The Somali Youth – Somalia’s lost generation

by Abdulkadir M. Nur (Eno)

Address to the meeting on Somalia’s Finance and Economic Issue

March 28-29, 2008
Windsor Hotel, Nairobi

Your excellencies General Olusegun Obasanjo, Former president of Nigeria, Major Pierre Buyoya, former President of the Republic of Burundi, Nur Hassan, Prime Minister for the Somali federal Government, honorable Ministers, Ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

 I feel honored to be part of such a historic meeting for Somalia and hope this meeting opens a new page for a new Somalia.

First of all, let me take this opportunity to thank  H.E. Ould Abdalla, for inviting me and organizing such an important meeting for the Private sector.  It is the first time I see the United Nations Office taking the role of the private sector seriously and reaching out to them.  I will also like to congratulate Mr. Abdalla for his relentless effort to make the Somali peace process successful.

I have been asked to talk about the Somali youth, but I find it difficult to talk about the youth. As we all know, our youth are one of the main victims of the Somali conflict because they aren’t able to receive an education, employment, and they have no access to decision making.  They have been a wasted asset and a lost generation.

For the past 18 years, the main employment opportunities for the Somali youth were to work as security guards.  They have been employed as security guards by the warlords, the government(s), opposition groups, the business people and the international organizations, including the UN.  Other employment opportunities were limited. 

One of the main employers in Mogadishu was El Ma’aan port, a natural port 30 KMs north of Mogadishu which I established in 1992.  When I first started El Ma’aan port, it was nothing more than a natural beach, with nobody living there.  However, it has grown to the extent that now there are permanent residences of families and businesses with an estimated population of 6000 families.  At its closure last year, there were at least 400 boats, 2000 transportation trucks owned by the port or associates. There were at least 10,000 porters and around 1000 security guards working for the port and/or other businesses in El Ma’aan.  At least 70% of these people were younger than 30 years. This good example of success of the private sector employment.

Unfortunately, after the closure of the port, most of those I know and use to work at the port migrated out of the country to South Africa, Yemen and Kenya and other places. Those that have remained either joined the different forces fighting in the country, not necessarily for ideological or clan affiliation but for the simple reason of ‘survival’.  In Mogadishu alone, there is at least 100,000 unemployed youth in Mogadishu, who can be easily used to disrupt the peace process.

The challenges are even greater, as the violent conflict disproportionately impacted them negatively on all dimensions of their lives (Personally, physically, economically and psychologically).  At the same time, feelings of exclusion can contribute to the continuation of violence.  

Too often, young people in Somalia are seen as a source of problems, yet their multiple roles in society and their potential to act as agents of change towards peace and development are very important.  While I cannot ignore their role as a source of the problem, I believe they are also a source of the solution.

Moreover, no war can continue without their participation, therefore, we have to acknowledge that no reconciliation can be effective without addressing the personal trauma, physical injuries, social deprivation (employment, education, health etc) and the psychological needs of our youth.  Our youth are our assets and the leaders of tomorrow. They are the wealthy of our nation and the future of our country.  Investing in them would greatly contribute to the peace building process.

Therefore, the challenge today is how can we create together an environment that can provide them with an alternative to the violence that has destroyed them? How can we direct their energy towards economic recovery, reconstruction and building a peaceful society and ultimately how can we engage them as stakeholders in the peace process?

It is a fact today in Mogadishu that businesses are affected by the violence in the city.   Therefore, peace is a required for addressing the above challenges.

The current stalemate in the peace process is hurting the economy, it is hurting our youth and it is hurting our women and children. Moreover, the traditional approach of the international community often sustains the status-quo.  Providing aid only will not help Somalia in the long-term.  While I believe it is important to deal with the political issues of the conflict, I also believe that we need to have a comprehensive approach that addresses the social and economic aspects of the conflict as well.  I would really like to challenge the UN and the other donors from the EU, United States government and the Middle East who are present here to calculate how much time and resources they have spent on Somalia for the past 18 years in humanitarian assistance? I am sure they have been generous and was helpful but not enough to resolve the Somali problem.  I also believe that the Somali conflict is resolvable but needs a ‘comprehensive Plan’ that encompasses the following:

·         Political intervention (including reconciliation, peace building, peacekeeping program)

·         Humanitarian intervention –

·         Development program

I know that the priorities are many in the world and Somalia happens to be at the bottom of the list.  No matter how long the international community tries to ignore, the Somali problem keeps on coming back with new challenges. Besides, events in Somalia also impact others in the world.  Therefore, ignoring is not an option anymore.  Of course, the Somali people are to be blamed for the Somali strife but I also believe the international community are and have been part of the problem. Perhaps, a regional approach to the Somali conflict is more appropriate than to deal with the Somali conflict separately. 

As human beings, accepting our responsibility and acknowledging our mistakes is the beginning for a new Somalia, a Somalia which is peace with herself and with her neighbors and a Somalia where peace prevails for all.

I am really encouraged to see so many business people and politicians, particularly from Africa and the Middle East. As a business man, I am willing to take my responsibility to invest in employment generating business because I believe without economic opportunity, there will be no peace and without peace, there will be economic growth.   Therefore, I hope the investors in this meeting and others will join us to make this happen.  I also hope that the Government of Mr. Nur Adde will be an investment friendly government that can attract local and foreign investment. Rule of law and good governance is paramount for economic growth.

I hope this meeting will create the necessary partnership between the private sector, the UN, the international community and the Somali government to address those challenges by:

a)    Taking advantage of the reconciliatory statement of the Somali Prime Minister and promote dialogue and peace between the government and the opposition together with all the other stake holders;

b)    Providing adequate aid to Somalia, particularly the starving and the displaced population in Mogadishu and around the country;

c) Invest in our youth by providing them with education opportunities and skill training in the country and outside the country;

c)     Establish genuine strategic long-term partnership between the private sector and the international community that targets economic recovery and job creation;

d)    Encouraging all stakeholders to contribute to the peace process and provide them the necessary space to participate;

In order to accomplish that, the private sector and our youth must be given a greater stake in shaping the outcome of war to peace transition.

Lastly, I will recommend to Ould Abdalla to organize another meeting for the Somali youth, those who are at the frontline fighting with each other and give them a tour to other African countries such as “Mozambique, South Africa, Burundi, Rwanda, Sieraleone, Liberia’  to see how young people have moved from the violence to a peaceful society.

Thank you

29 March 2008

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Abdulkadir M. Nur (Eno) is Chairman & CEO of  DEEQA
Construction & Water Well Drilling Co.
Logistics Services, Marine  Product, Trading and transportation. Mr. Eno can be reached at [email protected]