Hiiraan Online

The front entrance of the Presidential Palace, Mogadishu, Somalia

Tuesdays attack on the Somali Presidential Palace in Mogadishu by the militant group AlShabaab which was brought to an end by Somali and AMISOM security forces has sent shockwaves through the Somali Diaspora community living in the UK. This was the second attack in the space of a few days against a key Somali government institutions and officials as on Saturday (5th July) a suicide bomb exploded near the capital’s parliament building killing at least four people.

The AlShabaab message, reinforced by its spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, was that the Somali government is not legitimate and in any case, too weak to defend itself even with the support of AMISOM troops. This message was well received in the UK, where arguably the largest Somali Diaspora in the world resides.

“The shop just went quiet when the BBC broke the news of the attack,” said one Somali London resident “The shock for me is that this is the second attack in a week and I am really scared there will be more.” More men joined the conversation and the collective feeling was that the Somali government was losing the fight against AlShabaab on the security front.

“AlShabaab are bad people but they look strong, organised and very scary for Somali people everywhere,” shouted another man who did not want to be named angrily. “They are winning against Somali government and international community because they make us all scared.” Many of the people in the Somali café’s in Wembley, one of the most ethnically diverse areas of London where Somalis live, work and own businesses echoed this sentiment.

The international governments most involved with Somalia’s reconstruction today, including Britain and America, have made it clear many times that they are relying on the Somali Diaspora in their own nations who are mostly citizens too, to rebuild Somalia by returning, investing and working within and with key but infant governmental institutions in the country. Since the election of the first genuinely internationally recognised Somali government led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the improvement in physical security, Diaspora professionals, investors and holiday makers have been returning in large numbers with some taking up government posts.

Transparency Solutions which has a lot of expertise on the Somali Diaspora recently carried out an extensive research in the UK and across Somalia to assess the motivations of the Somali Diaspora returning to Somalia to take part in the rebuilding of the country.

“I was overwhelmed by the desire of Diaspora members to return home. The best way to communicate this change is that before 2011 the number of returnees to Mogadishu that we interviewed was 3%. That figure rose to 53% in 2013,” said Latif Ismail, head of Transparency Solutions. Among the most important motivations for returning were to invest, work and be reunited with family. However, the desire to return was always balanced against and dependent on the security situation in the country.

“Security was the key concern for those who intended to return for whatever purpose and those that did,” explained Latif Ismail.

The Diaspora community who have returned in large numbers to Somalia recently have had a positive impact on the social and economic life of the capital Mogadishu and key regions that surround it. Their continued support for the Somali government and investment in their country will decide its future but the lack of security has hurt much of their confidence in the government’s capabilities especially in the area of security.

“I was planning to open a dry food store with my cousin from Nairobi in Mogadishu but we will wait and see if things get better first,” said a London based taxi driver who did not want to be named. A colleague working for the same Taxi Company, who also did not want to be named, added that the Somali government has to prove it is capable of securing their interest “in every way before we can waste money on building Somalia again.”

Aside from the Diaspora returning and investing, most interviewed for this article felt that Somalia was at risk of returning to insecurity and violence as they feared the international community was getting fed up with the lack of progress of the current government. They expressed their fear of Somalia’s further regional fragmentation in the absence of an effective central government and they worried for their family members and fellow Somalis living with the misery of the violence and uncertainty in Mogadishu.

“This is hell for us you know. Very Big hell for me, my family and Somali people all together,” said a Birmingham based pensioner who was saddened by AlShabaab’s attacks this year on government buildings, officials and the general public at large. “I am an old man but I am worried for the young people who live with fighting every day in my home Somalia.”

Two female Somali British holiday makers who had booked their tickets to Mogadishu with Turkish airlines for this August were debating whether to delay their trip until the security situation was more stable at a travel agent in Shepherds Bush, West London.

“I have 2 small children and I worry for them a lot if something happens so maybe I will change my ticket for Morocco which is safer,” Halima Musa, one of the potential holiday makers to Somalia said. “It is a shame if I do because I was looking forward to it and saving for it all year.”

While the remittance the Somali Diaspora in Britain and across the world sends to support their families is unlikely to cease, the world’s gaze and the Diasporas own personal investment which the country so desperately needs to develop, may not be so permanent if the violence in Somalia continues. This is a message most said they wanted to send to the Somali government.

HOL English News Desk