Somalia is a Horn of Africa nation bordering Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and endowed with assortments of natural resources yet its people are starving; in fact, it is fed by the international community. Majority of Somalis are followers of Islam; predominantly Somali is their language; and they share identical physical features. Somalis are categorized as Cushito-Hamitic and they have historically traded with Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Abyssinians, Arabs, and Persians. In historical antiquity and as depicted in hieroglyphic writings retrieved from Egyptian tombs, Somalia has been referred to as the “Land of Punt” or the “Land of Gods”.
The "Hamitic Theory", conceived
by colonial European explorers, missionaries, and discoverers is placed
somewhere in the Horn of Africa. Perhaps, archeological excavations would
reveal much about the past history of the Somali people. Besides the tall
stature and aquiline features that make them distinct from some tribal
groupings of Africa, the preservation of relics and artifacts such as the
"Sibraar" or headband worn by adolescent Somali girls that resemble
those worn by female pharaohs of Egypt, the cluster of cave paintings notable
in the northeast of Somalia, Somali style of tribal hierarchy and
administration, the discovery of Somali vernacular wordings identical to
Egyptian hieroglyphics, Somali nomadic women mode of dress, and the vast
archeological mounds resembling Egyptian pyramids could hold significant
historical treasures if only there was stability and assured peace.
Geographically, Somalia’s
physical features range from arid to semi-arid, tropical coasts, mountain
terrains and ranges to the northeast as the great Rift Valley that runs from
Jordan to Mozambique dissects a portion of the country, depleted tropical forests
in the south, and a patch of burned land known as Guban. It has two
perennial rivers–the Shebelle and Juba Rivers respectively. It has dry river
beds and ravines, creeks, and anthill mounds. The growth of acacia tree species
sustains various types of wildlife and livestock as it is indigenous to the
arid and semi-arid ecosystem. Perhaps, trees that grow in the Somali wilderness
are the Acacia albida, Acacia senegal, and Acacia
seyal. These acacia species may also be found in the Sahel or much of
sub-Saharan Africa. Species like Casuarina equisetifolia, Casia
siamea, and the neem tree that capture the landscapes of many
towns and cities have been introduced recently before the outbreak of civil
disobedience.
The beautiful gazelle-like Litocranius
walleri or Gerenuk has its name derived from the Somali word Gerinuug
which translates to “Giraffe-necked”. Once home to the big-five game-Elephant,
Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, and Rhino–the horrors of poaching and the crackle of
gunfire has driven many animal species toward extinction. Also, environmental
degradation and human encroachment have driven many animals across Somalia
borders into neighboring countries. What was once a land teeming with leopards,
cheetahs, lions, hyenas, elephants, and giraffes has been rendered useless and
empty as animal breeding grounds and the soil that could sustain vegetation has
been denuded of vital nutrients. A few miles outside of the town of Garissa in
Kenya, herds of migrating giraffes have now found safe haven in a sanctuary
managed by the public with help from Kenya's wildlife department.
Even Somalia's bird and insect
species have not been immune from the general calamity either. With the
collapse of the central government, so disappeared the science of insectology
and ornithology. A great many nesting fields and breeding grounds have instantly
disappeared. The tampering of the ecosystem accelerated the demise of many bird
and insect species only to be replaced by swarms of locusts and dangerous
weeds, creeping deserts and intermittent droughts.
The southern part of the country
has the potential to support agriculture. Before the collapse of the central
government, Somalia was the second leading producer of bananas in Africa.
Somalia's banana industry was funded and overseen by Somalita–a joint
Somali-Italy consortium–consequently making Somalia a haven for bananas. Prior
to the outbreak of the civil war, citrus and mango farming sustained a sizable
population of the Juba and Shebelle regions. What is left today is not worth
mentioning. Heartless warlords drove out farming communities into destitution
either as refugees or internally displaced persons surviving on humanitarian
handouts. Shockingly, the once arable lands that served as Somalia's
breadbasket have been replaced with massive marijuana plantations. It is the
introduction of the very mind-altering or psychotic drug that has affected many
of the youth serving narcissistic warlords.
The absence of drug control
procedures and pharmaceutical companies has inundated Somalia with multitudes
of controlled substances having debilitating effects. Coupled with insecurity
and destitution and the collapse of the education sector, the rate of decimation
on fauna and flora remains disproportionally beyond comprehension. The central
and southern regions once contained large swathes of forests that have been
indiscriminately deforested by previous warlords who burned vital tropical
trees for charcoal processing. This coldhearted decimation of forests has been
harmful to the sustainability of nitrogen-fixing tree species. Charcoal is in
great demand in the Middle East where it is used for fireplaces and for
barbeque. Climatologically, various regions of Somalia can effectively maintain
arboriculture (the study and care of woody plants; example trees),
agrisilviculture (trees + crops), agrisilvipasture (trees + crops +
pasture/animals), hortipasture (fruit trees + pasture/animals) and horticulture
(care for garden).
Unlike some densely populated
parts of Africa where land is scarce due to population explosion, Somalia’s
sparsely populated and empty lands could be transformed into ranches so as to
entice livestock owners abandon their nomadic lifestyles. Despite suffering
educational retardation, a good number of educated Somalis in the Diaspora will
unleash expertise and monetary value once stability is found. Regardless of the
two decades of war and the destruction it wrought on the country, still many
educational institutions training the future creams of the nation operate
inside Somalia. Universities and colleges can be found in almost every region
of the country today. In the past before the current turmoil, Somalia had a
ministry that was solely responsible for overseeing forests and rangelands. An
institute outside of Mogadishu in the town of Afgoi produced the bulk of
foresters. Foreign governments and international organizations provided the
funds and expertise for various projects related to forestry, agro-forestry,
and silvipasture.
The most famous project spearheaded
by the fallen military government was the Shalambood Sand Dune Stabilization
Project that ended in success. A massive airlift for people affected by the
prolonged 1974 drought in the towns of Obbia (Hobyo) and Aynaba (Caynabo) led
to the creation of three settlements in Jujuma, Sablaale, and Kurtunwaareey in
a program that came to be known as “Danwadaagaha” meaning “collective duty”. In
the early 80s, the United States Agency for International
Development or USAID provided $800,000 to the Somali government to fight
deforestation. Thus, was born the Jalalaqsi Reforestation Project.
Working in concert
with Africare Inc., an African-American humanitarian organization and the
Somali Ministry of Forestry and rangelands, hundreds of thousands of trees and
cactus were planted inside the town of Jalalaqsi, within several refugee camps,
and alongside sand dunes. It is here I worked as a Social Science Field
Assistant working directly with a PhD candidate in Sociology. This inspiring
project brought together foresters, nursery managers, field assistants, and an
array of faces drawn from the U.S. and the Somali government respectively. I am
not sure if this project reached its final phase or if it was abandoned midway
as I left after the expiry of my contract in 1984.
In the Sanaag region, the
towering Caal Madow mountain range is suspected to contain
unexploited petroleum and other natural reserves. To this day, there are signs
left by the oil explorers that have the inscriptions 701 which would have been
OIL when read from other side. In the 70s and 80s, several Western-owned oil
consortiums carried out explorations in several parts of the country though the
end results of their activities remain elusive. Of the two hydro-electric
projects conceived in Somalia–Faanoole and Baardheere–not much power has been
generated. From what I know, the southern town of Gelib (Jilib) had enough
supply of electricity while Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, experienced
continuous blackouts at all times. There was the foreign constructed
Goulen-Gelib Road that ended successfully.
From the time a hijacked German
airliner landed in Mogadishu in the 70s, the relationship between Somalia and
East and West Germany have been good. Consequently, the West Germans brought
several projects to Somalia including the water and sewage projects implemented
by Saarberg Interplan that was headquartered in Saarbrucken, may be
credited for the installation of water systems in Mogadishu, Jowhar, Afgoi, and
Shalambood. Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) or the
German Technical Cooperation when anglicized, played a great role in the
provision of technical expertise by training Somali technicians. On the other
hand, the West Germans were responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of
motorcycles and police vehicles operated by the Somali police force. Lib-Soma–a
contract agreement between Libya and Somalia and Rom-Soma for
Romania and Somalia, were two other bilateral projects visible in the country
perhaps.
To the north east of the country
straddle the famous Golis Mountains teeming with exotic wildlife. This is the
perfect place for wildlife conservation, national parks, and tourist
attractions. Hard currency extracted from tourism could stir the economy and
also create jobs for thousands in a land where unemployment rate is a
staggering 80%. Somalia’s pristine beaches that had been neglected by previous
governments could be a hotbed for luxury hotels. However, in order to achieve
success for the hotel industry, effective running should be the prerogative of
foreign companies that possess tested knowledge and experience.
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa measuring approximately 3,325 km.
To the north is the Red Sea and to the south is the massive Indian Ocean. With
abundance of fish and other types of marine life, these two bodies of water can
sustain the entire Somali nation of ten million. Unfortunately, since 1990,
illegal fishing of Somali waters by foreign fishing trawlers has drastically
reduced Somali fish stock. The proliferation of piracy and the contamination of
Somalia’s pristine and tropical coastline with industrial wastes remain
obstacles to maritime management and exploration. The coastline of Somalia
contains a wealth of fishes and marine life ranging from tuna, crabs, mackerel,
sardines, lobster, shrimps, turtles, sharks, exotic porpoises, and dugong.
During the rule of the military government, Somalia leased trawlers from
foreign governments exclusively for the exploitation of maritime waters. The
most visible was the fishing trawler Antoniato madre of Italy. Located
in the Sanaag region inhabited by the Warsangali sub-clan of the Darod, the
famous Las Qoray Fishing Cannery was reputedly the biggest in Africa
producing processed canned fish that was exported to European destinations and
a sizable product consumed locally. The factory was funded and run by the
Russians before their departure from Somalia in the late 70s. Surprisingly, the
cannery is now in operation thanks to the efforts of Warsangali entrepreneurs.
On the other hand, Somalia is endowed with livestock. It is estimated that the
number of camels in the country outnumber human population. Besides, there is a
wealth of cattle, goats, and sheep that, if effectively managed, could be used
to rejuvenate the economy. If the Somali-inhabited Garissa District in Kenya
has the highest concentration of Livestock in East and Central Africa,
likewise, Somalia’s livestock population must be vast and boundless.
Previously, the ports of Berbera, Bossasso, Mogadishu, and Kismayu served as
major transit points for Somali livestock destined for Arabia. Originally built
by the Russians, the port and airport of Berbera was rehabilitated by MWK
Int’l Ltd. Inc., based in Seattle, WA. I worked in the accounting department of
this massive project which in fact was made possible by a contract agreement
between the United States Department of Navy and the Somali Ministry of
Defense.
On the other hand and upon completion of the Port of
Berbera, the Somali government this time embarked on the rehabilitation of the
Port of Kismayu located in the south of the country. An overseas-based company
by the name George Fuller Company became the final benefactor for the
bid. Unfortunately, the fragmentation of the nation into fiefdoms controlled by
warlords, religious factions, autonomous governments, and tribal secessionists
handicapped the operation of the livestock industry. Most of the nation’s
infrastructure was either sold as scrap metal in the Middle East, became
dilapidated for lack of maintenance, or became target for artillery fire. It
beats logic that Somali livestock are being sold at throwaway prices in North
Africa and the Middle East. A goat or sheep bought in Somalia by Arab merchants
fetches the same price as a plate of rice sold in Arabian restaurants.
Surprisingly, whether in Cairo or Jeddah, Arabs, are fond of consuming meat
originating in Somalia because of its freshness, delicacy, and taste. As
history tells us, the nation of India prides to have the best quality goats
that were taken rom Somalia approximately a thousand years ago.
