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Opinions expressed in this column are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of SW.
Exploring
Somalia's Natural Resources - A geological perspective.
Dr.
Osman Salad Hersi, Quebec Geoscience
Center, Quebec
Abstract
Somalia is that part of the northeast Africa sometimes termed as the Horn of Africa. The country has a land area of 637,540 square kilometers, a coastal line of 3,025 kilometers long, and a population of about 7 to 8 million. Hot, arid to semiarid climate prevails in most of the country with a rainfall less than 600 mm/year. The natural resources of the country can be generally divided into 1) Marine resources (fish and salt) 2) surface resources (e.g., forests, wild life, frankincense and Myrrh, surface water, etc), and subsurface resources (e.g., rocks and minerals, fossil fuels, and groundwater). Rocks and minerals that are known to exist and available for exploitation include Tin in the Majiyahan - Dhalan area (south of Bosaso - Ceelayo costal strip), Uranium in the Galgadud and Bur Hakaba areas, Sepiolites of Ceel Bur, Iron-ore in the Dinsor district, quartz, granite, marble, limestone and gypsum in different regions of the country. These natural resources include primary row materials for various kinds of industry, e.g, cement industry, industry for prefabricated walls, roofing, floor and wall tiles, aggregates and concrete production, and industrial minerals. Minerals with high potential include gold, zinc, lead, manganese, aluminum, and graphite. Existence of good petroleum indicators has been known for a while, and recent data highly encourage the exploration potential of the country. Water resources are the most need commodity in Somalia, and many areas with promising considerable groundwater accumulation have been identified. Since we have so many surface, subsurface, and marine resources, then why are we starving? The answer could be summarized as follows: 1- Lack of technology, security, and political stability. 2- Scarcity of professionals and skilled people, and struggle for survival for those few available professionals; 3- Mismanagement and/or lack of sincere, capable, and responsible administration. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SOMALIS: 1- TRUST THAT WE HAVE AMPLE NATURAL RESOURCES; 2- IMPROVE OUR SKILLS AND PERFECT OUR PROFESSIONS; 3- INFORM OUR RICHNESS & THE NEED FOR A GOOD GOVERNANCE; 4- DATA COLLECTION. TO THE FUTURE SOMALI GOVERNMENT 1- SOMALI REGIONS / STATES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THEIR TERRITORIES; 2- GOOD FOREIGN POLICY, FACILITATION OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS, REPATRIATION OF THE SKILLED SOMALIS, ETC. TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1- HELP SOMALIA MORALLY AND MATERIALLY TO ALLEVIATE THE WOUNDS OF THE CIVIL WAR AND TO ESTABLISH GOOD GOVERNANCE; 2- HELP DATA COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION; 3- AT THIS CRITICAL STAGE, CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOST-NEEDED NATURAL RESOURCES: THE WATER; 4- SUPPORT THE STABLE REGIONS TO DEVELOP THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES; 5- ACCOUNTABILITY. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The above is the abstract of a major paper presented at the conference Rebirth of the Somali State-Policy Options and Programme Opportunities for Canada, sponsored by the Som-Can Institute for Research and Development (SCIRD) in collaboration with Partnership Africa Canada (PAC). The two-day conference was held at Parliament Hill's Railway Committee Room and at Carlton University's Southern Hall, Theatre B. The main objectives of the conference were:
Invitees included representatives from the
following:
PROVISIONAL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
253D Parliament Hill, Ottawa
Friday, November 3, 2000
Session 1
Rebirth of Somalia State: Challenges and
Opportunities Ahead
9:00 am-12:00pm
Welcoming/Introduction
Chair: Mrs. Idil Salah and Mr. Ahmed Yusuf
Speakers:
Mr. Ahmed Dahir Shell
Title: The
Cry of Somali Civil Society for Peace
Prespectives from the Recovery Zones for
Lasting Peace
Mr. Ahmed
M. Haji-Jama (Northeast Regions knowns as PUNTLAND)
Title: Puntland State
Rejects the Outcome of "Arta(Djibouti) Process" As it was
Undemocratic, Unrepresentative and Illegal
Mrs. Zaynab Aden (Northwest Regions known as SOMALILAND)
Title: Somaliland
Does NOT Recognize the Transitional Government Appointed in
Djibouti
Questions/Discussions
11:00-11:15 am
Break
Strategic Planning: Concrete
Recommendations from within on
" How can Somali
Diaspora community contribute to strengthen the Somalia Peace and
Development".
Session 11
1:30 Registration (Cont):
2:00pm. Introduction: Mrs. Ebyan Salah, Executive
Director
Som-Can Institute for Research and
Development (SCRID)
2:15pm -6:15pm
Key Note Speaker
Mr. Eugene Bellemara
Parliamentary
Secretary to Minister for International Cooperation
Theme: The Political
Achievments and the Challenges Ahead
Chairperson: Mr.
Ahmed Abdi Hashi Hashara
Speakers:
Mr. Rooble Colhaye,
Djibouti Ambassador to the UN
Title: Djibouti Peace
Initiative for Somalia
Mr. Ahmed Dahir Shell, Co-Chair
Technical Committee for Somalia Peace Conference
Title: Peace From Within
Dr. Babafemi A. Badejo,
Senior Political Advisor, UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)
Title: Somalia,
the United Nations's Role in the Somalia Peace Process and Future
Commitments
4.30 pm Coffee/Tea Break
5pm-6.15pm Questions period, Discussion and
Recommendations
6.15pm Concluding Remarks: Mr. Bernard
Taylor, PAC
Saturday, November 4, 2000
Carlton
University's Southern Hall, Theatre B.
9:00-12:30 Theme: Strengthening
Somalia's Public and Private Sector
Chair: Mrs.
Idil Salah, Development Anthropologist/Consultant
Mr.
Mohamed Dalmar MBA, Settlement
Counselor
Title: Monetary
Experience of Somalia: What can we learn from the past mistakes?
Mr. Abdishakur Abdulle,
MA/PhD Candidate/ Research Scientist
Title: Prioritization
and Investment for Health and Education_a Path to Social
Development for Somalia
Dr. Osman Salad Hersi (PhD),
Geologist
and Researcher
Title: Exploring
Somalia's Natural Resources_Geological Perspectives
Mr. Mohamed Elmi,
Managing Partner with potfolio of Director of Sales/Marketing and
Customer Relations of HornAfrik
Media Inc
Title: Communication
as a Symbol for the Enterprising Private Sectors
10:45-11:15 Coffee/Tea Break
Discussion and Recommendations
Concluding Remarks
12: 30-1:00 Lunch/Prayer/Networking
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