Somalia: Information on situation of Arabs in Somalia in relation to the Isaaqs and the Somali government
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1989 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM2366 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Information on situation of Arabs in Somalia in relation to the Isaaqs and the Somali government, 1 October 1989, SOM2366, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abdc1c.html [accessed 26 January 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Specific information on the situation of Arabs living in Somalia is not available to the IRBDC at this time.
The Somali Democratic Republic is a member of the Arab League. Islam is the state religion, and Arabic the language of religion and learning. [ George Thomas Kurian, Encyclopedia of the Third World (New York: Facts on File Publications, Inc., 1987), p. 1795.] According to Africa Contemporary Record, the Somali government launched a campaign in 1983-84 to make the learning and use of Arabic language more widespread and to induce all government employees to read and write Arabic. [ Colin Legum, Africa Contemporary Record: 1983-1984 Annual Survey and Documents (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1985), p. 261.] In 1984, there were some
35 000 Arabs living in Somalia. [ Kurian, p. 1795.]
