Community leaders are alarmed by the growing misuse of the painkiller Tramadol among rural pastoralists in central Somalia’s Galgadud region.
Police, medical officers, and elders say that despite the adherence to traditional customs among these communities, increasing violent crime and social breakdown is being fuelled by the abuse of readily available drugs.
Radio Ergo spoke to one man, Abdinasir Ali Abdulle, 34, a pastoralist in Guriel, whose addiction led to the breakdown of his family and livelihood.
According to Abdinasir, he started taking Tramadol regularly in 2020 and soon found that he was addicted. He became unable to look after his herd of livestock that the family depended on and couldn’t control his own behaviour.
“When I started, I used to take 1 or 2 pills a day, but eventually I reached the point where I was taking 20 a day. My addiction escalated over time, significantly weakening me. I couldn’t control myself and my actions became erratic,” he said.
The three following years were ruinous for his family. His wife repeatedly urged him to quit, expressing concern over his prolonged absences and broken promises.
Abdinasir sold 65 of the family’s herd of goats to continue buying drugs to feed his addiction.
In June 2023, he suffered a near-fatal overdose of Tramadol that caused him grave physical injury.
“I collapsed in the middle of the road after taking too much. I hadn’t eaten for two days, and I hit my head on the ground,” he said.
The severe head injury he sustained required hospitalisation and weeks of recovery. It was during this time that his parents and family intervened and pressured him to stop once and for all.
Quitting came almost too late as Abdinasir has only 15 goats left to her in Labi-boor, a village located 30 kilometres from Guriel.
He squandered the money had made on frivolous activities like staying in hotels, and socialising with friends, whilst taking drugs.
Abdinasir, who now campaigns to inform others, emphasised how the drugs he was on made him lose interest in his work and become oblivious to his responsibilities. He was constantly seeking money. While he personally did not resort to crime, he acknowledged that others in similar situations might.
As in other parts of Somalia, Tramadol is easily available for purchase from pharmacies in Guriel area. A packet of 100 Tramadol pills is sold at $3 and has long been available as a pain relief medicine.
Pharmacies do not generally require a doctor’s prescription to dispense such drugs.
The challenges posed by drug are now well known to community elders like Jama Ali Mahmoud, who has been working on resolving disputes caused by drug abuse.
Jama, a resident of El-Korah, 55 kilometres south of Guriel, recounted several troubling incidents relating to drug abuse. One case involved five men who attacked a newlywed couple, assaulting the husband and kidnapping the bride.
“A group of men who were all under the influence of drugs invaded the bride’s home at night, assaulting her husband and then kidnapping her,” Jama recounted.
The situation was eventually resolved with the arrest of the perpetrators.
However, Jama expressed deep concern for his own children, especially his two sons aged 14 and 16, who are currently studying in a Koranic school.
“To protect my sons from the growing influence of drugs in the area, I am planning to send them to a Koranic teacher’s camp. The camp will provide a safe environment away from these harmful habits,” he said.
Jama warned that drug use was spreading among rural herders, requiring a collaborative effort from the government and the community. He explained that herders were particularly vulnerable due to the idle nature of rural life.
“Pastoralists have a lot of free time and are easily drawn into this, especially when there isn’t much to keep them occupied,” he asserted.
Since mid-2023, local youth, scholars, and security personnel in Guriel have been running awareness campaigns about the dangers of drug abuse.
One of the campaign leaders, Abdullahi Malin Hassan, shared his personal experience of drug-related violence, after being ambushed while returning home at night by armed individuals under the influence of drugs.
He was attacked with machetes and metal bars by young men who he believed to be high on Tramadol. Severely injured, Abdullahi was transported to Mogadishu for medical treatment.
Afterwards he decided to dedicate himself to combating drug abuse, which he sees as a major threat to his society.
His group conducts weekly awareness sessions, often in partnership with local leaders, medical professionals, and religious scholars. Abdullahi noted that their efforts had achieved some success.
“Several drug-users who have heeded our messages have chosen to quit and now collaborate with us,” he said.
According to Guriel police, 45 individuals who tested positive for drugs and were implicated in crimes such as theft, assault, and defiance of parental authority were arrested over a six month period.
A medical professional at Shifa Hospital, Dr Kahiye Osman Omar, reported that they had treated 80 patients suffering from Tramadol-related illnesses since May.
“The initial impact is on the mind; it deteriorates mental health, and the individual becomes disconnected from reality. It also damages vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, and intestines, leading to severe health complications,” he explained.
_____________________________________________________________________________________Xafiiska Wararka Qaranimo Online | Mogadishu, Somalia
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