By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The country is host to a large number of expatriates most undertaking menial jobs like operating irrigation pipes.
This was claimed by the chairman of the Somaliland Workers Union Mohamed Ahmed Abdi in Hargeisa where he also castigated international organizations for their discernible calculated move of ignoring local university graduate youths during recruitment of staff of any category.
“It is a fact that most job opportunities within international organizations operating in Somaliland are advertised elsewhere more so in Kenya” said the workers chair
Somalilandsun can empirically confirm that most employment adverts by these organizations be it UN, EU or Non governmental are appraised through Kenyan media and a few websites like www.relefweb.org and www.somaliangoconsortium.org which are not accessible to all.
“One will not fail to wonder how possible it is to have almost 90% of employees of a an international organization based in Hargeisa and operating in various regions of Somaliland as well” said Mohamed
Terming this anomaly as preposterous the workers union chair laid blame at the government’s doorstep which not to only issues work permits for the expatriates but has failed to act on its oft repeated determination to release eve Somaliland of unnecessary expatriates as art of local job creation.
While employment in Somaliland is not the sole preserve of citizens it is worthy for both the government and international organizations to ensure that locally available skills are utilized instead while needed technocracy unavailable in the country are allocated to foreign nations with the skills.
