Editorial

What Somaliland needs to learn from the London riots

August 20, 2011   ·   233838 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2Fwhat-somaliland-needs-to-learn-from-the-london-riots-23383What+Somaliland+needs+to+learn+from+the+London+riots2011-08-20+08%3A25%3A37Frazer+Michaelhttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D23383

To many in far flung parts of the globe the scenes of apparent anarchy in London proved both fascinating and appalling in equal measure. Here was the capital city that back in April radiated order and majesty during the wedding of Prince William of Wales to Miss Katherine Middleton, the same city which is due to host the Olympic Games in 2012. Inevitably what happened last week has dented the UK’s global image and has resulted in considerable soul searching. To dismiss it as a one off would be foolish and yet even to observers and policy makers internationally there is much to learn from these unfortunate events.

Whilst many of the worst disturbances occurred in London, there were a rash of riots across other English cities. Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and other metropolitan centres all bear the scars of several nights of lawlessness. To those nations ill-disposed towards the UK, such as Iran and Syria, their coverage of the riots had more than a touch of schadenfreude as state controlled media delighted in Britain’s humiliation and embarrassment. Yet what took place was not an uprising a against a totalitarian regime or indignation against a stolen election, it was largely copycat opportunist criminality that caught the authorities off guard. Rioters were not attacking symbols of the state, they were essentially on a looting spree that saw mobile shops, jewellers, electrical stores and sports clothing and footwear stores being plundered. With most of the senior members of the British Government away on their summer break, the police were slow to react and in the opinion of many almost passive in their response – no water cannon, no plastic bullets, baton charges, tear gas or live ammunition – some might say their response was somewhat muddled and restrained, all rather British. For the police they felt caught between a rock and a hard place, damned had they taken robust action, damned for not being tough enough. Inevitably post-riot recriminations have seen the media eager to apportion blame, some sections have rounded on the police, whilst others have pointed the finger at the politicians. The independent judiciary is now expected to make up for the perceived short comings by metering out the sort of sentences that placate the public and the press.

For Britain to move forward it is essential that the causes of such lawlessness are discovered, acknowledged and addressed. To sociologists and social anthropologists British society is fascinating. The more they delve the more they discover its complexities, its fissures and anomalies. A country that is so incredibly tolerant and accepting of others is equally territorial and tribal. There is something of the oxymoron about the UK. Multifaceted, multicultural, triumphant and yet troubled. A land of fabulous wealth, opportunity and innovation that also has some 13,000,000 people officially below the poverty line. It is a veritable magnet for economic migrants and those displaced by conflict that is enduring food and fuel inflation, unemployment and growing mental health problems. In common with other so-called developed nations traditional structures have been questioned and discredited, whilst the family and a sense of community seem to have irrevocably broken down. Successive governments have failed to get to grips with fundamental issues, and the bond of trust with elected representatives has been eroded.

Those that looted were not all feckless youths, some were people in work, with a future gaining a thrill from taking advantage of a lawless situation. Just as windows were smashed, shops plundered and cars torched, so we must appreciate that families and society has been damaged. Core values have been eroded and people have become disaffected and rootless. Material advancement has been replaced by material greed, service by self, morality by nihilism, religious tenets by instant gratification. The state has become flabby and lacking in discernment, whilst leaders are hypocritical and the media often irresponsible. What the riots in London did last week was to hold up a mirror to us all. Rather than feeling smug and wallowing in congratulatory condemnation of the West, we need to examine our actions closer to home. Even in this the Holy Month of Ramadan we see individuals being driven in costly vehicles through cities such as Hargeisa who show nothing but contempt for the poor. Ministers and officials gorge themselves at countless Iftars whilst mothers and their children starve. Merchants hoard their stocks with the intention of profiting during times of suffering. Everywhere there are signs of outward devotion coupled with pride and capriciousness. Hargeisa and the wider Horn shares many of the same problems faced by troubled British cities. Unemployment, exploitation, a sense of disengagement from the political process, a lack of vision and social injustice are all corroding society. The tragic fact is that just as in Britain the rich in Somaliland are getting richer and the poor poorer. Political squabbling is a daily occurrence and the dynamics of the Horn are such that peace in Somaliland is extremely fragile. Successive governments blame everyone but themselves and dissemble at every opportunity. Somalilanders are at least blessed with a cohesive sense of faith and of their identity, but if real social tensions are to be avoided there needs to be a national vision built on education, employment and a living wage. For Somaliland’s wealth does not lie in the things coveted by its neighbours or foreign powers – oil, gas or the Port of Berbera –it lies in the people, who at present they are being neglected and under-utilised. Let the London riots be a warning, unless we heed the signs and change Somaliland too will become a deeply troubled land and be plunged into a dreadful darkness that it is all too familiar with because of its tragic past.

Mark T Jones

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By Frazer Michael

Tags: London riot, Media, politicains, Ramdan, unemployment