“We have come from months of tensions caused by the disagreement on the electoral process and the failure to introduce universal suffrage, one of the main points not respected in Farmaajo’s political program” explains Bianchessi.
On the other hand, Somaliland (a region in the Northwest of Somalia) held its elections on Monday 31 May after proclaiming independence from Mogadishu thirty years ago. One million people voted.
The “return” of Al Shabaab
At the same time, Al Shabaab, which still controls large areas in the south-central of the country, is taking advantage of the confusion to increase tension and interfere with the electoral process and gain ground, also favored by the withdrawal of numerous units of the Ethiopian army, one of the main contingents of Amisom, the African Union peace-keeping mission in Somalia. The last few weeks have seen the intensification of terrorist activities by various cells of the group both against society and the Somali authorities, and against the Amisom forces themselves.
Support for people and communities
The AVSI project fits into this complex scenario thanks to the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) and focuses on training and economic support for local teachers, both in public and community schools, interventions to relaunch the sector productive in the region, aimed above all at breeders, farmers and fishermen, and psycho-social support above all to women who have suffered abuse and violence and to people with disabilities.
“The goal – explains Bianchetti – is to provide support in various aspects of daily life to internal refugees and host communities, involving about 7 thousand people in 10 villages, in the same situation as Saleem, which receives tools, seeds and training on agricultural practices in the hope to improve their quality of life and their family and to ensure a better future for their children. Other people, like Mohamed and Aden, fishermen on the Juba River, will have the refurbished canoe and new fishing nets. Each village will have a donkey cart at its disposal to sell agricultural products to other villages and up to Kismayo ».