Good afternoon, colleagues.
Welcome to the 84th meeting of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.
Today is the second of two hearings on the human rights situation in Somalia. These meetings were initiated in response to the horrific October 14 truck bombing in Mogadishu, which claimed the lives of 358 people, and the October 28 bombing, which claimed 27 lives, perpetrated by the terrorist group al Shabaab.
As we heard yesterday, the Somali people have endured awful violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms, and a perpetual state of insecurity, including famine.
With the 2016 election and the international community's re-engagement, there has been a sense of hope for a more peaceful future in Somalia, but the situation remains extremely precarious. It is in this context that the Subcommittee on International Human Rights is holding these hearings.
Before us today are three witnesses.
Fowsia Abdulkadir is a founding member of the Ogaden Human Rights Committee of Canada. She has researched transnational justice and the role of customary law in Somalia, as well as the role of women in governance and conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa.
Welcome to you, Ms. Abdulkadir.