Somali
Center for Development Research presents
A brief
report on
THE
EXPORT OF TOXIC WASTES FROM WESTERN COUNTRIES TO AFRICA
THE CASE
OF SOMALIA
Utrecht,
Netherlands
June 4,
2005
Somali version .. Guji halkan
BACKGROUND
In
the last decades Somalia has been facing a multitude of
problems ranging from political violence to protracted civil
war, from extreme poverty to unprecedented environment
degradation. Apart from naturally occurring environmental
problems such as recurrent droughts, the man-made
environmental emergencies facing the country are
particularly severe. They include, inter alia, an alarming
rate of deforestation fueled by an extensive, indiscriminate
and inefficient charcoal burning, intensive illegal foreign
fishing as well as large-scale dumping operations of
hazardous, radioactive and highly toxic chemical wastes. The
latter problem seems to be the most alarming environmental
emergency with which Somalia has to confront both in the
short term and in the long run for it poses huge risks for
the human health, natural ecosystem and for the local
livelihoods’ system.
HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMPING
IN SOMALIA
According to countless
reports Somalia has been used as dumping ground since early
1980s by western industrialized countries. In this regard,
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched its
first high profile official warning in 1992 whereas it was
confirmed that certain European companies had been taking
advantage of the political chaos and civil war in Somalia in
order to dump illegally hazardous wastes onto the country’s
long coasts. Likewise, in September 1992, Green Peace Italia
had made it known to the world the names of some of the
involved companies. Since then, attracted by lawlessness and
lack of coast guard authorities, foreign countries and their
companies, sometimes in collusion with local mafia-minded
individuals, have shipped every kind of hazardous toxic
wastes and subsequently dumped their deadly cargo in
Somalia. Among other official documents, a report released
by the Italian Parliament in the year 2000 confirmed also
that Somalia had long been and continues to be one of the
favorite destinations of the hazardous wastes exported from
developed countries. Following the Tsunami disaster, UNEP
had once again confirmed that hazardous wastes from dump
sites have contaminated ground waters in the Somalia’s
affected areas. It was also reported that the people in
these areas were complaining of unusual health problems
including acute respiratory infections, heavy dry coughing,
mouth bleeds and abdominal hemorrhage and unusual chemical
skin reaction.
THE SEMINAR
As
a result of the proceeding scenarios, on the occasion of the
World Environment Day, Somali Center for Development
Research (SCDR), in collaboration with African Sky, had
organized a seminar on “The Export of Toxic Wastes from
Western Countries to Africa: The Case of Somalia”, which
took place on 4th of June 2005 in Utrecht (The Netherlands).
The event centered on relevant issues relating to the
emergency of the hazardous toxic wastes dumped onto Somali
territories either alongside coastal areas or even deep into
the inland areas. The central goal of the seminar was to
raise adequate awareness about this pressing problem amongst
members and organizations of the Somali-Dutch community,
media, scientific research centra, concerned Dutch and/or
Netherlands-based International Institutions which might be
interested in these issues. To that end, Somali Center for
Development Research (SCDR) presented the results of
literature research it carried out on this matter. The study
highlighted that the issue could be categorized into two
main parts: Issues of global or regional importance in
regard with the transfer of the illegal hazardous wastes
from developed to less developed countries on one hand, and
how the consequence of this practice has affected Somalia on
the other hand. The main points discussed in each section
included:
International issues
- Introduction to the
historical background of the export of the hazardous
toxic wastes from industrialized countries to the
developing countries;
- The reasons and forces
behind the transfer of the toxic wastes from developed
countries to the poor countries and the international
context in which this process takes place;
- Factors contributing
to the deadly business of the hazardous wastes from
perspectives of both developed and developing countries;
- How the trade in
hazardous waste affected the African continent in
general;
- The International
Legal Framework and the Trade in Toxic Wastes;
- The Techniques and
Tricks employed by the merchants of the toxic wastes.
Issues relating to the case
of Somalia
- Hazardous wastes
exported from developed countries to Somalia;
- Critical analysis of
the current knowledge about this criminal phenomenon;
- The timeline of
important events concerning the toxic waste dumping in
Somalia;
- Concrete examples of
international schemes of hazardous wastes dumping in
Somalia;
- The close relationship
between the toxic waste dumping practice, political
instability and the protracted war in Somalia;
- The present and
potential risks posed by the toxic wastes dumped in
Somalia;
- Concluding remarks and
recommendations.
THE DISCUSSION
After
the main lecture, there was a lively participation and
intense debate amongst the participants. Apart from many
important questions and comments on issues raised earlier,
there were also a valuable insights and feedbacks from the
general public. It emerged clear, for example, that the
“awareness raising” issue itself is not only a difficult
task but also, for certain population groups, it might be
perceived as a threat against their (short-term) interests.
We are not referring here to the established interests of
the “toxic traffickers” but instead to the “perceived
interests” of some important segments of the local
stakeholders. The example of some fishing communities was
advanced by a participant who had recently been to Somalia.
According to this account, many local fishers are not happy
with the idea of considering even remotely the possibility
of hazardous and toxic wastes dumped in their fishing areas.
According to their perceptions, if the world becomes aware
of similar hypothesis, they would immediately face adverse
economic and social consequences because they wouldn’t have
been able to find customers willing to buy their catch.
Furthermore, some people observed that, unfortunately, other
typical “false perceptions” included that because the toxic
waste is for example reportedly dumped onto certain areas
inhabited by certain tribes, other people or tribes living
in relatively distant areas might think that they are safe
from the adverse effects of the hazardous waste and, thus,
should care little about it These comments have surprised
most of the participants of the event. In effect, it is well
known that the hazardous radioactive and highly toxic
chemical waste dumped in Somalia can threaten the human
lives and environment far beyond the borders Somalia.
However, it was also noted that in a country like Somalia,
where there is no effective and capable institutions which
can guarantee to its citizens the access to information and
basic social services or mitigate the degree of insecurity
faced by the general public, coupled with the lack of
adequate education and human resources, such perceptions are
typically a party of common social mischief. In such a
scenario, pursuing the long term national interest may also
be an equally difficult goal to achieve. In such
circumstances, pursuing the long term national interest may
also be an equally difficult goal to achieve. Even though
these complex problems demand an urgent political response,
in the light of these scenarios, the role of the information
and information awareness especially at the grassroots level
has become even more important.
SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based
on the results of the research carried out and presented at
the seminar by the Somali Center for Development Research,
following are only some of the concluding remarks:
- The global hazardous
waste crisis is worsening; the worse this crisis the
greater chance that the illegal export of hazardous
wastes from developed countries to the Africa and other
developing countries increases;
- The first victims of
this global crisis are the least protected and
underdeveloped countries such as Somalia which bear
disproportionately the costs of the crises (e.g. in
terms of human health, environmental degradation and
overall impact on prospects of future development);
- The international
treaties and conventions alone are not sufficient.
Indeed, they have proven to be ineffective. A national
plan and strategies for action have to be put in place
in order for the least developed countries (turned into
developed countries’ dumping ground) to defend
themselves from against the actions of the international
mafia groups and merchants of the hazardous wastes;
- Based both on
international literature and evidence on the ground
(e.g. the various types of containers, barrels and drums
coming ashore almost everyday along coastal areas since
the Tsunami disaster), in the case of Somalia, there
exist an ample evidence indicating that massive nuclear
and other hazardous wastes dumping schemes has been
taking place in the country since 1980s. Particularly,
it seems clear that this phenomenon has been
intensifying since 1990 when the central government
collapsed and the country was thrown in a political
anarchy. Moreover, it is also very likely that the toxic
waste dumping is still going on right now, alongside
another types internationally-organized collective
robbery to the detriment of Somalia’s national
sovereignty such as illegal, highly intensive over
fishing on the part of foreign fleets which have been
going on in the last 15 years;
- The political
instability, prolonged civil war and lawlessness made
Somalia an easy target as well as an ideal heaven for
the toxic traffickers. However, these apparently
internal problems are fueled by unlawful practices such
as the international hazardous wastes dumping schemes.
The existence of this vicious circle underlines the
necessity to understand fully, in order to think about
potential solutions, the whole range of factors
contributing to the Somalia’s quasi permanent political
and social crisis;
- More research (both
internationally and locally) and accurate documentation
are urgently needed. The issue of the ownership of such
exercises is strategically very important. The access to
the information, critical knowledge and results of
research owned by third parties is neither reliable nor
to be taken for granted. Rather, for many instances such
information is presumably covered by so called “state
secret” for imaginary national security reasons;
- Educating for both
public and politicians about strategic issues of
national interest in general, and the environmental
emergency posed by the hazardous wastes in particular is
of paramount importance. Therefore, awareness raising
campaigns at all levels are necessary. In this context,
the Somali-speaking media can play a primary role in
order to achieve this goal;
- Collective efforts are
urgently needed in order not only to understand the
extent and/or the magnitude of hazardous wastes disaster
but also to act in order to do something about it before
it is too late. In this process, the Somali civil
society, intellectuals, politicians, local
administrations, education centers and every single
responsible citizen can play an active role.
Particularly, the Somali Diaspora and its organizations,
through its various formal and informal networks can
help with this problem not only by raising awareness
concerning these issues but also by undertaking
international lobbying campaigns in order to inform the
general public and potentially concerned institutions in
their respective adoptive country.
SOME IMMEDIATE RESULTS
AND FOLLOW UP PLANS
According
to the almost unanimous opinion of the participants, the
conference was success. The general public had found the
seminar both educative and informative. An immediate
positive outcome of the conference was that the Somali-Dutch
community’s organizations which took part of the conference
expressed their enthusiasm and satisfaction towards the
seminar. They also showed their willingness to put these
issues high on their agenda. On the other hand, a group of
prominent Somali academicians suggested considering the
possibility of creating a “permanent pressure group” so as
to make sure that the due attention has to be paid to the
matter.
The Netherlands-based
Somali-speaking Radio Dalmar of whom the operators were also
present at the event interviewed the organizers so that
Somali community in Holland as well as Somalis living
elsewhere in the world could know more about these issues.
Given the regional and international dimensions of the
illegal trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes, other
African organizations invited to the seminar expressed also
their interest and willingness to attend and even co-operate
for the future events concerning these issues.
For further information
please refer to the author of the report:
Bashir M. Hussein
Somali Center for Development Research
The Netherlands
Email:
somacent@gmail.com ama
shakiib@hotmail.com