It is true: Mogadishu is Somalia and Somalia is Mogadishu

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Three weeks ago the President of the Puntland State of Somalia, Mr. Abdiweli Gaas, paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During his highly publicized diplomatic tour, President Abdiweli spoke on a wide range of topics. In one of his widely disseminated speeches, the Professor blamed the catastrophic collapse of Somalia in 1991 on excessive and abusive centralization of power by what he referred to as ‘the Mogadishu city-state’. He confidently and categorically declared that calamitous era over, and proclaimed the birth of a new, federal Somalia. ‘Somalia is not Mogadishu and Mogadishu is not Somalia,’ he stated in a triumphant note. The flamboyant Professor is not known for measured and responsible statements. But this time around he seemed to project a more confident leader who knew what he was talking about.

However, yesterday the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) proved him wrong. PM Khaire informed the nation that when it comes to education Somalia is Mogadishu and Mogadishu is Somalia. Flanked by the Federal Minister of Education and the Governor of Banadir Region/Mayor of Mogadishu, PM Khaire stated that he was delighted to witness the successful start of the 2017- 2018 school year examinations. The remarks by the Prime Minister, Federal Education Minister, and Mayor of Mogadishu, reveal critical issues that lie at the heart of the political, developmental and constitutional crises afflicting the country.

Stunning Numbers

The numbers presented by the Prime Minister, the Education Minister and the Mayor were stunning here. To understand and appreciate the full meaning of what was said, it is important to put it in a proper demographic context. The Population Estimation Survey conducted by the United Nations Population Fund in 2014 puts the number of Somalis at 12 million. Only 1.6 million (13%) of the total population live in the Banaadir Region, i.e. Mogadishu. Yet, 21,000 (60%) of the 35,000 students who sat for the annual examinations came from Mogadishu, according to the Federal Ministry of Education. The rest of the country, 10.4 million corresponding to 87% of the population, accounted for only 14,000 (40%) of the lucky few who qualified to sit for the exams. According to the details provided by the Federal Education Ministry yesterday, Puntland and Somaliland could manage only a third, 7,400, of what Mogadishu achieved. The remaining four Federal Member States (FMS) - Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest, and Jubbaland - came up with a combined figure of 6,600, a third of Mogadishu share. The rural/nomadic Somalis  who represent over 60% of the population and account for more than 50% of the country’s export earnings do not even feature in the statistics. In the scheme of things outlined yesterday, Mogadishu is Somalia and Somalia is Mogadishu.
It is important to note that the current government is not responsible for the inequalities and  imbalances in the education system. This is one of the many problems it inherited. However, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) would boost its standing and credibility if it admits that there is a serious problem and then moves quickly to do something about it.
Hassan KEYNAN is former Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at Lafole and a former Senior  UNESCO Education expert in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in Hamburg, Germany


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