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Buufis among Somalis in South Africa.

"Buufis"  among the Somalis in South Africa. 

By: Mohamed Kosow Salat, a freelancer based in Port Elizabeth.

The Somali word buufis is commonly used in the Kenyan refugee camps of Dadaab, referring to a person's dream of resettlement.

"Un-tii ayaa timaaday," which loosely translates, "the UNHCR has come to the town." This is the kind of conversation you may hear if you stay in Somalia's dominated area, Korsten a semi industrial suburb of Port Elizabeth.

Many Somalis who live in South Africa have high hopes that one day they might get third-country resettlement, most probably in America, Canada, or Australia; however, these dreams have been shattered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which hinders traveling around the world.

There is a large Somali population in South Africa who have been resettled in western countries due to the insecurity they have encountered in South Africa.
Unlike Somalis in Dadaab refugee camps, who depend on UNHCR and donor agencies for their daily food rations  and survival, those in South Africa have established business opportunities for themselves and are self-sufficient. 

Somalis in South Africa operate small businesses in informal settlements, known as "locations", which exposes them to daily risks. Unfortunately, they have become vulnerable to xenophobic attacks and violence, making them an easy target during outbreaks of tension in the country.

Their shops are being burned and destroyed, and there is a daily robbery in locations where they run their businesses. 

Recently, three young men have been killed in New Brighton location. The men were vendors delivering bread to the shops in the informal settlement where the black population predominantly reside.

Experts warned that the ongoing xenophobic mobilization, rampant looting, and killing of foreigners are more widespread and profound, making it a key campaign strategy for several political parties in the country.

Due to all these problems, the Somalis in South Africa are seeking assistance from the UNHCR  appealing for intervention in their  dire situation and a solution to protect their lives and  ensure their safety.

Somalia has had no central government since armed militias toppled the military government which was  ruling the country with an iron fist for many years. Since that time, the country has been in turmoil and unrest and has been ruled by armed militias and Islamic sects. 

However, in late 2004, a transitional federal government was established in Kenya, led by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. This marked a turning point, and after Sheikh Sharif's election in 2009, the country transitioned to a federal government. Since then, Somalia has made progress, holding elections, forming federal states, and slowly rebuilding after years of civil war, economic devastation, and institutional destruction. Now, with peace and the rule of law being restored in many federal states, there is finally hope for a brighter future.

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