by Abukar Awale
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Dear Mr President ,
Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my heartiest congratulations on your recent election as president of Puntland state of Somalia. I would also like to thank the outgoing former president Abdirahman Sheikh Mohammed Faroole for the good work he has done in Puntland during his tenure. The level of election candidates that threw their hats in the ring was so high that we almost felt spoilt for choice. It may or may not be a majority view but their expertise and experience means that their input in the political process going forward would undoubtedly invaluable to Puntland and Somalia at large. In fact, the very manner in which the election was held is a testament to Puntland’s commitment to political inclusion and peaceful transfers of power from one administration to the next. You have also correctly stated that the role of women in the political process must be expanded as they are the backbone of our society. Of course during your candidacy, the process of selecting MP’s was beyond your remit but during the course of your time in office, it is hoped that steps will be taken to rectify female underrepresentation. I’m confident that this will be one of many positive changes that you will oversee.
Incidentally, change was a recurring theme during your election campaign for a variety of reasons. As I briefly highlighted, your predecessor can be praised for a number of measures he took while in office. However, I feel that the one social factor that was not prioritized accordingly was the rampant use of khat in Somalia in general. If I’m not mistaken, when I directly asked you views about khat during a last visit to London, you stated in no uncertain terms that the use and abuse of khat all over the country was “unacceptable”. You further stated that this was an issue that could no longer be tolerated and that steps would have to be taken to tackle the problem, saying that the spread of its use among children was the driving factor behind your conviction. You were correct in your assertion that a total ban in Somalia at the present time was unrealistic but a more cerebral approach in the form of gradual regulation would be more effective. While I personally would like nothing more than total ban outright, I am inclined to agree with what you at the present time.
Of course, it is only a few days since you assumed the reins of office and I can imagine you have been deluged with congratulatory messages, personals requests, letters and the like. I am merely reminding you of your obligation to protect the most vulnerable parts of society from this evil drug. Perhaps you could put the impact of khat in budgetary terms. As a Harvard trained economist, surely you consider it unacceptable that khat is consumed in Puntland to such an extent that the annual amount spent on it far outstrips the entire budget of the government of Puntland. By propping up the khat trade, we as Somalis are in effect massively contributing to the economic development of Kenya and Ethiopia, thereby perpetuating our own underdevelopment. This is why over a period of many years, I have written countless letters to several influential politicians all over Somalia in the hope that someone will at some point take heed and realise how much destruction has been wrought on our social and cultural landscape by khat.. Regrettably, my letters have not mustered a response to date. However, unlike your predecessors and counterparts, I am confident that you will extend me the courtesy of at least considering the community’s concerns in the form of an acknowledgement if you are unable to personally respond.
To put this in to some kind of perspective, the UK banned khat on the grounds that it harmed British Somalis as a vulnerable minority community. Yet in Somalia the vast majority of the population is affected by it with disastrous consequences, yet it remains readily available to children as young as six. As a matter of fact, when we consider that not only is khat now banned across the western world, it is also illegal in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, and Burundi. The very same Kenyan government that is lobbying the UK to reverse its khat ban and allow unfettered access to its sale and use has even taken steps to regulate khat within its own borders. This hypocrisy is sickening to say the least. Looking at this from a Kenyan perspective, a Meru khat farmer may feel proud that the Kenyan government is defending their interests, albeit to the detriment of the Somali people as khat consumers. It would be encouraging if the Somali federal government or any of its regional administrations would demonstrate the same leadership by defending our rights and protecting us from this drug. I believe that this in actual fact presents you as an individual and Puntland as a state with a golden opportunity to demonstrate some desperately needed leadership on this matter.
Yours sincerely
Abukar Awale
the lead Anti-khat campainer
https://twitter.com/Abukarawale