Some In Qaeda Leave Pakistan For Somalia And Yemen

By: Mohamed Hamud Abdi

It is almost eighteen years now since Somaliland fortunately got its independence from the regime of Siyad Barre. But freedom was never free. It came through the struggle, dedication and self-sacrifice of the SNM heroes and heroines. They are written in our history books as they remain fresh in our minds forever.

Since then, the country has been tremendously losing its human resource-the youth- through various ways. In each year, a countless number of youngsters leave the country, be it men or women. Most of them either die in the harsh Sahara Desert or are detained in foreign prisons without any trial. Others suffer inhuman torture including rape, robbery, psychological mistreatment, hunger and flogging. Few of them may survive to cross to Europe.

So I ask myself why this is happening. The reasons for this suicidal migration of our youth are mainly things to do with our society. I personally believe that for a person with sound mind to decide on such an act, he/she must be desperate and completely fed up with whatever their society can offer them.

Possible reasons:

First of all, our community is not conducive enough to maintain a constructive mentality for our youth. For instance, the system of education does not emphasize on nationalism, patriotism and love for motherland. Hence graduates are not well-versed with the resources we have, our history and origin, and what we expect for our country in future.

Secondly, thousands of students finish high school every year, but few of them are able to join universities or get employed. The remaining majority go back home with no hope for further studies or employment, if any. This makes them idle and gives them an ample time to look for other options. It is either addiction to the “green grass”-Qaad- or leaving the country for good no matter what it costs.

Thirdly, the combination of lack of academic opportunities and employment lead to poor financial capabilities. This eventually makes life hard for our youth because they cannot fulfill their social expectations such as finding education, getting married, property ownership, becoming a leader and so on. Most importantly the influence of our people from abroad forces our youth to always be on the move. For instance men come back from overseas to get expensive marriages at home. This means the men who were already in the country can hardly marry. It is like everything is so complicated in our society that our youth find it really very hard to endure.

Moreover, the youth can emigrate looking for fame, prestige, wealth, respect and acceptance in their society. This comes as a result of how our people value somebody from Europe or America. You find that a lot of respect is being given to the people who come from abroad regardless of their character, education, behavior or social status. So a person who lives in the country feels low near such a stranger from abroad. As for marriage, men and women from overseas are preferred to those who live in the country. Some parents marry their daughters to men not because those men have got the required qualities but merely because they are from America or Europe.

Possible consequences:

The consequence of such an uncontrolled loss of our youth is an inescapable backwardness for our people and nation. Who do you think will become soldiers to defend the country if there is no youth? Who do think will replace our teachers to pass knowledge to the next generation? Losing young people is like blocking the channel to prosperity and national progress. The impact can be a longtime effect but nobody will like the outcome.

It goes without saying that there will be a reduction in the country’s population, which will lead to a reduced work force and, hence, a very low economic growth. The country is at risk for external invasion either peacefully or by force. A clear evidence for such an invasion is observable in the working class. For instance, most of the people who are currently working for international organizations, watchmen, farmers, maids and even teachers are foreigners. What do expect of such a distribution in the next twenty years or so?

In fact, these people will have the rights to vote, to own land, and to be elected as leaders. If such a trend continues for a century, Somaliland will belong to a completely different society from the one of today with a different language and culture.

Possible solutions:

First and for most, we should make life easy for our young people so that they trust their country. We should think beyond our generation. Other communities have developed because they do things in favor of the generations to come. The government should engage the youth in sports and improve the system of schooling. The government should also create opportunities for further studies and employment. Workshops and seminars should be conducted to educate the youth on nationalism. They should be taught that they belong to their country and not to any other country. The quality of the local universities should be improved with an affordable cost.

Lastly, I appeal to anyone who loves Somaliland to prosper and continue existing to look into this matter and do at least anything tangible.

By: Mohamed Hamud Abdi (maxamedxamud@hotmail.com)

Uganda.

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