Somalia continues to face a severe, troubling paradox where a powerful select elites amass wealth through systemic corruption, while millions of citizens fall to sink deeper into poverty. Corruption manifests in the seizure of public lands designated for communal benefits, such as schools, hospitals, playgrounds, military camps, and industrial development, which are increasingly appropriated by powerful corrupt senior officials for personal gains. This land grab has led to the displacement of thousands of civilians, leaving many homeless and vulnerable.
In recent years, the alarmed rise in corruption has witnessed that disproportionately affected Somalia’s most vulnerable citizens, notably through the systematic takeover of public lands by the elite, the so-called “Oligarchs.” This practice deepens the divide between the wealthy and the impoverished, as land meant for communal benefit is privatized for high-end profit, leaving thousands of ordinary civilians displaced. At the heart of Somalia’s corruption crisis lies the core of perpetuating a culture of impunity of a network of influential elites of high-ranking government officials and a well-connected cohort of greedy wealthy business mongers.
Corruption Mechanism of Public Lands Seizures and the Loss of Community Spaces
The network of influential government officials and business elites who exploit their positions of power and money amass substantial wealth for personal enrichment at the public’s expense. Government institutions’ lack of transparency and accountability allows these corrupt practices to thrive unchecked. In Somalia, systematic corruption is being increasingly common in various sectors of the government institutions, and mainly facilitated by the weak legal system, where court decisions are often influenced by bribes or political pressures, enabling corrupt actors to proceed with impunity. Citizens have little recourse to fight injustice through official channels as even law enforcement is often selective. The legal system itself is often corrupt and slow to address corruption effectively, leaving nonexistent options for justice or redress.
These malicious greedy “oligarchs” leverage political and judicial connections, and land seizing through forged and falsified documents or invalidated authentic property documents that provide legal ownership, and intimidation to seize public lands. The absence of strict zoning laws and urban regulations further allows private developers to invade public resources without repercussions. This widespread exploitation is exacerbated by the lack of effective urban regulation.
Land that was originally set aside to serve the collective needs of the community, such as schools, healthcare, military, and recreational purposes is now being privatized by oligarchs. Public lands initially intended for vital community services are among the most targeted for demolitions to make way for high-end properties of luxury developments of apartments, private estates, or commercial ventures for high-valued profits, depriving vulnerable communities of the majority of basic needs, and undermining their public essential services. Public recreation spaces that were once the center of community activities that served as areas for recreation essential for the physical and mental well-being of children and youth development are sold off for commercial use, denying families safe recreational spaces and eroding the social fabric of Somali society by heightening risks of social health predicament. Military camps and industrial zones that are strategic lands intended for national defense or economic development are also privatized, weakening both security and economic growth.
The Human Cost of Corruption
The human toll of this corruption of public land grabs is devastating. Families who lived on public land for generations are forcibly evicted with little to no compensation or notice. The demolitions are often carried out with little to no warning. Bulldozers arrive in the early hours of the morning, escorted by armed forces, to flatten homes while vulnerable families scramble to salvage their belongings, leaving many without the means to secure alternative housing. Entire neighborhoods are completely demolished without proper relocation plans, evicted families are left destitute, lacking both the material means and support from the state to rebuild their lives, struggling to survive in inhumane temporary shelters or on the streets. Children’s education is disrupted as schools are destroyed, and healthcare access diminishes as hospitals are converted into commercial properties. Displaced vulnerable families are left to seek refuge in overcrowded slums or makeshift camps, further entrenched in poverty. Those displaced families face not only the immediate loss of shelter but also long-term challenges, including disrupted education, diminished healthcare access, and loss of their dignity, and rights as citizens.
Psychological and Social Impact
Beyond physical displacement, the psychological toll on families is immense. The psychological trauma of forced eviction and homelessness combined with the knowledge of realizing that their suffering stems from systematic corruption, exacerbates an already poverty situation that exists in the country of higher unemployment, leaving many families without recourse or compensation. This fosters a sense of despair of helplessness and eradicates public trust in government institutions, resulting in social fragmentations that breed resentments, increasing the risk of violence and social unrest.
Displacement, Homelessness, and Poverty
For thousands of Somali families, public lands were not just homes but sources of livelihood. Forced eviction and the demolition of homes, often without notice, leave many destitute. In urban centers of Mogadishu and its outskirts, the sight of homeless families living in temporary tents is becoming increasingly common. Women, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable, facing heightened risks of exploitation, violence, and health crises.
The displacement disproportionately affects those with limited means, including families of poorly waged military servicemen and government civil servants, small-scale farmers and craftsmen, and laborers, who once depended on their proximity to urban centers for survival and security. Without access to affordable housing or land, they are driven into extreme poverty.
Social Fragmentation
Mass displacement leads to social fragmentation, disrupting communities and fueling resentment. The widespread divisions of the impoverished general population can result in increased crime rates, radicalization, and unrest, further destabilizing the chaos-recovering country. The lack of cohesion among marginalized groups weakens national unity and impedes any efforts to create a more peaceful, stable society.
The Role of Public Officials and Institutional Complicity
Corruption in Somalia is often attributed to the work of a few powerful business elites, assisted by the perpetuation of the complicity of public officials and institutions. National and local authorities, law enforcement, and judicial systems are frequently chosen by corrupt individuals, turning a blind eye to these illegal land grabs and enabling the cycle of corruption flourish to unchecked. Without transparency and accountability, this exploitation remains widespread. The key challenges include:
Weak Rule of Law: Somalia’s legal framework is insufficient to prevent or address corruption effectively.
Lack of Transparency: The absence of transparent processes for land allocation creates opportunities for abuse.
Foreign Actors: External factors, such as diaspora investors and foreign charity organizations, sometimes advertently contribute to corruption by not respecting local regulations and the rights of low-income families in poverty circumstances.
The Path Forward
The ongoing crisis calls for urgent reform that forces Somalia to make actions of systemic changes to restrain corruption, improve the rule of law, and ensure the influential oligarch class is disabled not to have established a stranglehold on public institutions without facing significant repercussions. Without such reforms, the gap between the wealthy elite and the impoverished general population will continue to widen, destabilizing the country further.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, it should not be ignored that the current ongoing crisis of growing inequality and displacement in Somalia reflects a deeper systemic ailment rooted in widespread corruption. The increased concentration of wealth and power among a few influential individuals, often connected to the highest-ranking officials of political elites, undermines democratic processes of citizen rights of equality and perpetuates a cycle of poverty. The Somali citizens feel disillusioned with their national government which appears to prioritize the interests of the rich over those of the poor. The deterioration of trust between citizens and their government poses a long-term threat to national stability and peace. Misuse of public resources and the deliberate disregard for the welfare of the marginalized communities of the general population creates a sense of helplessness among citizens, specifically depriving future generations of the resources they need to build a stable and prosperous society.
To achieve true progress and overcome these wide-ranging challenges, Somalia can prioritize promoting justice, transparency, and equitable distribution of resources. Efforts must focus on curbing systematic corruption, and ensuring that public lands are used for the benefit of all Somali citizens, not just the powerful greedy wealthy few oligarchs. Only through commitment efforts, it is essential for both the Somali citizens along the support of the national government to take a stand against corruption and work together toward building a more just society and prosperous future for the best interest of the country and all its citizens.
Dr. Said. Mohamud
Chair of Somali People’s Democratic Party
Saciidciise258@aol.com
