Somali prosecutors seek to strengthen their strategic role in the justice system

14 Dec 2017

Somali prosecutors seek to strengthen their strategic role in the justice system

Mogadishu - Somali prosecutors from the federal government and federal member states held their first annual conference in Mogadishu this week, and they agreed to establish a Somali Prosecutors Association to strengthen the role that prosecutors play in the country’s justice system and better protect their independence and integrity.

The two-day conference, which sought to improve the relationship between institutions of the federal government and federal member states, also discussed a code of conduct for all prosecutors in the country.

“The national conference is useful in promoting cooperation among prosecutors,” Attorney General Ahmed Ali Dahir said during the official opening of the conference. 

The event also addressed professional matters of mutual interest for the country’s prosecutors, particularly in view of the critical role they will play in the implementation of the new Justice and Corrections model recently adopted by Somalia’s National Security Council.

“They have a responsibility to protect the law [and] to ensure its implementation, under the National Prosecution Office,” noted Ibrahim Idle Suleyman, Chief Justice of the Federal Government.

“Prosecution is becoming more and more a specialized field. It is very important to share the experience, learning within the country and then outside the country,” said Zafar Gondal, Justice Technical Specialist of the United Nations Development Programme in Somalia.

Some participants stressed the need to bring more women into Somalia’s justice system.

Fadumo Ahmed, a prosecutor from Jubbaland, highlighted the need for “family-sensitive” prosecutors to deal with complex family cases brought before the courts. “The cases that come to my office are mainly about women, mothers and family issues. In such cases, they need a family prosecutor whom they can trust and freely share their problems with,” she emphasized.

The conference was supported by the United Nations Rule of Law Global Focal Point in Somalia and the International Development Law Organization.