Welsh Somalilanders seek greater prosperity from post-election government

Martin Shipton

Representatives of the 15,000-strong Somaliland community in Wales have released details of their own manifesto in advance of the Senedd election.

Drawn up by Eid Ali Ahmed and Ali Abdi, two leading members of the community, whose members live predominantly in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, the manifesto calls for a series of initiatives aimed at improving the prosperity and health of Somalilanders in Wales.

Somaliland, a former British colony, broke away from Somalia in the early 1990s and has pursued a democratic path while its neighbour is, in effect, a failed state with large parts of it run by Al-Shabab, an Islamist terrorist group.

Despite its success in running a de facto independent state for more than 30 years, Somaliland has found it difficult to gain official international recognition. The manifesto states: “We ask all candidates to commit to meaningful partnership with Somali communities and to support the following priorities across three key areas.

Under the heading Livelihoods (Economic Empowerment & Opportunity), the key issues are listed as high unemployment and under-employment; barriers to fair access in the labour market; lack of targeted business support; and skills under-utilisation.

The community’s asks are:

* Commit to fair access to employment through targeted pathways for Somali communities;

* Support community-led employment programmes aligned with local labour markets;

* Invest in entrepreneurship and small business support for Somali-led enterprises;

* Ensure public sector employers lead by example on diversity and inclusion;

* Fund skills recognition and progression pathways, especially for migrants.

The desired outcomes are a reduced unemployment gap; increased representation in key sectors; growth in Somali-led businesses; and stronger economic contribution to Wales.

Under Health & Wellbeing, the key issues are said to be health inequalities and poor access to services; cultural stigma around mental health; limited culturally competent provision; and barriers in dementia care and long-term conditions.

The community’s asks are:

* Invest in culturally appropriate health services;

* Support community-led mental health awareness programmes;

* Improve access to primary care and preventative services;

* Fund initiatives addressing health inequalities in ethnic minority communities;

* Work with communities to co-design dementia and elder care services.

The desired outcomes are improved health outcomes; increased trust in health services; reduced stigma around mental health; and better support for elders and vulnerable groups.

The third heading in the manifesto is Community Support & Civic Participation. The key issues are said to be under-representation in decision-making; barriers to civic engagement; youth disengagement and limited opportunities; and a lack of sustainable funding for grassroots organisations.

The community’s asks are:

* Strengthen community infrastructure funding for Somali-led organisations;

* Support youth engagement programmes focused on leadership, skills and wellbeing;

* Increase representation in public bodies and decision-making spaces;

* Promote active citizenship and voter engagement initiatives;

* Recognise and invest in community-led solutions.

The desired outcomes are stronger, more resilient community organisations; increased civic participation; empowered youth leadership; and more inclusive public policy.

Consulted

Eid Ali Ahmed said: “We consulted the community and drew up the manifesto based on their ideas.

“People in the community have different ideas about which party to support in the Senedd election. It’s not for us to suggest which party they should vote for.

“We hope that the incoming government will look at our manifesto asks sympathetically, and help us to achieve them.”