Despatch from our man (on the roof) in Somaliland

Cousin Andy has been up on the roof again.Here's his latest despatch entitled FGM. Depressing stuff!

Due to the security policy I have to take my exercise on the roof, walking round in circles, more than a little like a high security prisoner. I was on the roof the other night about 9pm when a large white car came through the gate and slowly went round the bollards and stopped in front of the hospital entrance. The rear door opened and two large bats got out. Well I was looking down from almost directly above, and it took me a minute to recognise two women dressed from head to toe in black. They entered the hospital and I was curious because the complete black outfit is rare in Somaliland. After a while they came out and one went and sat in the car and the other walked across to the pharmacy. It was clear that these were expensive robes as they were both copious and light, so they fluttered in the breeze. It was also clear that the wearers were not old. Eventually the second woman entered the rear of the car and the car left. I was intrigued.

There are two young American women working in the hospital as volunteers in order to get experience as they have both applied to medical schools. I asked one of them over breakfast if she had seen the women in black. She told me that it was the wedding night of one of them and that the other was her friend, accompanying her. The wedding celebration starts about 6pm and when the female relatives of the groom have inspected her she comes to the hospital to be opened.

The American likes to attend the births and she also confirmed that most females in Somaliland have been cut.