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African diplomat â€" describes poverty Coming from one of the poorest countries in the world, Adinur Yusuf, Ambassador to Canada from the Somali Democratic Reâ€" public, couldn‘t hide the facts about his homeland when he addressed an audience of about 40 people at Wilfrid Laurier University on Thursday. Speaking to the newly-(ormed Waterloo region branch of the United Nations Association of Canada (UNA), Yusuf said Soâ€" malia has an annual per capita income of $100, which is being dragged down even further â€"by the constant influx of refugees from nearby Ethiopia. "‘There are over one million refugees in our country at this moment, which would be like 10 million people coming into Canâ€" ada," he said. Most of the refugees are coming from the Ogden region â€" a disputed area until it was snatched up by Ethiopia with the help of Soviet aid and Cuban troops, according to Yusuf. In contrast to Somalia‘s poverty, Yusuf said countries in the northâ€" ern hemisphere, making up 30 percent of the world‘s population, produce 95 percent of overall industrial output. Canada, along with the rest of the industrialized world ‘"is made up of conservative people who don‘t want to give," said Yusuf, adding that the hundreds â€" of United Nations conferences on Northâ€"South relations that have already taken place have done little to narrow the gap between rich and poor. Yusuf described the local branch of the UNA and others like it as "the grass roots of the United Nations‘" faced with the task of "spreading the message" of UN issues. When asked if Somalia wants the aid and technology needed to compete with countries like Canâ€" ada, Yusuf replied: ‘‘We‘re not trying to do that... we just want to be able to supply our own food." He said that before 1945, Afriâ€" can countries were self sufficient in foodstuffs, but since then, have been forced to import. A major reason for this turnaround, he said, has been the widespread political turmoil on the continent which has torn countries apart and has fueled poverty. umm En y By MARK WESSEL Apart from the shortage of food in his country, Yusuf said it is suffering from a "brain drain‘‘ â€" an exodus of skilled professionals and graduate students leaving Somalia for greener pastures. And in many instances, stuâ€" dents receiving their education overseas decide to stay there, thus depriving Somalia of people it needs, he said. Canada is favoured by many countries including Somalia as an attractive source for aid because it has no history as a colonizer, and has no desire to play the power games both the U.S. and Russia play, said Yusuf. And while Somalia needs Canâ€" ada‘s technology, Canada needs third world countries like Somaâ€" lia too, he added. "Canada is looking for the third option to get away from depenâ€" dence on either U.S. or Russia and at the same time your help to us is a must." If countries like Canada decide not to help "then we‘ll come here," said Yusuf, suggesting a mass exodus from third world countries to industrialized counâ€" tries would take place. After listening to Yusuf‘s speech, Frank Epp, president of the UNA branch said he was convinced ‘"Canada has no probâ€" lems compared to Somalia...we just create them." Epp was elected president of the Waterloo region group earlier in the month, when the first meeting was held to establish a board of directors. Toino Milgan, a professor of political science at WLU, and one of the 11 directors on the board, said following Thursday‘s meetâ€" ing the new branch wants to increase community awareness of the UN. ‘Basically we want to acâ€" complish two things," Milgan said. "First, to let people know what work the UN is doing, and second, to explain the issues behind the work." He said the group plans to invite ambassadors from other countries to speak as well as other knowledgeable people on international affairs. He said the public will be encouraged to attend these meetings through public notices. Abdinur Yusuf, the Somali ambassador to Canada, spoke on third world politics to the Waterloo region branch of the United Nations Association of Canada last Thursday. Looking on is Frank Epp, president of the newlyâ€"formed association. WA TERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1981 â€" PAGE 6