems to military training camps in Iran and Lebanon, the support provided to the Houthis is undeniable. The silence from Iran on the UN report only reinforces what the global community has suspected for years: Iran’s covert war in Yemen is very real, and it is escalating.

The revelations from the UN report come at a critical juncture. The international community faces a choice: continue to allow Iran’s proxies to destabilize the region, or take stronger action to enforce the arms embargoes and disrupt these illicit networks. With the Houthis now entrenched as a regional military force, backed by the IRGC, the stakes for Yemen and its neighbors have never been higher.

As Iran extends its reach across the region, from Yemen to Lebanon, the global repercussions are already being felt. Whether the world can afford to ignore these escalating tensions is a question that will shape the future of the Middle East for years to come.

As tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt escalate over the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), another, less visible crisis is unfolding in the shadows—one that threatens to break the spirit of thousands of Ethiopian migrants in Egypt. As diplomatic confrontations play out between the two governments, Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt are facing a nightmarish reality of harassment, exploitation, and arbitrary detention, their voices muffled by geopolitical strife.

A Silent Human Crisis Amid the Diplomatic Standoff

With no formal protection and few avenues for justice, these vulnerable migrants have become collateral damage in the broader conflict. Ethiopian community leaders on the ground, speaking under the cloak of anonymity to avoid retaliation, paint a grim picture. Migrants and asylum seekers are routinely detained, often without due process, despite possessing valid UNHCR identification cards—many of which are either valid or pending renewal.

“People are being rounded up and thrown into cells without explanation,” said one Ethiopian community leader. “Even those recognized as asylum seekers face harassment, financial exploitation, and violence.”

No Refuge, No Escape: The Vanishing Safety Net for Migrants

The desperation of the Ethiopian migrant community in Egypt is palpable. For many, Egypt was once a place of relative safety, but as tensions over the GERD reached a fever pitch, Ethiopian refugees are now in the crosshairs. Many are being targeted based solely on their nationality, caught in the whirlwind of rising xenophobia and political tensions.

Suliman Ali, an Ethiopian migrant who fled to Egypt in 2014, describes the harrowing ordeal of his brother, who was detained in Cairo’s notorious Basati prison after being attacked by gangs and extorted by local police. “We paid the bribe, but it didn’t matter—my brother was locked up for months,” Suliman recounts, his frustration palpable.

The story is a recurring one. Hundreds of Ethiopians in Egypt are facing arbitrary detention in squalid conditions, their pleas for justice falling on deaf ears. UNHCR-issued documents, which should afford them some protection, are routinely ignored by Egyptian authorities.

“We used to escape to Sudan when things got bad,” another migrant lamented. “But with Sudan now in civil war, there’s nowhere left to run.”

Tensions Boil Over: GERD Conflict Fueling Hostility

The backdrop to this crisis is the heated standoff between Ethiopia and Egypt over the GERD, a project that has become a symbol of national pride for Ethiopia but a perceived existential threat for Egypt. As Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently celebrated the completion of the dam’s fifth filling phase, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has intensified his opposition, leading to a diplomatic deadlock that is now spilling over into the streets of Cairo.

The Ethiopian diaspora in Egypt, estimated to include 12 different ethnic communities, is bearing the brunt of these tensions. Xenophobic attacks have been on the rise since 2020, but in 2023, as the GERD talks faltered, these incidents have reached an alarming level. Ethiopian community members report frequent physical assaults, kidnappings, and police raids, often accompanied by demands for bribes. Despite repeated attempts to engage with the UNHCR, community leaders say they have received little to no meaningful support.

Caught Between Two Nations: Ethiopian Migrants as Pawns in a Larger Game

The broader geopolitical chessboard offers little hope for these migrants. As Egypt and Ethiopia continue their saber-rattling, deploying troops and ramping up rhetoric, Ethiopian refugees are treated as a bargaining chip, their suffering overlooked in favor of grand political strategy.

In early September 2024, Egypt made a show of deploying military forces to Somalia—seen by some as a direct provocation toward Ethiopia. Ethiopia, in turn, warned that it “cannot stand idle” while its neighbors engage in destabilizing activities. This intensifying rhetoric is stoking fears of further retaliation against Ethiopian nationals in Egypt.

For Ethiopian migrants like Suliman and his brother, this geopolitical tension has turned their daily lives into a nightmare. “We are not affiliated with any political group,” Suliman stressed. “We are simply refugees, trying to survive, yet we are treated like criminals.”

Bribes, Beatings, and Injustice: A System Rigged Against the Vulnerable

Reports of bribes demanded by Egyptian authorities to allow food deliveries to detained migrants have become disturbingly common. Community leaders report receiving four to five daily notifications of members being imprisoned, while at least 100 individuals from a single Ethiopian community are currently behind bars. Attempts to address these violations with UNHCR have so far yielded no tangible results, leaving migrants trapped in a Kafkaesque loop of detention, extortion, and abuse.

“This isn’t just about the GERD. It’s about power, and we’re caught in the middle,” one community leader explained. “The tension between Ethiopia and Egypt has put a target on our backs.”

A Future in Limbo: No End in Sight for the Migrants’ Plight

As Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan inch closer to a potential conflict over water rights, the human toll is mounting. Ethiopian migrants in Egypt are left wondering how much longer they can endure the cycle of abuse, arbitrary detention, and violence. Their hope for international intervention is waning as the world seems to focus on the GERD’s geopolitical implications, rather than the humanitarian crisis it has triggered.

The situation for Ethiopian migrants in Egypt is not just a reflection of diplomatic hostility—it is a tragedy of human lives trapped in a hostile environment where survival itself has become a daily battle. As world leaders debate dam regulations, thousands of Ethiopian refugees remain in the shadows, hoping for a resolution that may never come.

Their cries for help echo in silence, overshadowed by a political standoff that shows no sign of abating. And for now, they remain trapped in the crossfire of a conflict far beyond their control, with no escape in sight.

Nicaragua, China, and India Among Countries Targeting Dissidents with Mobility Controls

A new Freedom House report has exposed a troubling global trend: at least 55 governments have systematically curtailed the freedom of movement for individuals deemed as threats or dissenters over the past decade. This sweeping report, released Thursday, details how nations employ various tactics—travel bans, revocation of citizenship, and denial of consular services—to silence and control those who challenge their authority.

Among the most notorious offenders are Belarus, China, India, Nicaragua, Russia, and Rwanda. These countries, the report reveals, have increasingly resorted to these methods to stifle criticism and suppress dissent. Jessica White, the London-based co-author of the report, describes this as “a vindictive and punitive tactic” aimed at choking off free expression and mobility.

The report highlights travel bans as the most prevalent strategy, with at least 40 governments preventing their citizens from leaving or re-entering their countries. This tactic is employed to isolate critics and restrict their ability to engage with the outside world.

freedomhouse.org

Revoking citizenship is another severe measure, despite its violation of international law. The Nicaraguan government, for example, stripped over 200 political prisoners of their nationality in 2023, shortly after deporting them to the United States. Among them was Juan Lorenzo Holmann, the head of Nicaragua’s oldest newspaper, La Prensa. Holmann, who spent 545 days imprisoned under politically charged circumstances, lamented, “It is as if I do not exist anymore. It is another attack on my human rights.”

Blocking access to passports and other travel documents adds another layer of repression. In June, Hong Kong canceled the passports of six pro-democracy activists living in Britain, trapping them in exile. Similarly, Myanmar’s embassy in Berlin has refused to renew the passport of Ma Thida, a Burmese writer who believes the denial is a retaliatory act against her outspoken work.

These restrictions can severely disrupt lives, impacting individuals’ ability to work, travel, and maintain familial connections. The emotional toll of such separation is profound, according to White, who noted that many affected individuals experience significant psychological distress due to their inability to return home or see loved ones.

The report urges democratic nations to impose sanctions on those implementing such mobility controls and suggests that they should offer alternative travel documents to dissidents who cannot obtain them from their home countries. White stresses, “Our ability to freely leave and return to our home country is a fundamental human right, but it is being undermined and violated across many parts of the world.”

As the international community grapples with these revelations, the report serves as a stark reminder of the growing repression faced by many around the globe and the urgent need for global solidarity in defending fundamental freedoms.

USCIRF Report Highlights Severe Repression and Human Rights Violations Under Taliban Rule

Religious freedom in Afghanistan has seen a continuous and severe decline since the Taliban’s return to power, according to a report released by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). This independent federal government agency emphasized that the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islam has led to widespread repression, curtailing personal freedoms and targeting religious minorities and women.

Since the U.S.-led forces withdrew in August 2021, the Taliban have enforced extreme Islamic laws, dramatically restricting Afghan women’s participation in public life and imposing harsh penalties on perceived violations of Shariah law. The USCIRF report outlines the Taliban’s actions, which include silencing religious clerics, preventing religious minorities from observing their faith, and severely limiting the movement and education of women and girls.

The Taliban’s draconian measures have reintroduced corporal and capital punishment as standard practices, with public executions, lashings, and floggings becoming routine. Acts of public humiliation, such as forced head shaving, are also used to enforce compliance with their version of Islamic law.

Despite international outcry, the Taliban continue to justify these practices under their interpretation of Islamic principles. Recently, the Taliban-run Supreme Court announced the public flogging of a man and a woman in Kabul for an “illicit relationship,” with the woman receiving 32 lashes and the man 39. Since taking power, nearly 600 individuals, including women, have faced public floggings, drawing condemnation from the United Nations for breaching international human rights laws.

In a particularly egregious incident in June, more than 63 people, including 14 women, were flogged in a northern Afghan sports stadium after being convicted of homosexuality, adultery, and other so-called “immoral crimes.” Additionally, at least five individuals convicted of murder have been publicly executed under the Taliban’s retributive justice system, known as qisas.

The Taliban’s policies have made Afghanistan the only country where girls aged 12 and older are barred from attending secondary school. Female students are also prohibited from university education, and most women are banned from working in both public and private sectors, including for international organizations like the U.N.

The USCIRF has recommended that the U.S. designate Taliban-ruled Afghanistan as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, urging continued sanctions against Taliban officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom. The Taliban have consistently dismissed allegations of human rights abuses and discrimination against women as propaganda, insisting that their judicial system provides justice in line with the Quran and Shariah law.

Despite these denials, the international community, led by the United States, has refused to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government due to their harsh restrictions on women’s rights and other human rights abuses. The Taliban’s stance has isolated Afghanistan diplomatically, exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis.

The USCIRF’s report underscores the urgent need for international pressure to address the Taliban’s human rights violations and to support Afghan women and religious minorities facing unprecedented repression. The report calls for a concerted global effort to hold the Taliban accountable and to restore fundamental freedoms for all Afghans.

Amid Explosions and Controversy, Somali Women Defy Odds in Groundbreaking Beauty Pageant

On a night when most of Somalia tuned in to the Euro football final, a very different kind of spectacle unfolded at Mogadishu’s Elite Hotel. Hundreds gathered to witness the Miss Somalia pageant, a daring celebration of beauty and resilience in one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a woman. Just a kilometer away, the grim reality of Somali life was underscored by a car bomb explosion that killed five and injured twenty. The militant group al-Shabab, notorious for its reign of terror over Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The juxtaposition of a beauty pageant with such violence highlights the schizophrenic nature of life in Somalia. While pageant contestants paraded in glamorous gowns, the nearby explosion shattered the night, a stark reminder of the pervasive threat of terrorism. This contrast paints a vivid picture of a nation grappling with its identity and future.

Hani Abdi Gas, founded the competition in 2021. In a country where Islamist militants and conservative traditions dominate, her initiative is nothing short of revolutionary. Gas, who grew up in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya before returning to Somalia in 2020, sees the pageant as more than a beauty contest. It’s a platform for lifting women’s voices, fostering unity, and empowering Somali women.

Gas believes that Somalia, long deemed one of the worst places to be a woman, is ready to join the rest of the world in celebrating female beauty and aspiration. “I want to celebrate the aspirations of women from diverse backgrounds, build their confidence, and give them a chance to showcase Somali culture worldwide,” she said.

This year’s contestants reflected this diversity. Among them was a policewoman, a powerful symbol of women breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated society. However, not everyone was pleased. Many Somalis view beauty pageants as affronts to their culture and religion. Clan leader Ahmed Abdi Halane expressed disgust, saying, “Such things are against our culture and our religion. If a girl wears tight clothes and appears on stage, it will bring shame upon her family and her clan. Women are supposed to stay at home and wear modest clothes.”

Some women also oppose the pageant. Sabrina, a student, criticized the contestants for appearing in public without covering their necks, saying, “It is good to support the Somali youth but not in ways that conflict with our religion.”

Despite these criticisms, the pageant proceeded with its vibrant display of Somali culture. Aisha Ikow, a 24-year-old university student and make-up artist, was crowned Miss Somalia, taking home a $1,000 prize. Ikow, representing South-West state, vowed to use her platform to combat early marriage and promote girls’ education. “The competition celebrates Somali culture and beauty while shaping a brighter future for women,” she said.

The judging panel, which included Miss Somalia 2022 and a representative from the Ministry of Youth, found it hard to choose a winner. They assessed contestants on physical beauty, public speaking, and stage presence. An online vote, costing $1 per vote, funded the event and future international pageant participation.

The glitzy event in a luxury hotel contrasted sharply with the harsh realities faced by most Somali women. Four million Somalis, a quarter of the population, are internally displaced, with up to 80% being women. The UN ranks Somalia near the bottom on the Gender Inequality Index, with alarming rates of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation. Traditional practices still dictate that a rapist must marry his victim, and legal protections for women are severely lacking.

Despite these challenges, the Miss Somalia pageant signifies a slow but significant change. The fact that such an event could be held in Mogadishu, even amid nearby violence, indicates a shift in societal attitudes and an improvement in security.

The crowd at the Elite Hotel stayed until the early hours, undeterred by the attack’s proximity. They were engrossed in the pageant, the sound of the explosion drowned out by the waves crashing on the nearby beach.

In a nation torn by conflict and conservative values, the Miss Somalia pageant stands as a beacon of hope. It is a testament to the resilience of Somali women and their determination to carve out spaces of empowerment and celebration. As Somalia continues to navigate its complex identity, events like these are crucial in shaping a more inclusive and progressive future.

Kiin Hassan Fakat, reporting with Bilan Media, and Mary Harper, author of two books on Somalia, provide a lens into this transformative moment, capturing the courage and aspirations of Somali women amidst a backdrop of turmoil.