Somalia marked its National Youth Day on Sunday with renewed calls to youth to reject extremism.

In Baidoa, the Interim South West Administration (ISWA) President Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan cautioned youths against religious fundamentalism and radical ideologies.

“ May 15 is a significant date in Somalia’s history. It shows youth are capable of initiating positive change. I appeal to all Somali youth, especially those in Southwest State, to embrace state development and reject radical ideologies. Your community and your country depend on you,” he stated in his address.

Somali National Youth Day is commemorated every year on 15 May in remembrance of the youths who founded the Somali Youth League in 1943 to campaign for the country’s independence.

ISWA Minister of Youth and Sports Abdullahi Abdi Omar Fanah announced plans to offer vocational training courses to at least 300 young people in Baidoa and establish adult learning centers for older Somalis.

The Head of the UNSOM Office in Baidoa Vikram Parekh emphasized the importance of youth participation in the country’s political process. He noted that 2016 presents a unique opportunity for Somali youths to actively participate in the election of a new federal parliament and also contribute their views on the new National Development Plan.

“Youth need to be engaged in the political processes and in all aspects of reconstruction of Somalia," he said.

Youth Day celebrations were also held in Kismaayo, where youths held a procession through the town. The march was followed by a number of   sporting activities that included women’s basketball, cycling and soccer.

The Jubbaland Second Deputy President Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud Luga-Dhere presided over the celebrations. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to support the youth. “We are ready to help the youth by providing them with good education and job opportunities.  We are calling upon them to support the peace and stability that currently exist in Jubbaland,’’ he said.

A youth leader named Sahra Arte made a passionate plea to young people to desist from engaging in illegal activities. “I am calling upon the youths to rebuild the country and stop the fighting. We also appeal to the UN and other international organizations to help stop young Somalis from taking the treacherous journeys in the sea, by finding them jobs,” pleaded Sahra.

Somalis who are under the age of 35 make up an estimated 70-percent of the country’s population. But recent statistics indicate that the country’s high rate of unemployment is driving many of them to migrate illegally to foreign countries or turn towards radical politics and organizations.