By: M.A. Egge
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun): The country is reeling against the fear of impending swarms of locust getting out of control and recks havoc not only in SL but in the whole of the Horn region and other parts of the continent.
Hon. F.E. Geedoole has sounded a pessimistic warning that is so chilling to both the country and the region at large. Its effect have already affected the coastal areas and felt in areas spanning four regions.
“We have sent for SOS to Nairobi, Addis Ababa and even Cairo, but we have still yet received no support”, moaned the Agricultural Minister in a radio interview with the BBC.
Seriously enough, the Minister has all the rights of warning and being concerned because the repercussion of locust invasion is just quite well known in the region.
“Two hundred kilometers along the coast, from Hagal in eastern Berbera to Asha Addo in Loyaddo has been invaded already,” announced Hon. Geedole.
“This has extended to Kalbarre in Togdeer Region, (north of Burao),” he added.
He was worried that the invaded areas were all grazing lands.
He revealed that they have already taken stoke of the situation and surveyed the extent of the infestation.
That siren of emergency help has been sent to Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt but to no avail, are indeed not only mixed, but grave signals.
Igad was originally formed as IGADD to fight against desert and desertification, pinning anti-locust squadron at the heart of its policies before its priorities were re-aligned.
History of the area as concerns locusts that cause havoc by accelerating desertification tenfold in the Horn region and parts of Saharan Africa emanates from our corner of the world.
Sighting of the locusts were first seen by members of the public and pastoralists in Selal region in the middle of last month (November) immediately after the rainfall whose storm caused untold human and livestock suffering in the area as well as washing away buildings in its floods.
They reported to the Minister of Resettlement Hon. Ahmed Abdi Kahin when he led a team which went to distribute basic necessities to the affected in the region.
The Minister had then gone public on the locust issue sounding the first serious sirens of the warning.
