It is great and even timely that the United Kingdom is hosting a conference on the conflict in Somalia.
Delegates from more than 50 countries and international organisations are said to be attending the conference, which opened in London yesterday.
It follows a similar conference hosted by London last year to help Somalia rebuild itself.
Somalia is widely regarded as a failed state, hit by numerous conflicts since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that nearly 260,000 people died during a famine in the East African state from 2010 to 2012.
No doubt, the appalling situation in Somalia, key among them the perennial instability, lack of security and the countless loss of human lives due to the drought and famine last year, needs urgent action to save millions of lives.
As we always say in these pages, Africans often tend to wait until the Eleventh Hour or even after an event before they started to respond.
The calling of the conference is undoubtedly a welcome move.
Somalia has experienced almost two decades of severe instability, lack of security and countless human sacrifices. The blood of many women, children and the most vulnerable of the society has been repeatedly spilled in that country.
Like many other African countries, Somalia is not immune to the devastating effects of such unfortunate happenings.
Many African countries, for instance, are still suffering from conflicts, whether manifest or simmering.
So, if our leaders especially the heads of state of the African Union countries have failed to pay more attention to the situation in some of these countries, it is only natural that things like this one would sooner or later lead to a catastrophe.
And who suffers? It is mostly the women and children. It is for these reasons, and a host of others, that those at the conference should take the conference seriously.
Our leaders should take urgent measures to save the lives of Somalis, especially women and children. They must act now, by taking the lead to rescue the people in Somalia, and other countries in the continent.
The time to help Somalia is now!
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Dr. Seuss
