“Iyana waxaan kaga gudbaa Gobey liicoo ha jabin” by Hassan Ganey
Muqdisho,9 March 2016: Since the weakening of Somalia nationalism in 1945, after the defeat of Dervish warriors in the Godan plains of Nugal, the Somalis were dreaming to settle an old grievance the colonial power left behind that divided Somali-inhabited territory into different countries. The arrival of Europeans not only divided the Somali people but actually stopped the Ethiopian to reach the Indian Ocean as they were intended to capture. The political idea of uniting Somali territory had begun after world war two by the British but did not materialize because the powerful Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie wanted to have a stake in the division of Somali Bedouin. The Emperor claimed the Somali nomads are part and parcel of greater Ethiopia. Basically he alleged that he is doing favor to Europeans.
However, the north of Somalia (Somaliland) and South of Somalia merged and formed the Somalia republic. The great SYL leaders, ex-premier Abdullahi Isse Mohamoud, president Adan Abdulle Osman, Present Abdirashiid Ali Sharmake and Jaalle Mohamed Siyad Barre and numerous political elites of North including ex-prime minister Mohamed Hagi Ibrahim Igal and Ambassador Michael Mariana rode a hard saddle to regain the lost territory. Finally the pursuance of that policy wrecked the internationally recognized Republic of Somalia. 1967 the Ex-prime minister Mohamed Hagi Ibrahim Igal attempted to downplay the Somalia territorial claims by suggesting the policy of Minor and Major issues at Arusha in Tanzania. Mr. Igal might have seen the impending danger looming over the region. Whether he was right or wrong is something debatable for the future generations.
History scattered the Somali people into different enclaves outside of the Somali republic around the region. The nationalistic notions the Somali leaders appealed to was crushed after a number of Somali politicians and military officers went to Ethiopia and minimized what the Somali people advocating for so long to avoid the moral responsibilities. After the war in 1977 between Somalia and Ethiopia the upward political trajectory of Somalia shifted from aggressiveness to annex the lost territory to desperately defending its own territory. The balance of power went to Ethiopia as Somali people flocked to aid its war against the Mogadishu government.
The artillery barges lasted from 1977 to Jan 26.1991 between Somalia and Ethiopia. The war in the Horn Africa as the 20 century draw to a close, the two nationalist Jaalle Mohamed Siyad Barre and Colonel Mengiste Haile Mariam from their respective countries changed state borderline of their countries as Eretria secede from Ethiopia and Somali is no longer a unified country and spiraled out of governance. These wars consumed Somalia and Ethiopia as we knew them. Ethiopia seems more stable than Somalia although border clashes happen around Eritrean edge. But the question is how far the Ethiopian regimes are willing to continue the massive spending budget for their military machine that roams the camel wilderness of the Horn of Africa; eventually slowing down the economic growth and fatiguing the country. The real Somali republic perished in 1991, as the war between Somali government and rebellion forces ended but another war was underway. The nation’s life was tragically cut short when the citizens engaged in killing each other.
After ten years of continuous civil war in Somali the international community intervened and established formal governmental structure in Arte Djibouti led by Dr. Abdiqasim Salad Hassan in 1999. Since then Somalia became political experimental laboratory, where apolitical tryout exercised to which system is good for this tribal enclave of East Africa. In the cocktail parties in diplomatic circle of Horn African, some advocated that Somalia cannot be a nation but a fiefdoms of tribal confederal administrated by the regional authorities like intergovernmental Authority of Development (IGAD) . This experimental exercise have been in twists and turns and finally up to now ended by creating what has been called tribal federal state. It was an alien idea to create a new Somalia called Federal Republic. I believe the word “Republic” does not belong and should be omitted completely.
Whether a federal system can work in Somalia remains to be seen. The territories of federal states are not equal and some members don’t even consider themselves part of Somalia while other claims its territory is 1/3 of the known Somali territory. Some came in to life after international pressure and sensible compromise reached among the stake holders while agreed to violate the federal constitution. The districts of the two Southern Federal member states are a hot bed of the Islamic extremist and in reality it will be hard, but not possible any functioning administration will ever take place.
The current leadership failed to take a bold political move to further the national identity by setting common ground for further discussions about why Somalia failed instead entertaining false political rhetoric. We are the people of Zombie Nation; a walking dead nation. The nation is directionless and we sometimes walk in the lion’s den. The central government is the engine and the spiritual hub that drives the intellectual discussion in matters of constitution and co-ownership. Governance is not a source to solicit and receive welfare checks from the wealthy donors, but is where developmental ideas are generated and dignified the citizens of the nations. The leadership of nation outsourced their responsibility to AMISOM and other regional institutions. They are consummated actors tailored their remark to fit the regional audience and masters of deception feigning to fight the terrorism but actually milking it. The war in Somalia is basically a philosophical one and only those with sheer conviction will prevail
Somalia is lagging behind from the rest of regional states. The political leaders and tribal elders promoted tribal allegiance instead of curbing it for the sake the nation. The tribal affiliation superseded the national identify. We took an ultimate solution whatever the international community brought us. Their solution is what is called Band-Aid solution that would set further social divisions. However the responsibility falls on the people to take the ownership position of their country and find a working system and creating a unified Somalia identity. The fact is the role of the international community in any given country is limited and does not mean a long term solution to the problem. For example it’s not the responsibility of the international community to fight and stop the never ending corruption in the country. Corruption eroded the trust of the people and is prevalent. The massive suffering of millions of people who had been denied the right to life dignity and searching a loaf of bread in their rich country to expect their loyalty is a wishful thinking. It matters to the families of those suffering the government’s gesture not to care their feeling will be stain on the record of this government.
By 1960, the aforementioned wars that convulsed the region were about to begin as the birth of Somalia ensued. However the benefits of the subsequent wars in the region brought the inception of a great autonomy for Somali speaking regions in Kenya and Ethiopia. Somali Political leader are partaking the political process of these countries. The Islee market in Kenya ran by the Somali and replaced the Asia community that had dominated the Kenya business for years. A great number of Somali youth have been graduating universities of these countries. Somali inhabitant in Kenya and Ethiopia consider themselves more related to their hosted countries than Somali as it was being 25 years ago. But unfortunately, all of these successes cost the Somali republic to perish. I have to argue the Somalia inhabitant in Ethiopia and Kenya are better off than 25 years ago. Before they were improvised by just being Somali origin and their future was far from assured. They were persecuted and their regions left behind.
Indeed Somali elites, Ulema and ordinary folks fear that Ethiopia would seize the crumbled nation by maintaining the status quo and follow the footsteps of Ethiopian expansionist to realize the dream of their forefathers to further territorial ambition in the region. Somalia is not hostile to anyone except itself. She lost its temptations to incorporate Ogden, Northern frontier district of Kenya and Djibouti, and have had been confined the internationally known border line and even disintegrated in to many lands. The known international law do not allow any nation to annex other nation, but the circumstance in Somalia permitted the Ethiopians to influence for good or bad. The proliferation of technology and the need to trade freely among the communities in the region prescribes the leaders in the region to act responsible for the benefit of the whole. The era of territorial wars is over cooperation and exchange of ideas prevailed. The Horn of Africa has to give birth a new leadership that conceptualizes the ongoing conflicts derailed the resources and the manpower of the region. The age of Gebrisimo and Afeyisimo must end and be replaced by an era of cooperating and lifting up the living standard of the people of Horn Africa.
“…Maandeeq curatay ee gurtay marisay agaankii
Ya maali jiray midii loogu mutanooday
Ayagaa ku maqan baan lahaa soona meersade
Afrikada madoow maalin kale haw miskiin noqone …
Wax aan meel ku qaado lahayn uma maleyn heyne
Muxaad iyo duntiisaan lahaa meel isgu geeye …”
By: Abwaan Mohamed Gacal xaayow
Avv: Abdiwahid Abdullahi Warsame
Abdiwahid_Abdullahi@hotmail.com
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Xafiiska Wararka Qaranimo Online | Mogadishu, Somalia
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