Youths and infrastructure lie at the heart of country's development

In recent months, the Somali government has been keenly following the economic success of its neighbors derived from China-backed infrastructure projects. It believes it is time to replicate this progress in Somalia.

The government thinks development will position the Horn of Africa country as a gateway to the continent. It boasts a 3,025-kilometer coastline, the longest in mainland Africa. Infrastructure improvements will also boost ongoing development programs that are critical to Somalia's recovery process.

Mohamed Ali-Nur Hagi, the permanent secretary to Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, says that donor-initiated youth programs are yet to succeed, partly due to lack of infrastructure.

"We have realized that a lack of roads has handicapped donor activities to implement these programs in regional areas. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly unproductive to design training programs when clearly there is no infrastructure such as workshops and sports stadiums to use."

He was speaking during a forum in Nairobi, Kenya, that brought together the United Nations agencies working in Somalia and the ministers of youth and sports drawn from the federal government and regional governments of Puntland, Jubaland and the southwest administration.

The one-day forum, called Discussions on Somali Young People, was held on July 21 to take stock of the progress made by the donor community in rehabilitating and empowering Somali youths, who are seen as critical to the country's post-conflict period.

People under 35 make up about 81 percent of the Somali population, according to a survey released by the UN Population Fund two months ago. About 74 percent are under 29.

These figures mean that the majority of the country's young people have grown up in a security and investment vacuum. The shortcomings have pushed them into crimes such as human trafficking, piracy and extremism, by joining the terror group al-Shabab which is said to have had cells in the country since 2005.

"Drawing from the longstanding relationship Somalia has with China, we hope that the Asian country will participate in our quest to bring hope back to our youths. And the first area of concern is infrastructure," he says, adding that renovating the dilapidated infrastructure built by China before the fall of former president Siad Barre's administration in 1991 is a good way to start.

China built the 900 km highway that links the north and south of the country. It built the Mogadishu stadium in 1978 that can accommodate about 40,000 people. China also built a hospital and national theater. But all these lie in ruins after more than a quarter century of conflict.

The permanent secretary believes that China-led construction projects in the country will lead to job creation, addressing the unemployment of those who have elementary education as well as those who lack basic educational opportunities.

Hagi says several donor agencies are implementing programs in the country. "We understand that funds have been disbursed and strategies put in place. But physically, this is not seen and our youths are getting impatient."

Hagi says bureaucracy is another challenge, as it delays the efficacy of these programs.

"Infrastructure will benefit all Somalis, regardless of where they live across the country. It will also ease the return of Somalis who are refugees in neighboring countries and also from the diaspora who are showing eagerness to come back and participate in the reconstruction process."

He points out that infrastructure cuts across all government ministries, delaying the provision of essential services to Somali youths and women.

On July 22, China gave Kenya's government about $1.8 million for the safe repatriation and resettlement of Somali refugees. The money was part of the $17 million given to Kenya to rehabilitate the Kasarani Sports Complex, which was built by China in 1987, and to construct the biggest Confucius Institute in Africa at the University of Nairobi.

The move, according to Cabinet Secretary to the National Treasury Henry Rotich, makes China one Kenya's major development partners.

Rotich said the funds would go a long way in addressing the challenges of food, clothing and shelter facing Dadaab camp, one of the biggest refugee camps in the continent.

Dadaab, in northwestern Kenya, is stretched in terms of resources because it is home to more than 350,000 refugees.

"Conflicts in the camp will be reduced, together with tension arising from these disputes. Some refugees willing to go back home and participate in the rebuilding process will also have a chance to do so," says the minister.

In its bid to fight the insecurity spilling over from the Somali conflict, the Kenyan government attempted to close down the camp but was met with resistance from refugees and the international community who felt the Horn of Africa country was still unsafe.

But Hagi says the refugees will only feel safe if youth-oriented programs are productive.

"We are a long way from stability, but we are strongly working toward it in partnership with the international community. China reopened its embassy and that is a positive sign to us that we are on the right track."

The United Nations secretary general's envoy on youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, says there is a sense of urgency in Somalia as young people push for change.

He says strategies on paper need to be put into action and command the support of Somali youths, who best understand the needs of young people.

"Our efforts should be spearheaded by Somali youths, who are tired of witnessing no change despite our presence in the country. We only need to better coordinate humanitarian efforts," says the envoy, who assumed his position as UN youth representative in January 2013. His role is to address the development needs and rights of young people as well as to narrow the gap between the UN and young people, especially in areas of conflict. "There is no peace without development and no development without peace."

Participants drawn from Somalia's regional governments say they have yet to see change on the ground and took the UN agencies to task over the transparency and accountability of their efforts.

There was, however, a push to come up with a national youth policy that will include all regional governments. "We want to break the vicious cycle of lack of education, healthcare and jobs that is driving our youths to violent crimes. The youth are a catalytic force in our reconstruction bid and hence they should be the priority," says Mohamed Abdulaahi Hassan, federal minister of youth and sports.

He proposes the formulation of a working group to oversee the quick development of a youth policy that would launch in August. "Time is of essence," he says, adding that the federal government is supporting initiatives that would make the agenda a success.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn