Poet jailed for reunification call
Publish date: 16 April 2018
Issue Number: 769
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Somaliland
A Somaliland court has sentenced a young poet to three years in jail. Nacima Qorane was found guilty of bringing the self-declared republic into contempt by advocating for it to be reunited with Somalia. BBC News reports that Somaliland self-declared independence in 1991, but is not recognised internationally. Qorane was arrested in January after returning from Mogadishu, where prosecutors said she had recited poetry calling for Somali unity. The prosecution said that she had labelled the self-declared republic of Somaliland a 'region' and 'insulted and defamed' its government.