Somali Research Articles

Comparing tooth development timing between ethnic groups, excluding nutritional and environmental influences.

The timing of dental development in ethnic Finns and Somalis, who were born and living in Finland, was compared, with efforts to minimize environmental bias. The developmental status of seven lower left permanent teeth were staged according to Demirjian et al., using panoramic radiographs from 2,100 Finnish and 808 Somali females and males, aged 2 to 23 years. For each tooth, a continuation-ratio model was constructed to analyze the allocated stages as a function of sex and ethnic origin. Several statistically significant differences in mean age of certain tooth developmental stage transitions were revealed. While Somalis generally displayed stage transitions at younger age, none of the seven teeth consistently showed earlier stage transitions in Somalis compared to Finns. Within each tooth, the lowest (or highest) mean age of stage transition varied without any discernible pattern between the two ethnic groups. Overall, the observed differences in mean age of stage transition between the groups was minimal, suggesting a low impact on clinical and forensic age assessment practice. In conclusion, the studied ethnic Finn and Somali groups with equal nutritional and /or environmental conditions exhibit similar timing in the development of all lower left permanent teeth.

Normative and Security Challenges of Transborder Ethnic Kinship in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia

Abstract This article extends the study of securitization of cross-border ethnicity beyond its conventional European focus, by analyzing ongoing security challenges surrounding ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia and their relationship to neighboring Somalia. In methodological terms, it looks beyond the irredentist prism through which this case is usually considered, applying newer conceptual and normative frameworks on cross-border ethnicity developed in a European context and assessing their applicability to Africa. Applying Brubaker's “triadic nexus' concept to the Ethiopian case, I discuss how the conclusion of the Ethiopia-Somalia war and Somalia's collapse as an external kin state did not end the securitization of cross-border Somali kinship, but merely repackaged it in new forms. In this regard, the article highlights a continued need to ensure the human security of Somalis in Ethiopia by recognizing and accommodating them as a cross-border ethnic group. From the standpoint of contemporary norms on the regulation of minority issues in interstate relations, the federalization model adopted by Ethiopia after 1991 seems to provide a promising foundation. Thus far, however, the hegemonic nature of the federal project has failed to grant Somalis an appropriate measure of internal self-determination.

A hybrid framework for sustaining and managing Somali indigenous knowledge

This paper represents the important of preserving Somali Indigenous Knowledge for the future generations to come. This paper presents a systematic review of the indigenous knowledge Management Systems deployed for different sectors in Africa and other countries in the world. The acquisition and management of IK is being used to rejuvenate endangered cultural practices and improve domestic socio-economic sustainability of Somali society. This paper presents how social media platforms and their components could be integrated into the KMS to manage and sustain Somali Indigenous knowledge (IK). The discovery of knowledge and its utilization is now fueled by the advancement of technology, which connects users to external sources through different platforms. The rapidly increasing use of SM and mobile technologies creates opportunities to form knowledge networks that can facilitate the process of creating, preserving, and sharing knowledge and skills that are unique to communities in the Somali context. As an oral society with rich IK and other cultural practices, Somali society lacked a framework to organize the existing knowledge in various methods. We used knowledge products from journal articles, policy documents, working papers, policy briefs, and other gray literature. The paper refers to existing methodology E-learning and KM functions. If properly integrated, this method first identifies functional similarities between SM, E-Learning, and KM systems and their interactions. The proposed framework consists of two functional parts; KM and SM. The KM part involves knowledge capturing, validation, formatting, storing, and distribution. SM part of the framework involves knowledge presentation, sharing, and application. Since the Somalis are said to be an oral society, this framework helps to capture and disseminate IK residing in knowledge holders.

Keynan Somali Equation Theory: An Empirical Attempt to Explain What Led to the Collapse of the Somali State

With the introduction of the contemporary state structure in Somalia, there have been and still are ways to explain what led to the collapse of the state. There have been many attempts from scholars who viewed the Somali case from different perspectives to explain what led to the state crumbling. The Somali state collapse has rejected conventional wisdom and evaded almost all attempts to impose a particular structure, explanation, or conclusion upon it. Much has been written and said about the country, particularly since 1991. One serious attempt which may help explain the Somali case is the Keynan Theory of Somali Equation (KSET). KSET is a philosophical attempt to explain the Somali state's collapse by theorising the country's political and social context, the factors that contributed to its demise, and the steps necessary for the Somali people to reconstruct their state. This paper will attempt to analyse and examine the theoretical framework of the phenomenon of social order fragmentation, which is the foundation of KSET. Applying the theory will further attempt to shed light on the factors that led to the establishment and continuation of Somali society. It will also examine "the complex of ideas, values, beliefs and institutions that define and underpin the Somali society" by looking at the methodology applied in KSET.

Khat-Chewing, Adiaphorisation and Morality: Rethinking Ethics in the Age of the Synopticon

In June 2014, the UK Government made khat (Catha edulis) a Class C drug under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act. Based on limited evidence, this decision went against the Government's own Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and has divided members of the British–Somali diaspora, where khat is a popular form of recreation. The Government’s decision to ban khat highlights broader questions regarding how ethical legislation is implemented within post-industrial societies, exposing postcolonial power systems that ‘Other’ migrant groups through synoptic control. Based on qualitative interviews with members of the Somali diaspora and external agencies in Northern England, the research explores how this system fails to consider khat's complex moral position while framing users and those living within the diaspora as deviant.

Obstacles of conflicts on banana production and marketing in the agricultural development project of Merka district in Lower Shabelah region, south Somalia

The purpose of this study is to investigate the economic impact of the decline in banana exports in the Merka district, Somalia. Bananas and their business constitute the backbone of Somalia's economy, being the second most crucial component after livestock. Various reasons, including the civil war in Somalia and poor security, led banana companies to cease exporting, resulting in a significant economic impact on Somali society. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey approach, distributing a designed questionnaire to the target population comprising 60 banana experts, farmers, economists, and other exporters. The researchers used the Slovenian formula to determine a sample size of 52 individuals and employed a non-probability purposive sampling method. For data analysis, descriptive statistical analysis with mean and standard deviation was conducted using the SPSS application version 16. According to the study's results, the majority of respondents, 69.2 per cent, attributed the fall in banana exports to a lack of security. Similarly, 48.1 per cent of respondents attributed the decline to inappropriate marketing. Additionally, 36.5 per cent of respondents agreed that the lack of infrastructure was the cause, while 42.3 per cent attributed it to the absence of government facilities. I strongly agree with this assessment. Finally, 30.8 per cent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that land conflicts were responsible for the decline in banana exports in Merka, Somalia. The researchers recommended enhancing security in banana plantation areas, modernising existing markets and exploring new ones, incentivising local production and improving infrastructure, particularly roads connecting plantations to markets.

Peace Education and Conflict Prevention in Somalia

This study focused on Peace Education and Conflict Prevention in Somalia. The specific objectives of the study were to find out the different perceptions of the Somali people on peace education and conflict prevention in Somalia, to explore the importance of peace education in conflict prevention in Somalia and to determine the relationship between peace education and conflict prevention in Somalia. The study used qualitative research design using documentary analysis of various perspectives of the Somali people and that of scholars. The goal of the researcher was to expose the perspective of Somali educators on the importance of peace education and the possible causes and consequences of the conflict as well as the relationship that exist between peace education and conflict in Somalia. This study carried out a critical review of existing literature with in-depth interviews with key informants from the education sector. By employing qualitative approach in the study, the researcher carried out a thorough investigation into a wide range of secondary. Data was collected via the use of documentary review and interview guide. The study also relied on secondary data from textbooks, journals, and academic papers. The main findings of the study revealed that that peace education contributes to conflict prevention in Somalia. This was clearly revealed from the finding of the study where majority of the respondents an overwhelming majority of over (90%) of the participants in the study showed positive and relevant perception about peace education being the best tool that can be used to prevent conflict in Somalia, the study revealed that (100%) of the participants in the study agreed that peace education is vastly important in as far as conflict prevention is concerned in Somalia and lastly the study revealed that (100%) of the participants agreed and noted that peace education is related to conflict prevention. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education of the Federal Republic of Somalia and should reform and revise the current secondary and primary schools curriculum and then incorporate peace education with all the required contents which are instrumental in providing in-depth knowledge and skills to prevent conflict in Somalia, the Ministry of Education of Somalia should review the structure of the peace education programme goals, and its organization in order to bear fruits it is prepared for. Teachers, students, and parents are not familiar with the target goals and structure of peace education in Somalia. It is in this context that the program is still unpopular among these groups of people and the Federal Government of Somalia should ensure proper and timely training of teachers on peace education.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus among people in Somalia and among Somalian immigrants in diaspora: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus among people in Somalia and among Somalian immigrants in diaspora: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Khat chewing habit among high school students in Kabridahar City of Somali regional state, Ethiopia: prevalence and determining factors

ABSTRACT Background & Objective Khat has been used by about 10 million people in Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya. Several epidemiological studies highlighted the adverse health and social problems associated with excessive khat use. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of khat use in secondary schools in Kabridahar where the use of khat is widely seen as problematic. Methods and Materials We conducted a cross-sectional study with a random sample of 251 children from three secondary schools in Kabridahar, Somali region of Ethiopia. We used demographic and khat questionnaires to collect data. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were employed to examine associations between variables. Result The study found a 16.7% lifetime prevalence of khat chewing and 8.4% current use among the secondary school children, respectively. Being a male student, having a smoking habit, befriending a khat chewer, having a family member who chews, and low level of literacy in the students’ responsible individual were found to be significantly associated with khat chewing habit among students. Conclusion The overall result of the present study indicates that the lifetime and current khat chewing prevalence were high for school children.

Assemblages of mobility and violence: the shifting social worlds of Somali youth migration and the meanings of tahriib, 2005–2020

ABSTRACT Drawing on two periods of fieldwork (2007–2008 and 2019–2020) conducted between Somaliland and Italy, this article traces, from a longitudinal perspective, the migratory journeys from Somalia to Libya and Europe of a new generation of young asylum-seekers. The underlying thread linking the two temporal frames is the transformations of the word tahriib. Travelling between Libya and Somalia, the word takes on new meanings: while in the emerging institutional language on migration, the word referred to growing dimensions of control and containment of mobility (in Arabic it refers to human smuggling), for the new generation of young Somali asylum-seekers it alluded initially to a dimension of danger, adventure, and generational rupture, and then became increasingly associated with violence and disruption. These transformations, I argue, reveal the shifting social worlds of Somali youth migration, where protracted crises in the country of origin and struggles for social inclusion in the new transnational Somali society had to adjust to increasingly restrictive forms of regulation of international migration. As the destructive transformations of tahriib unfold, their effects pervade not only the areas of origin and transit but also affect the attempts at integration in European countries, showing the deceitful and uncertain nature of diaspora.

Exploring Myocardial Infarction Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Among Mogadishu's Somali Residents.

Myocardial infarction and cardiovascular disease are significant global health issues, particularly in Somalia. The Somali population faces challenges due to armed conflict, limited education, and underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure. Cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are prevalent, and Somali people face increased susceptibility. This study examined Somalia residents' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards myocardial infarction using a cross-sectional paper-based questionnaire. The sample consisted of 313 urban residents in Mogadishu, aged 20 and above. The questionnaire was written in Somali and was designed for the demographic. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were categorized into two groups, with associations between knowledge, attitude, and practice with sociodemographic and health characteristics assessed using Logistic Regression. This study analyzed data from A random sample of participants who arrived at the hospital for various reasons regarding their perceptions, attitudes, and responses towards myocardial infarction. The mean age was 42 ±19 years, with 54% being male and 46% female. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, followed by dyslipidemia and diabetes. Over half of the respondents had no formal education, and only 3.8% had a smoking history. About 5.7% had a previous history of myocardial infarction. The mean knowledge score was 11.07 ± 0.697, with 53.35% of respondents not knowing enough about myocardial infarction. The majority of the patients showed a favorable attitude, but only a slight majority could recognize symptoms of myocardial infarction. The majority of the patients had inadequate practice and behavior, with 53.6% not practicing regularly or engaging in sports. The research highlights gaps in Mogadishu's Somali community's knowledge and practices regarding myocardial infarction. It emphasizes the need for health education, primary care, and community involvement to improve cardiovascular health awareness and reduce MI incidence.

One Health in Somalia: Present status, opportunities, and challenges

One Health (OH) is an integrated approach aiming at improving the health of people, animals, and ecosystems. It recognizes the interconnectedness of human health with the health of animals, plants, and the environment. Since Somali people's livelihoods are mainly based on livestock, agriculture, marine resources, and their shared environment, OH-oriented initiatives could significantly impact the country toward reducing complex problems affecting the health of humans, animals, and the environment. The term “One Health” was first introduced into the global scientific community in September 2004 and in 2013 in Somalia. After ten years, there is still a long road ahead for implementing the OH approach in the country. Herein, we present the status, opportunities, and challenges of OH in Somalia and recommend ways to promote and institutionalize it. The country has been involved in various OH initiatives solely driven by external funding, focusing on research, capacity development, and community interventions, apart from university-led initiatives such as Somali One Health Centre. In Somalia, OH initiatives face numerous challenges, ranging from limited infrastructure and resources to weak governance and institutional capacity. We urge the Somali government to address these challenges and prioritize OH as the main approach to tackling critical health issues. We suggest the Somali government institutionalize and implement OH actions at all administrative levels, including Federal, State, District, and community, through a mechanism to improve multisectoral coordination and collaboration to predict, prevent, detect, control, and respond to communicable and non-communicable diseases at the human-animal-ecosystem interface for improving health outcomes for all.

From Lords of Corruption to Leeches of Theo-mafia: The Suffering of the People in Somalia

This paper presents comprehensive strategies for combating corruption and countering terrorism in the context of Somalia's aspiration for peace, democracy, and prosperity. Acknowledging the interconnectedness of these challenges, the strategies offer a multi-dimensional approach tailored to Somalia's unique circumstances. 
 The anti-corruption strategy focuses on strengthening institutions, promoting transparency, and instigating a cultural shift away from corrupt practices. It also underscores responsible lending and the pursuit of total debt relief to enable economically productive projects.
 The counter-terrorism strategy adopts a holistic approach, combining military actions with economic incentives, ideological reorientation, and rehabilitation. It emphasizes community-centered collaborations, religious engagement, and reintegration programs for former combatants. These strategies are designed to guide policymakers, academia, and stakeholders in shaping Somalia's trajectory towards a more just, secure, and prosperous future.

Marriage as a pathway for justice for the Gabooye of Somaliland

ABSTRACT While marriage is crucial in the preservation of clan alliances, as well as the reinforcing of the wider kinship structure in Somali society, there is very little research that critically engages with marriage as a concept for emancipation. This paper argues that as a minority clan group, members from the Gabooye collective in Somaliland experience inequality due to a lack of access to the resources needed for reaching full participatory parity, such as recognition, redistribution, and representation. By conceptualising a political economy of marriage in Somaliland, the paper uses empirical data from Somaliland to illustrate how marriage, across clan affiliation, is a possible pathway to justice and, therefore, emancipation. This paper concludes that the Gabooye are experiencing socio-economic challenges due to social rules and customs that put restrictions on their ability to marry other clan groups in Somaliland. The ethnographic findings on justice claims and marriage, as a pathway for reconciling with such claims, will add to the scant literature on this topic and it will also stimulate future research on minority clan members in Somaliland.

Navigating Interiorised Dissonance: Somali Women’s Identity, Agency and The Language of Apparel in Nadifa Mohamed’s The Orchard of Lost Souls

ABSTRACT Nadifa Mohamed wrote The Orchard of Lost Souls with the impetus of foregrounding Somali women’s intimate experiences throughout the social and political upheaval during the prelude to the Somaliland-Somalia civil war. The Somali people’s centuries-cultivated homogeneity through culture and way of life has come under pressure by contending factions exacerbated by divisive clan-led violence and the resulting rebellion. This paper seeks to interrogate the interiorised ruminations of the novel’s women caught in the ensuing chaos who grapple with conflicting issues of identity and agency. Somali women’s obscured interiorised lives and their diverging narratives together with their articulations, including the non-verbalised language of apparel, frames the direction of my argument. Their dissonant women-centric perspectives and the enacted agencies of their stances contribute to my elucidation of navigating and contemplating Mohamed’s unmoored women’s writing.

Establishment of Waqf Institutions to Alleviate Poverty in Somalia: Test of Theory of Planned Behavior

Poverty is seen as a destructive force in the world, regardless of one's religion, ideology, or political views. The Ministry of Planning Investment and Economic Development, (2020), stated its Somali National Development plan (SNDP) program 2020 to 2024 that around 69 percent of Somalis live below the international poverty line of US$1.90 per day. With growing concern about the wide reach of poverty and the government's inability to provide adequate resources to finance social and community development such as health and education, many counties are currently focusing on waqf. However, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, on the establishment of a Waqf institution for poverty alleviation in Somalia. The study proposes to use a structural equation model with attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control as independent variables, and a waqf institution for poverty alleviation as the dependent variable. The primary data for this study will be collected through a questionnaire survey of 100 Mogadishu residents. The study found that all variables, except attitude, have a significant positive impact on the establishment of waqf institution for poverty alleviation in Somalia. This study will add a significant contribution to the limited literature on the waqf in Somalia, as well as illuminate the path forward for establishing waqf institutions that are sustainable, efficient, and capable of meeting the socioeconomic needs of the Somali people.
 Keywords: Waqf Institution, Poverty Alleviation, Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). 

Gendered and Racialised Epistemological Injustice in FGM-safeguarding

This paper explores FGM-safeguarding in the UK through a decolonial lens. Based on an analysis of the development of law and policy relating to ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ in the UK alongside data collected in focus groups with people of ethnic Somali heritage living in Bristol, we argue that the current legislation and policies, as well as their delivery, are steeped in colonial Othering. We demonstrate that legislative and policy approaches operate through a gendered and generational binary in which non-White mothers are othered as migrants (regardless of citizenship status) for whom anachronistic culture is deemed determinative, whilst their daughters are claimed as British. In this construction, ‘FGM’ operates as the symbolic marker that designates un/belonging: the uncircumcised girl is rescuable and claimed as ‘one of us’, whilst the circumcised mother is considered a mutilated political subject for whom belonging is foreclosed.

Animals evoking fear in the Cradle of Humankind: snakes, scorpions, and large carnivores

Theories explain the presence of fears and specific phobias elicited by animals in contemporary WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) populations by their evolutionary past in Africa. Nevertheless, empirical data about fears of animals in the Cradle of Humankind are still fragmentary. To fill this gap, we examined which local animals are perceived as the most frightening by Somali people, who inhabit a markedly similar environment and the region where humans have evolved. We asked 236 raters to rank 42 stimuli according to their elicited fear. The stimuli were standardized pictures of species representing the local fauna. The results showed that the most frightening animals were snakes, scorpions, the centipede, and large carnivores (cheetahs and hyenas). These were followed up by lizards and spiders. Unlike in Europe, spiders represent less salient stimuli than scorpions for Somali respondents in this study. This conforms to the hypothesis suggesting that fear of spiders was extended or redirected from other chelicerates.

Clan and Islamic Identities in Somali Society

Clan and Islamic Identities in Somali Society

Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Food Security in Somalia

This study uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore the impact of climate change on food security in Somalia. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with a sample size of 80, consisting of farmers, agricultural teachers, students, and environmental workers in the surrounding area. The findings show significant changes in precipitation and temperature leading to land degradation and other environmental challenges, ultimately leading to water shortages and degradation of crops and livestock. Famine is the cause of food insecurity and subsequent flooding in Somalia. Based on the findings, policy interventions are recommended to address food shortages in the country. These interventions should focus on promoting sustainable research and development of food and vegetable crops, facilitating the adaptation and use of appropriate agricultural technologies and being effective, and helping farmers adapt to changing environments. This study highlights the importance of sustainable crop production as a way to reduce high food insecurity in Somalia. In addition, these measures can help reduce the risk of significant developments and communities' exposure to climate risks. The research supports ongoing efforts to maintain a healthier and more stable environment in the country by revealing the specific impacts of climate change on food security in Somalia and providing actionable recommendations. Implementation of this policy is essential to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring food security for the Somali people in the future.