Defend imprisoned children in Somaliland

Amin is a 12-year-old Ethiopian boy living on the streets in Somaliland. He was accused of simple hurt and detained, even though children his age should be protected by Somaliland’s child justice laws.

When CLDC met Amin, he was alone. He did not have family members advocating for him. He did not have a community elder stepping forward on his behalf. And because he is Ethiopian, he did not have the same protection through Somaliland’s customary systems that many local children rely on.

At the same time, Amin was still expected to resolve the case through customary law. This meant paying compensation to the victim’s family, something Amin had no ability to do.

CLDC represented Amin in court and helped secure his release. Our lawyer, Idiris, also worked to resolve the customary side of the case. He paid a small amount of compensation to the victim on Amin’s behalf and entered into a customary agreement so Amin would not remain detained simply because he was a poor, foreign child with no one to stand for him.

But release was only one part of Amin’s story.

After Amin was released, our team began trying to find him safe housing. Before we could secure a placement, he ran away and returned to the street. This is one of the hardest parts of our work. Legal representation can open the prison door, but many children need much more after that: shelter, food, protection, family tracing, and adults they can learn to trust.

Amin’s case shows why CLDC’s work matters. We defend children in court, but we also help them navigate the realities that keep them trapped: poverty, displacement, discrimination, and the absence of family or community support.

Because of your support, Amin was not left alone in detention. He had a lawyer. He had someone to stand beside him. And even though his story was not neatly resolved, we will continue working for children like Amin until release is not the end of protection, but the beginning.