Youth Unemployment and Security in Hargeisa

Youth represent a very vital organ in any society. They are not only the future of Somaliland, but also a major stakeholder and useful resource in the nation-building. However, it has been suggested that a large rate of youth unemployment makes more countries unstable in general, and thus more prone to armed conflict. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the nexus between youth unemployment and state security in Somaliland. Both primary and secondary data are used in the study. The study is purely qualitative and generated the required information in order to achieve its objectives. A non-probability sampling method was used which was relevant to the researcher’s judgement to collect the required data since the list of the unemployed youth in Hargeisa is unknown. The main data collection instruments were key informant interviews and observation. The findings of this study found from 20 respondents selected on purposefully comprising of the unemployed, employed youth as well as the concerned institutions. Results show that corruption, nepotism and unfair job recruitment systems are the factors causing youth unemployment in Hargeisa. The study proposes the enforcement of meritocracy policy that could at least tackle the challenges of unemployment and can also be a solution to the predicament of youth unemployment in the Hargeisa.