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Single Somali men protest over exorbitant bride prices


Photos of Somali men holding placards that they are still single due to inflated dowry being charged have gone viral on Facebook.

In the photos, dozens of Somali men are pictured in the protest that was said to have taken place at Mansoor hotel in Hargeisa.

In January this year, BBC reported that extravagant weddings had been banned in a Somali town to prevent migration.

Commissioner Mohamud Hayd Osman of Beled Hawa said Islamic teaching indicate that getting married should be cheap hence limiting the number of goats to be slaughtered during the festivities to three and a maximum of $150 for dowry.

The rule only applies to residents of Beled Hawa hence the protest in Hargeisa to have the city impose similar laws protecting young men from extortion by brides’ parents.

The photos elicited mixed reactions from Facebook users: