Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Volume 10 Issue 2 The Journal of Mine Action Article 30

November 2006

A Change of Heart

Dahib Mohamed Odwaa Handicap International

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Recommended Citation Odwaa, Dahib Mohamed (2006) "A Change of Heart," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 10 : Iss. 2 , Article 30. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol10/iss2/30

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Odwaa: A Change of Heart

During t he civil war t hat broke out in in 1988, t his farming communi t y was a

During t he civil war t hat broke out in Somalia in 1988, t his farming communi- bat t lefiel d area; former Somali N at ional Movement camps were locat ed nearby. When t he

t y was a bat t lefiel d area; former Somali N at ional Movement camps were locat ed SNM capt ured (previously t he nort hwest sect or of Somalia) in 1991, SNM t roops emphasising their objective was to create a safe environment for scat t ered int o t owns, leaving empt y camps open t o t he public. nearby. When t he SNM capt ured Somaliland (previously t he nort hwest sect or of its inhabitants. During the survey, the team also collected raw data to be used for the production of MRE radio programmes Somalia) in 1991, SNM t roops scat t ered int o t owns, leaving empt y camps open such as interviews and dramas. The team sought to discover how mines/UXO affected the area. During his interview, Geele ad- t o t he public. by Dahib Mohamed Odwaa [ Handicap International ] mitted he had hidden some UXO items on his and said he wanted to hand over the munitions to the demining agencies. eedka Dheenta is a small village Radio did not notify the authorities; instead, in Somaliland located 45 ki- Somaliland. The project it aired lometres (28 miles) aims to provide the interview with Geele three weeks east of Hargeisa in a mountainous area on an after the visit. Garaad Ismail adequate and effective exposure to Essa, the road between Hargeisa and Berbera. With DDG Operations Manager, listened to the programme and a MRE to children 5–14 years of age work- of approximately 390 inhabitants according telephoned Handicap International’s MRE team to identify the to the Landmine ing as herders in affected communities Impact Survey conducted in 2003, in person who admitted he was willing to hand over the items its citizens usually go to , , Sahil of Hargeisa (the capital and Galbeed re- UXO to demining agencies. Together of Somaliland) to sell their products. The gions in late February, HI’s MRE villagers’ of Somaliland. Before MRE they are team, main income is from small SMAC Deputy Manager, DDG Operations Manager, a surrounding often not of the danger, and these the village where they raise and Radio Hargeisa journalist and a representative from Somaliland such as pawpaw, children tend to tamper oranges, greens, and tomatoes, as well as some . with pieces of National Television went to Geedka UXO Dheenta and met with Geele. or anti-tank/anti-personnel mines. He showed During the civil war that broke out in Somalia them the stockpile, and the DDG Quick Response in 1988, Another target of MRE is adult and teen this farming community was a battlefield - Team collected the items safely. area; former Somali age travelers ages 14–29. Representing National Movement camps were located Later, the Radio Hargeisa journalist interviewed Geele again, nearby. When the SNM around 30 percent of captured Somaliland all mine and UXO asking how he felt and what perspectives (previously the northwest sector of Somalia) survivors, he could provide to other in 1991, they are stricken as they move communities SNM troops scattered into towns, leaving empty with UXO in their area or in their homes. He replied camps about the area. This group is not aware open to the public. that he was very proud to hand over the UXO. He said he hid of the nature of the threat or the location Mohamed Gahayr Geele was an the items under the tree to prevent injuries to children. Recently, SNM guerrilla fighter, and of dangerous mined areas. he lived in Geedka Dheenta. Other groups however, he had begun to think the He later told journalists he had re- also benefit hiding place was not secure ceived from this project—returning enough, that short, intensive training in mine-laying in 1989. someday heavy rain or children might bring them Following refugees and the population as a whole, es the war, he came upon several items of - up and it might kill or injure them. So he had a change of heart unexploded ordnance that pecially people who have he collected and kept never been edu- and decided to turn the items of UXO over to authorities. buried under a tree on his farm. To keep it cated on mine and UXO dangers. safe, he piled brush Mohamed Gahayr Geele is a former member of the Somaliland National Movement on it as well. From 2000 to guerrilla fighters who admitted to hiding UXO 2005, demining In January 2006, the two teams on his farm. agencies, especially the Danish Demining from Radio Hargeisa and Group, visited the vil- HAVOYOCO conducted lage several times to collect an Audience Feedback Survey in 32 and remove unexploded ordnance, highly and moderately but Geele never mentioned his UXO stash. mine-affected villages/communities in the Galbleed region (Hargeisa Then in 2005, Handicap area) including Geedka Dheenta International, with funding from village. The Ireland Aid/UNICEF, teams met in Mohamed Gahayr Geele’s village, began mine-risk in Somaliland and trained its mine-action partners—Somaliland Mine Action Centre Regional Liaison Officers, the Police Explosives Disposal Team, the National Demining Agency, and the Quick Response Teams of The HALO Trust and DDG—creating mobile teams to visit every village and collect UXO. HI MRE teams also developed an MRE radio pro- Dahib Mohamed Odwaa gramme that continuously International in Hargeisa, Somaliland. He has been working in airs on the local radio. The produc- is MRE Project Manager for Handicap tion teams of Radio Hargeisa an the field of mine-risk education since November 1997, when he d Hargeisa Voluntary Youth became MRE Education Officer for Handicap International in Committeeocal, a l nongovernmental organisation, issue . He also worked in the Somali refugee camps of eastern these public-service announcements every three months and Ethiopia. He transferred from HI Ethiopia to HI Somaliland in then Police June 2001, serving as Assistant Programme Manager. He also Explosive Teams and demining agencies’ mobile teams collect helped develop MRE projects funded by UNICEF and Ireland Aid the UXO from citizens. The MRE was directed at the people as in 2005/2006. a whole, and Radio Hargeisa journalists and HAVOYOCO youth groups were trained to produce MRE ra- Dahib Mohamed Odwaa dio programmes such as dramatic programmes, radio spots and Mine Risk Education Project Manager feature programmes. Handicap International This project focuses 26 June, Near WHO Office on the population mainly affected by the mine and UXO risks, as identified Hargeisa / Somaliland by the Landmine Impact Tel: + 252 2 52 12 02 Survey. The overall goals of the project are to contribute to the Mobile: +252 2 440 31 84 national mine-action efforts in decreasing the socioeconomic im- E-mail: [email protected] pact of landmines and UXO and to contribute to the reduction for of mine/UXO-related accidents very dangerous in the affected communities that are to of (60mm) taken apart Egyptian mortars burned or are unarmed when hit, of UXO may explode These pieces them. They tampers with anyone who remove some parts. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAHIB MOHAMED ODWAA/HI 56 | making it personal | journal of mine action | winter 2006 | 10.2 10.2 | winter 2006 | journal of mine action | making it personal | 57

Published by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2006 1