Sakawdin Mohamed, MS, MPA-candidate

A Somali youth of 29 years old as of today has lived in a state of civil conflict virtually all his/her life, with the last thirty years being in full-fledged various brutal inter-tribal warfare and severe armed conflict.

Somalia is, perhaps, one of the most severely war-torn countries in world where once Dr. Boutros Ghali called Somalia most famine and anarchy devastated country in the world.  Thirty years of civil war have left a distressed, war-ravaged society, struggling to recover from destruction, suffering, pain and death. The war depopulated the rural areas, severely disrupted traditional social systems and structures and completely shattered state institutions.

No group are more affected and severely corrupted by tribal elders or warlords than the Somali youth, a large number of who now feel alienated, frustrated, vulnerable and deceived. They were witnesses to the gruesome murder of their mothers and fathers and/or made to persecute/murder other loved ones. In some cases youth are made and are the principal perpetrators of these heinous crimes themselves. Changing their mind-set must be most urgent to anyone that is genuinely interested in nation building and put Somali suffering to rest. Somali youth are daily deceived or forcefully recruited in wars with tribal or religious leadership.  Currently, Somalis and the international community are witnessing a whole organization that bases its mission and name their barbaric group after youth or “Shabaab”. They train/recruit youth to commit maximum destruction to their homes, and people that they suppose to care for and protect.  The Somali youth  are daily made to chop arms/heads or get theirs chopped; while their life expectancy rapidly declining to as low as anyone could imagine due to factors including the spread of HIV/AIDS, famine and violence.

Most Somalis remember when youth were effectively and progressively utilized in securing independence for their nation and were the driving force for the Somali nation building after the independence from Rome.  Remember SYL, ‘Olelaha Reer Miyga’, winning Somali National teams and the young Somali pilots volunteered to become their nation’s first to fly or first to defend and more did all these while they were only 15-18 years old.  The truth is that, Somali’s youth are most affected by changes and also have the potential to be the most powerful agents of change. As such could either sustain peace or generate further instability in their motherland; and it is time that the Somali leadership to realize that and use youth to their advantage.  If they neglect this or fail to utilize youth others with bad motive will as they are doing that daily.  It is about time that the Somali national unity government to start creating youth initiatives and call on Somali youth for a positive engagement.  Sadly enough, the current administration repeatedly failed to offer youth an ultimatum (such as nation building, greater human cause etc.); and continue not to engage youth contrary to their adversaries who wrongfully engage youth for destruction and by deception named youth for the whole group.

There is no doubt that Somalia is facing enormous challenges in the process of re-stabilizing the country and its development. Very soon Somalia will be celebrating the 51st independence from Italy. One must ask – Is it really worth it? Things that are supposedly to work are not working. Somalia is continuously plagued by endless-war and religious deceives.  Somalia is a rich country with poor people blessed with various natural resources and fertile farmlands.   Our banana and fisheries alone made countless rich and afforded for Land-Cruiser.

Religious and ethnic crises have become the order of the day as Al-Shabaab and those ‘Xisbiyis’ unleash terror on innocent Somalis daily. While Somali youth are passing out year in year out without jobs or education thus turning some of them to extremism and while many are desperate to escape to high-seas (eaten-alive by sharks).

Media has the news that many Somali youth that try to escape from forceful recruitments of Al-Shabab and their allies expose themselves to untimely deaths in the process of running away from their motherland. But the legitimate governance in the motherland offers youths no hope in hopelessness; it offers no protection from evil; and offers no youth leadership that are devoted to show youth that their government cares for them or at least try to establish hope where there is none.

If Somalia is about to succeed and rid-off years tribalism and extremism, Somalis must have a national endeavors that address issues affecting young people.  We must have broad-based strategies that can be pursued to give the youth meaningful opportunities to reach their maximum potential. We have to recognize that the youth are a key resource that can be tapped for the benefit of the country that we cherish and love. Yet not a single stakeholder can carry out youth development alone. Everyone in the community- both young and old- should play their respective roles to see that the aspirations and hopes of the youth are met. Many of the youth who are productive and energetic remain unemployed, continue to suffer from poor health, and lack sufficient material and emotional support. In addition there are those youth that have special needs that require attention. These include those living on the streets, those affected by endless war, and those that are brain-washed by religious zealots as well as those made orphans by the various wars.  Young Somali girls are especially at greater risk and remain to be the most vulnerable as our societies turned their back on them in many various ways.

The major impediment to addressing youth problems in many countries has been the absence of a comprehensive youth policy to provide a broad framework that integrates youth issues and concerns into the national development process. This is truer in any or the most peace process and efforts in Somalia.

Yet past experience and current circumstances for the youth foretell great risks to the Somali’s future stability and peace. The social, education and economic networks and institutions of youth are non-existence. The status of youth in Somalia and the governmental abandonment of youth present great threats to Somali peace and stability: prevalence of a culture of violence; tribal/religious deceptions, non-governmental support, and distrust of past and current leadership.

The government’s solution to youth problems of simply telling Somali youth parents to discipline youth and lock them at home doesn’t address or solve Somali youth crisis.  This is simply signs of government wanting to neglect and outsource their sworn duties.  Somali leadership has to recognize that “the Somali youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today. ’’
As researchers have tested over and over again, “time is not judged by what has been produced or harvested, but what has been invested/planted”. The current Somali government and the international community at large have an equal share of the responsibility to provide and engage the Somali youth with suitable grounds and thereby bringing about a matured and responsible population for the coming generation to lead a better life. As such the establishment of the a National Somali Youth Council made-up youth advisors, parliamentarians, government ministers and international development officials, presidential advisor/director for youth affairs, the development of a comprehensive National Somali Youth Policy, the establishment of national youth development programs.

“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare

Sakawdin Mohamed, MS, MPA-candidate

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