Ibrahim
Khadar Sa’ed
(Candidate
in Peace and Conflict Studies at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies,
University of Hargeisa)
11 December 2015
Abstract
This
article identifies neglecting Somaliland teenagers, causes of their detention
and without rehabilitation programs. Since the independence of Somaliland there
have been weak and ineffective legal and youth policy frame work which have no
implementation, action and strategic plans. Furthermore, the nation still
doesn’t take any further steps of improving youth situations. Hence, the study
after qualitatively observing the arresting and detaining of youth conflicts
the law argues that these methods are not the solution but can causes act of
violence and desperate youth. By the way, lack of care and protect of street
children can cause violation of human rights and abuses. The article argues
that Somaliland government and its people needs to cooperate strategic plans
and programs which better for their children, like to teach skills and self
development projects rather than detention and arresting.
Introduction
Somaliland
is de facto state or autonomies nation which withdrawn its independent from
Somalia in 1991 after Somaliland civilians suffered a lot of atrocities from
the military regime of Siyad Barre. Hence, Somaliland population decided to took
the principle of self-determination by justifying the injustice and atrocities
of Sayid Barr’s government.
For
the two decades that Somaliland working to build on the sovereignty, economic,
political structures, and legal systems, socio-economic and also international
relation there have been lessons learned because of the circumstances, such as
to forgot youth which are the force of this nation.
Somaliland’s
population is below the age of 30’s, while the definition of youth in
Somaliland is set by the National Youth Policy as range as 15-35 years, this
means that the majority of Somaliland people are youth. So, International NGOs,
local NGOs or Civil Society forums put their force or funds fight against
immigration (Tahriib) and human trafficking but they don’t even glance what
causes this issues and why does Somaliland youth become organized gangs. These
forums always held workshops, seminars, awareness, but they don’t touch the
needs of teenagers which will result insecurity, piracy, radicalization and
other more act of violence if the government or stakeholder doesn’t work together
to make advanced and clear rehabilitation programs or research about grassroots
of the youth problems.
There
is a National Youth Policy which exists structurally, but it is ineffective. It
is written professional and beautiful words which need implementation, in order
to safeguard the followers of this vulnerable state.
On
the other side, Law enforcement agencies hunts and search gang teenagers, but
they don’t have other choice rather than arresting and detaining youth without
even investigating who they arrest or why they arrest or what crime does this
schoolboy committed or even they don’t have any plan which they reeducate these
teenagers; so these are what we want to discuss in this short article.
Hereby,
the article discusses the situation of youth conflicts the law, especially what
causes organized youth gang and why do they endanger the security of Hargeisa
districts or other regions; those children are the followers and fruits of
Somaliland parents. Most of them are football players or they are organized as
football clubs, but they committed theft, robbery or rape.
Police
forces are detained or arrest without warrant those schoolboy children then we
analyze does arrest without categorizing criminals and innocent school boys are
the last option. Because this problems needs to research and examine.
On
the other side there are street-children which need to care, so the article
will argue the reasons why these children neglected? We dig the legal and laws
which give guarantee the protection and the care of children and youth which
our baseline references include Somaliland constitution, domestic law (branched
the constitution) and international instruments.
Youth Conflicts the law
For
last half decade Hargiesa city, Somaliland, experienced an organized youth gang
who rob and harm whatever they want in the middle of the streets. Day after day
the youth conflicts the law increased and spread different areas in the
country. At the beginning they used axe, knives and strong sticks, but later on
they bought pistols and other light weapons. After that, the situation
escalated, people feared to take Smartphone, pocket money or other valuable
materials in nights, because of their youth. These teenagers most of them are
schoolboys who got chance to the law enforcement agencies and their parents.
Gang
of youths, who used to be organized into football or neighborhood groups are
committing crimes and violence felonies in Hargiesa and some other cities that
is the fact but the more important issues is to figure out why football boys
organized as gangs and committed violence crimes? This is the question needs to
highlight.
Although
Police in Hargeisa battled in gang related violence, but it is better to make
research why this youth doing hooliganism acts? The beginning of this year
Ministry of Interior announce fight against hooliganism and youth gang groups
which endangers security and increase crime rate in Hargeisa, but he didn’t
mention any solution which is not force or pressure on these school boys.
It
is national duty to ensure a healthy physical and
mental growth of the young, and to improve their well being and maturity and it
is constitutional that the state shall give special attention to the promotion
and encouragement of physical education and sports which will be recognized as
one of the basic subjects in the educational curriculum of both state and other
schools.1 but, it become clockwise, because Somaliland youth don’t
have football grounds, quality education, mental improvement programs and also
Ministry of Sports and Youth neglect to held sports competitions, let alone
small competition it failed the national sports.
A
youth without national, community or household encouragement will excite gang
activities they don’t have any other choice, they take risks to become gangs.
This is what causes Hargeisa Youth Gang.
Factors
cause youth to become gangs:
- Lack of jobs for youth
- Poverty compounded by social isolation
- Domestic violence
- Negative peer networks
- Lack of parental supervision
- Early academic failure and lack of school attachment2
Arrest and Detention of Schoolboys
is not an option?
Hargeisa
police always hunt and arrest every boy they seem that he belongs or one of
football club, because this is the concept that Hargeisa population took. If
youth become footballer it doesn’t mean he commits a crime, but it is better to
discover why they rob and loot the people.
In
the evening if you try to move around Hargeisa streets you can see a terrorized
youth who run away and feel that he is guilty of police, maybe he come from a
mosque, maybe he commits a felony. After few minutes police come and frighten
the schoolboys around the streets.
It
is not bad to detain and arrest gangs or every person commit violence crimes,
but there must be rehabilitation and reintegration program in the prison. Somaliland
Jails and prison become a place to learn robbing, raping and killing.
In
the prisons there are dangerous criminals and experienced rapists and gangsters
who can teach a schoolboys what they have experienced and show live practical
how to do it.
On
the other hand, there are no children correctional facilities (Child prison),
because in our police stations and prisons are place suitable to adults not
children. If we arrest children in these place we violate constitutional and
international human right instruments, we have to work a places suitable for
children. If the nation have no ability to build youth correctional facilities
and also they arrest a youth gang how they can prevent a crime, because prisons
is not intend for punishment it is rehabilitation center.
Why Street children are neglected?
“Street
children is any child who lives or roam the streets begging for food or money,
looking for causal work such as washing cars, shoes shinning, or stay on street
to fend for himself/herself using all methods including selling drugs and
stealing from public,” (Save children study, 2013).
In
according this definition and the key findings from this study indicates the number of street children in Somaliland main cities is
not known. However, there are indications that, there has been a steady
increase of street children in the last decade as result of extreme poverty
amplified by continuous natural disasters such as drought, HIV and Aids when a
member of the family is affected, poor economic returns from livestock farming,
and high unemployment rate among youth both in the urban and rural areas3.
It is responsibility of the government to care all these neglected children and
prepare care centers. But it does, implement its role.
On the other hand, poverty, poor working, lack of parental
guidance contributes to the dilemma of street children. These children doesn’t
get quality life, education, shelter, food health care and protection from
physical, sexual and emotional which
government facilitate to them. Let alone to facilitate the legal and policy
instrument for protection of children are week, because implementation and lack
of accountability.
Conclusion
Youth detention without
rehabilitating, neglecting street children, weak legal and in effective you
policy instruments and also lack of youth strategy are the causation of act of
violence such as hooliganism activities, desperate which is the result of
migration and suicide. Even the
insurgent around the world can use teenagers to marginalize the situation of
these young peaceful state (Somaliland) which it neighbors, Somalia is on the
fire.
To hunt, terrorize and detain youth conflicts the law is not an
option, because they think themselves as second citizens, because prison is
like hell to them, if they don’t get any rehabilitation and reintegration
programs such as parole system (conditional release system) the situation will
be what we cannot imagine.
As a nation of Republic of Somaliland, we need to think better way
to solve these problems and also to improve the situation of our neglected
follower or youth which will be the leaders of tomorrow. If we create violence
children and then take the administration of this nation they will cause what
they taught from their environment or their experience from their
population.
Hargeisa, Somaliland
Reference
1. Somaliland
Constitution, 2001
2. Somaliland
National Youth Policy.
3. http://www.violencepreventioninstitute.com/youngpeople.html
4. http://www.gangfree.org/gangs_why.html
5. Save
the Children Study on Street Children in Somaliland
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