In June 2006, SAACID signed a Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to implement a scaled-up International Labour Organisation (ILO) Employment for Peace programme for Mogadishu City. This programme builds logically upon the programme that SAACID implemented in partnership with ILO and the Italian Government in 2003 (see 2003 programme summary above). It is the largest economic input into Mogadishu since the UNOSOM intervention of 1993-5.

This programme targets all 16 districts of Mogadishu (plus the Bermuda enclave) in a garbage collection and street-cleaning exercise. This is only the second time since the fall of the Somali government in January 1991 that all 16 districts have come together in a common programme. The first was a UNDP/SAACID Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration programme for freelance militiamen in the city (see DDRP) that began in November 2005.

The objectives of this ILO/SAACID programme are to provide divided communities with an opportunity to work together toward common goals; and in the process give opportunity, time and space for these divided communities to reconcile and heal their differences. The development of genuine peace and reconciliation in Mogadishu is the cornerstone of a wider peace and reconciliation process for Somalia – which has been without centralised government since 1991. SAACID and ILO found that the pilot programme of 2003 provided very strong practical impetuous for peace and reconciliation within and between districts of the city.

The programme will also provide communities with the opportunity to clear garbage and sand (Mogadishu lies on the coast) from the city – providing for better health and hygiene outcomes; as well as beautifying the city. Historically, garbage has been unable to be collected in the city because freelance militias and rogue businessmen have claimed ownership of the garbage, and have wanted payment for its collection; so the city has been weighed down by more that a decades worth of garbage and sand.

SAACID believes that the participation of all districts as genuine stakeholders in the programme is essential for the grassroots development of sustainable peace and security in the city. Without the participation and support of district-level leadership and communities, no real reconciliation and security can ever be developed.

The programme will employ 100 of the poorest people in each district and the Bermuda enclave (a minimum of 50% women).

Each month we will post a report detailing the activities that were completed - along with photo albums to highlight the progress of the programme.

June 

The first month of the programme is preparatory and included mobilisation workshops and the selection of workers by each district. Tension and fighting in the city delayed the implementation of the programme.

July

The first funds for the programme were transferred in early July. The ILO and EC continued to ask for deferments in implementation to see how the newly empowered Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) chose to operate.

August 

After much negotiation with the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), the UIC has finally agreed to allow SAACID to have full autonomy over the programme. The programme began on 5 August, with all 16 districts participating. The Bermuda area - which is an area of the city that is populated by extremely poor and marginalised Somali clans - was also targeted for participation in the programme.

The programme will operate in this phase for 16 weeks.

See weekly summary reports and photos above. The first month of the programme is preparatory; and includes mobilisation workshops; the purchase of equipment; the signing of contracts with each participating district; the selection of workers by each district and, the selection and signing of truck contracts.

December

A review of the success of the programme in late November led ILO to sign a continuation agreement with SAACID for another 4 months.

The programme size is to be reduced from 100 workers per district to 60 workers per district. This reduction was prompted by the end of financial year, and the lack of on-hand funding to continue or increase the capacity of the programme.

A review by SAACID and its district partners indicates that some 60% of the main thoroughfares in the city have been completely cleared. Most of the residential roads and lanes have still not been cleared; nor have most residential, commercial and governmental sites – many of which have been used as dumping grounds over the past 15 years.

Both SAACID and its district partners recommended an increase in the programme size to 200 workers per district for the next 9 months to try and clear all the blocked roads and garbage sites from the city. ILO will again review the programme at the end of February to determine if this very successful EFP programme will continue.

January

The programme was suspended from 27 December to 9 February. Endemic insecurity in the city after the fall of the UIC and the 'empowerment' of the Ethiopian military and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was one of the 2 key reasons for the suspension. The other was a lack of on-hand funds from ILO/UNOPS. ILO has had ongoing problems in getting funds transferred to SAACID for the second 4-month phase of the programme. These problems surround the internal structure of ILO – and guidelines in and between departments and regions in ILO.

February-March

High levels of insecurity plague the worksites, with the workgroups being threatened by indigenous militias and told to stop colluding with the TFG; and workgroups being forced to clear areas and trees by TFG militia fearing that those areas might be hiding indigenous militias opposed to them. Every day there are more freelance militia roadblocks on the roads, forcibly extorting money from passers-by, making it ever more difficult for the haulage trucks to take the sand and garbage to the dumpsites, as well as conducting general operations.

On 24 March 2007, SAACID suspended the EFP programme for 1 week, due to conflict between the Ethiopian military, TFG militia and clan-based militias, warlords and an increasingly reconstituted UIC.

On 31 March SAACID suspended the EFP programme for a second week, due to ongoing conflict between the Ethiopian military, TFG militia and clan-based militias, warlords and an increasingly reconstituted UIC.

At the beginning of April, ILO suspended the programme indefinitely due to security concerns in Mogadishu.