Prosecution and conviction of two criminals who murdered Mohamed Ibrahim, 24, two years ago in Edmonton will buoy the faith of other Somali-Canadian families whose loved ones had been killed in Edmonton and elsewhere in the province of Alberta.

The two perpetrators fatally shot Mohamed Ibrahim on August 10, 2008 after a fight between them and a group of Somali youth members celebrating a birthday event had broken out; the fight took place outside the River Cree Casino west of Edmonton. Eventually, the two perpetrators were prosecuted, convicted and sentenced on December 13, 2010 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years. 

In fact, more than two dozens of Somali-Canadian youth had been killed in Alberta. But few cases, including that of Mohamed Ibrahim, have been solved thus far; the rest of the cases are awaiting justice and are being investigated by the province, although the investigation process is too long for the Somali-Canadian families whose loved ones had been murdered in the province.

The investigation files are never closed. And it is the hope of the victims’ families that those who perpetrated the crimes against the youth should be brought to justice and as quickly as possible. Edmonton Somali-Canadian community ought to guide its youth members towards the right direction by monitoring the education progress of the youth and preventing them from falling through the cracks. The youth are often enticed to harmful actions, so it is imperative to stop the enticing, regrettable actions before they materialize so as to make sure the community’s youth aren’t spoiled and lost.
The youth are generally susceptible to many temptations and pressures, some of which can take a terrible toll on the youth if they yield to them. In fact, the youth cannot make right choices unless they are couched and mentored continuously; therefore, it is  the role of Somali-Canadian community to step up to the plate and help the youth set foot on the right path, although sacrifice and hard work are  involved in the guiding and mentoring process. 

Somali-Canadian youth come from households with big family sizes. In addition, the community is grappling with numerous challenges including underemployment, communication barriers and commitments towards their kith and kin back home in Somalia. All these matters are significant factors which can contribute to the problems faced by the community’s youth’s; after all, the youth come from families with different circumstances and situations. And at times, things get out of the families’ hands due to various reasons; and that is when the youth fall prey to all sorts of problems and hazardous conditions. However, the community must guide its youth in the right direction to produce good citizens who can avail their families and the wider Edmonton community.

The police investigation in relation to the slain Somali-Canadian youth in Alberta is yielding fruits, so more Somali-Canadian families whose loved ones have been lost in Alberta are hopeful that they will get immediate results so that they can rest peacefully