People outside Somalia’s central Bank in Hamarwayne district, south of Mogadishu. The well-thumbed and ragged notes of the Somali shilling are in short supply because they were last printed before 1991.

Nairobi: When Washington DC was in financial crisis in the 1990s, Somali-born Abdusalam Omer joined a team that turned its “junk” bonds into investment grade paper. Now, as governor of the Central Bank of Somalia, he wants to transform a “failed” state.

Attendees included British Prime Minister David Cameron, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President Museveni and recently- elected Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, along with representatives from numerous international organisations and foreign governments. Having undergone a 20-year-long civil war, Somalia is now being led by its first widely-recognised government for more than 20 years and is showing vast signs of improvement.

There has been a reported rise in Somalis from the diaspora returning to the country, an increase in the availability of education for children and a sign that the government is extending its influence beyond the capital Mogadishu, a city which is starting to show signs of economic recovery despite continued terror attacks.

The conference involved much discussion regarding possible strategies for the way forward in Somalia. However, it has left more questions than answers and unveiled the numerous issues, actors and topics of debate which can be posed when it comes to what was once known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean.’ As was expected, a total of £50 million was pledged by nations including America, Britain and China to be put towards building the Somali army and police force. Britain then went on to pledge an additional £35 million (approximately $54 million) to further strengthen security forces and protect the Somali coastline from pirates.

The European Union committed to providing approximately $57 million to train and strengthen the police and judiciary. In terms of the humanitarian crisis which has occurred due to famine, Britain also committed to provide $225 million. Cameron emphasised the interests of the Somali people. “After two decades of bloodshed and some of the worst poverty on earth, hope is alive in Somalia, now it is time to fulfil the hope for the people of Somalia. That is what they have been living and waiting for, and we must not let them down.”

As wonderful as it would be to believe that the actions and involvements of the British and their fellow contributors are entirely altruistic, perhaps it is best not to delve into such idealism. Western governments have always been honest about the threats posed to them by the rise of ‘terrorism and extremism.’

The British premier himself has stated: “These challenges are not just issues for Somalia. They matter to Britain – and to the whole international community, because when young minds are poisoned by radicalism and they go on to export terrorism and extremism, the security of the whole world is at stake.”

Some cynics would go a step further and acknowledge the natural resources which Somalia harbours. It is in a strategic location and its recovery from a 20-year war means it is a welcoming prospect for large British companies. Perhaps this too is reason for Britain’s continued interest and involvement in the country. The greater cynics among us suggest that Turkey’s surprising involvement in Somalia has also motivated increased British interest.

So busy have Western states been in watching China in Africa that they may have not expected Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan’s visit to Somalia in 2011. The Turkish approach to aid in Somalia has boosted its popularity with the people and provided Turkey with the opportunity to expand economically in Africa, which perhaps is a worrying prospect for competing governments.

In terms of the extremist threat particularly from al-Queda linked al- Shabab, one wonders if participation in such a conference may just worsen the situation. A statement by al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr expressed disapproval of the conference. Much of the grievances held by the organisation, stem from the continued involvement of Western countries in Somalia.

Zubeyr stated that the aim of the conference and the international community at large was to undermine Islamic Law in Somalia, gain access to the country’s mineral wealth and impose Western ideals under the guise of morality and cooperation.  He encouraged further acts of terrorism and the following day seven people in Mogadishu were killed as a result of a suicide attack.

Though there is no negotiating with terrorists, the above brings about two issues for debate; firstly, the continuing suicide attacks and the number of young people subscribing to al-Shabab views, suggests dissatisfaction within parts of the Somali populace which cannot be ignored. Secondly, is growing relations with the West the solution for this? Furthermore, is strengthening the army and fighting violence with violence, necessarily going to bring about the change so required in the country?

When looking at the success of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), it seems that Western government assistance with funding African troops has proven to be a success in Somalia. Uganda, Burundi and Kenya are just some of the countries who have led the fight against al-Shabab and brought stability to the region. America along with a number of other states has continued to contribute millions of dollars and weaponry to the African Union Mission.

Figures released by the UN suggest that almost 3,000 AU peacekeepers have been killed in Somalia in recent years. The alleged sidelining of President Museveni and President Kenyatta at the conference makes one wonder whether the British government have acknowledged the contribution of Somalia’s neighbours in this process. This then brings us to what was perhaps the most neglected issue at the conference and can be considered key in creating an environment of peace and stability in Somalia, that of internal dialogue and domestic relations within the country and its autonomous regions.

In 2012, a similar conference was held in Turkey which encouraged dialogue between representatives of Somalia and Somaliland. Somaliland is considered by much of the international community as an autonomous region of Somalia; it has, however, functioned as an independent state for a number of years.  No representative of Somaliland was present at the UK- Somali a Conference, partly in protest at the UK government not recognising it as a separate country.

The lack of encouragement in involving Somaliland in this conference is baffling at best. Surely, domestic unity and relations should be priority in the case of a country like Somalia which has suffered internal tensions for years.

Also, Somaliland has largely enjoyed a peaceful and perhaps good level of stability for a number of years.  Part of the reason for this was the 1993 Conference of Elders which involved a council of 150 elders representing each clan meeting to create institutions, vote on issues related to governance and disarmament and ensure inclusive political representation.   Surely, this example is enough proof that any conference regarding peace in Somalia must emphasise actions which need to address internal challenges.

There are a number of clans and semi- autonomous regions in the country which have held back from openly supporting and openly challenging the new government.  Promises of federalism, decentralised power and equal distribution of resources and authority have allowed for a fragile environment of peace and cooperation. In order to strengthen this, it is as important to encourage the usage of localised conflict resolution mechanisms as it is to deal with terrorists, pirates and external threats.

In the case of Somalia, as with other conflicts, the real victims have been the civilians caught in the crossfire, as goes the famous saying ‘when two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.’ If channelled in the right way, perhaps the funding and commitment of cooperation will finally bring peace to the Somali people, many of whom have perhaps experienced hell on earth.

However, in this situation another African proverb comes to mind, ‘Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you.’ One can only hope that in the case of Somalia, clarity prevails in terms of who the crocodiles are.

samiraa3@hotmail.com

The officials say they are struggling to show that the vaccination is safe.

BBC Radio 4′s The Report has found that the discredited former doctor Andrew Wakefield visited some Somali groups in the US.

Health authorities there blame him for the drop-off in MMR vaccinations.

Andrew Wakefield, who now lives in Texas, says Somalis in Minnesota already had fears about autism and MMR before his visit.

Somali Bakita Mohamed Haji lives in north-west London with her 10-year-old daughter, who suffers from autism.

Fears reinforced

She says her daughter’s condition started after she was given the jab.

“My daughter was born normally but when I started the MMR, my daughter changed. Screaming all the time, crying. I went to the hospital and they said it’s autism. I don’t understand it. I’d never heard of it.”

“A number of individuals reached out to the community who planted the seed that there might be concerns about vaccination” Kristen Ehresmann Minnesota department of health

She wishes her daughter had never had the injection, which she believes caused the condition.

Health experts say her fears, and those of other parents, have been reinforced by a common belief in their community that only the children of Somali families that emigrate to the West develop autism, whereas those who stay at home do not.

While there is no solid evidence to confirm this, a small study of immigrants in Stockholm, the Swedish capital, did suggest that families using services for autistic children were more likely than expected to be from West and East Africa.

Discredited study

And separate research in the UK also found there was a higher than average incidence of autism in children born to African mothers – but it did not establish a reason why.

The fears of Somali parents echo those sparked by a study in The Lancet medical journal that linked MMR with autism.

The study was discredited and withdrawn. Andrew Wakefield, the lead author, was struck off by the General Medical Council because of ethical concerns about his methods.

A subsequent raft of research has found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism, and average vaccination rates are back up to 94% in England for five-year-olds receiving the first dose of MMR.

Parents frustrated

But take-up of the vaccine is much lower among Somali children in the UK and in the US.

In Minnesota in the Midwest, the Somali American Autism Foundation has pledged to find out what causes the condition in their children.

Idil Abdul runs the foundation and has a son, 10, who is autistic.

“If your child is sick, the goal is you take them to the doctor and the doctor tells you what’s wrong with the kid and how to make him better. With autism, we go to the doctor and they say, ‘We don’t have a cause, we don’t have a cure, too bad, so sad, you might not get access to early intervention, have a nice day.’”

“It is very difficult to dislodge beliefs from whatever community if they’re dealing with a disease that isn’t adequately explained” Prof David Salisbury Director of immunisation at the Department of Health

She does not believe there is a link between MMR and autism but says parents are frustrated because they do not feel their concerns are being listened to by the authorities.

‘Planted the seed’

Andrew Wakefield visited Minnesota at least three times between 2010 and 2011, promising research to find answers to their questions.

The Minnesota department of health says his visit contributed to a drop-off in MMR uptake among Somalis and says only around 50% of Somali children now receive the vaccine.

Kristen Ehresmann, the state’s director of infectious disease, believes he had an influence on Somali perspectives.

“There were a number of individuals who reached out to the community who planted the seed that there might be concerns about vaccination and what role it could play.

“Since that time we’ve seen vaccination rates drop off accordingly.”

Andrew Wakefield denies his visit caused the drop in Somali children having the MMR jab, claiming the trend was already happening.

‘Vaccination champions’

He said: “The reason that I was invited was to help address the Somalis’ pre-existing fears about developmental regression in their children following MMR immunisation.”

Although there are no official statistics, vaccination rates are also believed to be low among Somali children in London.

Shukri Osman, a parent of an autistic child, estimates that only half the Somali parents she knows have taken up the vaccine.

She lives in Brent in north-west London. The local council said: “There are a number of groups and communities in Brent where uptake rates for immunisation have been low. Low uptake rates in the Somali community has been recognised for a number of years.”

It is currently training up “community vaccination champions” and now has an immunisation team with Somali-speakers.

Engrained perceptions

Prof David Salisbury, the director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said: “We know that there is not an association between MMR and autism, and that I’m sure has been said many times to Somali community leaders.”

But even he admits it will be hard to change what may have become engrained perceptions.

“I think we know it is very difficult to dislodge beliefs from whatever community if they’re dealing with a disease that isn’t adequately explained on the basis of the cause. ”

You can listen again to The Report on BBC Radio 4 via the Radio 4 website or The Report download.

Hundreds of people crowded into the gym at the Bryan Coyle Center to participate in the Ward 6, Precinct 3 caucus on April 16 in Minneapolis. Mohamed Jama, in blue, passed out ballot cards and assisted women who wanted to be elected to the Ward 6 convention.

It reinforced and reminded me that recent immigrants will soon be integrated into this society and frictions/problems will resolve themselves. History bears this to be true.”

These sentences were written on an evaluation form completed by police officers attending one of the seminars that I conduct for law enforcement officers from time to time. It was an event at the Anoka Police Department several years ago. The forms were filed anonymously, but I wish I knew the evaluator’s name so that I could credit him or her.

That note gave me hope and increased my trust in our law enforcement system, arising, as it did, from a Twin Cities suburb where most inhabitants have few encounters with immigrant communities. It came as a surprise to me that a police officer (or police department employee) would be so optimistic about immigrant communities.

Back then, I thought there might be a long way to go before those beautiful words could come true, that the officer in question was exaggerating. But it didn’t take me long to see the light of hope at the end of the tunnel — a reality that recently arrived communities are integrating into mainstream society.

As one current example, you may have learned through the major media that, in Minneapolis, the election of DFL Party delegates is coming up soon. But you’d think the election were tomorrow if you could listen to Somalis talking in the coffee shops where they gather after long days of work. The election is already eliciting constant debate. The differences among the candidates are discussed, as are their positions on city issues like the budget, neighborhoods, security and so on.

It is interesting that two Somali candidates are running for the positions involved and that Somali-Americans, residents of Minneapolis, are talking about whom they plan to vote for and the reasoning behind their support. In my judgment and humble experience, the city is not yet ready for a mayor drawn from the ethnic Somali or East African communities. But running for the post is a good start.

It is a reflection of the feeling of the Somali-Americans, and of their willingness to participate in the democratic process of their city. It is a sign indicating that these, my own people, at last believe what we’ve heard for many years — that America is a land of opportunities.

Let this experience be a reason to bring unity among Somali-Americans so that they can work together toward a strengthening of our forces as a community. Numbers and voices matter in this country and in the West in general, and we must actively participate in the development of our new country, the United States.

And one more point: I sincerely hope that the media will begin to depict the Somali community in a more positive light. For up to now, at the hands of the local news outlets, we have been a defenseless community whose image has been continuously undermined by the negative stereotypes.

——————

Abdi G. Elmi, is a trainer on diversity and cultures in Minneapolis. He can be reached at kaalmays@gmail.com.

Associated Press:

With more regions of Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu, at peace for the first time in 20 years, health care workers are expanding vaccination programs and can now access 40 percent of south-central Somalia, where the influence of hardline Islamic insurgents is highest. Three years ago, health workers could access only 15 to 20 percent of that territory.

Mogadishu — Amina Ali, 32, is among a growing number of Somali women who are returning to Mogadishu to start their own businesses after years of living abroad.

Due to ongoing strife in Somalia, Ali left home in 2002 and ended up at the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, where she stayed for two years. In 2004, she was one of 500 Somalis who were given the opportunity to resettle in the United States.

While living in the state of Virginia, Ali experienced a lifestyle far different than the one she had in the refugee camp. She said she was able to earn a comfortable living and graduated from Northern Virginia Community College in 2009 with an associate degree in business administration.

She said she saved money for five years before returning to Somalia to invest her savings. Since returning home on January 14th, Ali opened a furniture store in Mogadishu’s Hamar Weyne district that employs a staff of five.

“I was not counting on making a big profit, but I started this business to create jobs, since the country currently does not have many employment opportunities,” she said.

“The important thing is to create a new path for people in the diaspora to create employment opportunities for the youth,” Ali said, adding that security improvements gave her confidence to return to Somalia. “People should not be discouraged if they cannot make a big investment in their country. I would tell men and women in the diaspora that even if they can [only] afford a business that employs only one person, it is a big contribution.”

Faisa Ali, 28, returned to Mogadishu in November 2012 after eight years in Oslo, Norway. With the money she saved abroad, Ali opened an electronics store in Waberi district.

“I felt a lot of excitement and nostalgia to finally see my country peaceful and I am very happy that I am now back in Somalia,” she said. “I did not believe that I would make a big profit when I started this business venture, but I have received what I was hoping for and much more, and now I am hoping to expand it.”

Muna Ahmed, 25, returned to Mogadishu in January after 10 years in Kenya. She opened a beauty parlour in Hamar Weyne district and employs six women who she trained.

“I have been in this line of business for seven years,” she said. “To open the business, I invested $4,000 that I collected with the help of relatives who live abroad.”

She said her salon is unique because it uses modern equipment. She charges women $30 for regular cosmetic services and $100 for services in preparation for weddings. “My average monthly profit is $2,200 and the increasing number of weddings in Mogadishu has encouraged us to operate our business until late at night,” she said

Dr. Hawa Abdi, a beloved Somali doctor known as “Mama Hawa,” has sheltered and treated thousands in Somalia throughout her decades-long career.

The other guests at the swanky downtown Toronto hotel do not realize they have a celebrity in their midst.

A survey conducted by the ministries of planning for the two regions and UNICEF found very encouraging figures on young children’s education. In Puntland, the number of students enrolled in primary education went from 26 percent to 43 percent over the last five years. A smaller rise was reported in Somaliland.

Susannah Price, the chief of communications for UNICEF Somalia, says communities are benefiting from an increasing number of schools being built in the region.

“UNICEF, for example, have worked very hard on training enough teachers, working on non-formal education as well as alternative kind of education – for example for the pastoralist children,” she said. “We have also worked with community committees within the community, helping to support them and also help with building classrooms, building schools. Education is absolutely key for the future of Somalia.”

However, challenges remain in convincing parents to send girls to school just like boys.

Price says her organization promotes gender equality in education and is striving to improve girls’ access to education.

“We’ve been focusing on changing attitudes on girls’ education, to talk to parents to explain to them why education of girls is as important as to the education of their brothers, why you shouldn’t keep girls at home to do house work while they need to go to the….,” she said. “We’ve also helped with scholarships for girls to get them to school, to get them to higher education and to change their attitudes as well and to use girls who have succeeded in education to talk to other girls to persuade them to come to school as well.”

UNICEF says education could help the regions improve in other areas of development that are lagging behind, such as health care.

The survey showed no great improvement in health and nutrition in the past five years, while immunization coverage also remains low.

The report only covered the autonomous and semi-autonomous regions of Somalia, as surveyors said it was too dangerous to conduct research in central and southern Somalia. But they are planning to organize a survey for the rest of Somalia when security improves.

Minnesotans for a Fair Economy said U.S. Bank has agreed to open an account with Dahab-shil, a Minneapolis money service business. A spokeswoman for the Minneapolis-based bank confirmed the agreement.

That account will allow Somalis to send money to their families living in Somalia, 16 months after the last Minnesota bank stopped conducting the transactions, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy said. Many big banks have stopped handling the transfers in recent years, saying the federal requirements designed to crack down on terrorism financing are too complex and not worth the risk. Sunrise Community Banks, a group of independently managed banks, stepped in to fill the need. But in late 2011, Sunrise Community Banks announced it would stop processing the transactions.

In an email, U.S. Bank spokeswoman Teri Charest said over the past year the bank has worked closely with money transfer businesses seeking to send money to Somalia, which lacks a structured banking system. The bank already partners with Western Union, which has outlets in Somalia, but that network does not have as broad a distribution as the Somali community wishes, she said.

“We recognize the need and want to be able to help families send money to their relatives outside of the United States,” Charest said.

Somalis in Minnesota, which is home to the largest U.S. Somali community, say their families in Africa might not survive without the monthly remittances they send them. The country was hit hard by drought and famine in 2011, and in January, the U.S. formally recognized the Somali government for the first time since the country fell into anarchy in 1991. The Somali militant group al-Shabab once controlled almost all of Mogadishu. African Union and Somali forces pushed the militants out of the city in 2011, but the fighters have continued to carry out bomb attacks.

“We are pleased that we may have recently found a solution with one remitter in Minneapolis. Although it has taken us some time to get through this process given the complexity of the issues and regulations, we expedited our approval and monitoring to the full extent possible,” Charest said.

“This is a very exciting day, not only for my business and me, but also for our entire community,” Mohamed Nor of Dahab-shil said in a news release. “I would like to thank U.S. Bank for continuing this conversation over the last year and for taking this important step today. Somali Minnesotans and our families look forward to beginning to restore our lifeline.”

The bank hopes to start the transfers soon, Charest said.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud and Somaliland President Ahmed Silanyo came together for the first time in a tripartite meeting held by top Turkish officials at the request of the two parties in Ankara. Somali Minister Abdul Karim H. Guled and Somaliland Foreign Minister Mohamed Omar signed the communiqué on behalf of their governments to restart dialogue between the two sides and decided to have another meeting in İstanbul within 90 days.

The purpose of the meeting was to reopen dialogue after the leadership change in the Somali Federal Republic, and to establish a way forward for dialogue. A new government took office in Somalia after elections held last September.

The Somali and Somaliland leaders agreed on the need to consolidate cooperation on the security sector through sharing intelligence and training as well as sharing scholarships for sector professionals in order to become more effective in the fight against terrorism, extremism, piracy, activities such as illegal fishing, toxic dumping and maritime crime.