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Does Colin Powell have the courage to save Somaliland? |
| Somaliland deserves recognition. reported by BBC |
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| Off the Somaliland coast . |
| News: EC to Support Road Improvements in Somaliland-All Africa The European Commission has approved a major project to support rehabilitation of the core road network in the self-declared republic of Somaliland....February 11,2003 |
| In his recent article, Somaliland: The Myth Of Clan-Based Statehood, Mr. Ali Ismael (Barud) employs the most despicable divisive mentality and indulges himself with fabrications in his personal assumptions-based approach to the history, lineage, land distribution, and legitimacy of Somaliland Republic. Any person that reads the unrealistic nature of his article, feels how the writer is a victim of unwise human thinking, and how he is helplessly conquered by self-defeating inexperience. If he is intellectual, then it is wailing intellectuality for lacking decent ethics of discourse, for he preaches violence and hatred, and is obsessed with deep animosity against Isaks. Mr.Barud`s poor judgement on united and successful Somaliland should have come from two places: The kind of environment in which he is originated and the community he was raised in. Both of them, environment and community, play an important role in the formation of human mind and the shaping of its qualitative thinking. He might have grown up in a sun-scorched, sweltering, desolate province, some where in northeastern Somalia, where the inhabitants live barely on meager milk from heat-worn goats year in year out. Such harsh environment might have denied Barud of critical, robust thinking of good judgement. Somalia is also Barud`s community where anarchy and fear reign for the last 12 years (1991-2003) and its people`s hope is shattered by despair and famine. Such difficult situation is another factor that contributes to his obsession with Somaliland, for when one fails in life, wishes enviously the same calamities for others. He is one of many Somalia`s intellectuals, politicians, clan elders, and clergymen who, after failing to unite their grieving nation, restore order and law, and reclaim a dignified position in this world, engage in jealous campaign, trying to derail the legitimacy of Somaliland and its worldwide acclaimed democratic progress. There is an old Somali proverb which says, “A childless old lady is obsessed with sea shells.” (Habar dhaliweydey aleelo ku waalatay.) Somalia is like that old lady who, when she could not bear child at young age, is obsessed with witch`s sea shells at old age, hoping for childbearing one day. As old lady can not have children, Somalia`s obsessive quest for the lost union is futile, and Somaliland`s legitimacy is undeniable. Covering up that national failure of reconciliation, and worried about the closing in international recognition for Somaliland, Mr. Barud is making another try to achieve the impossible. His ulterior motive, that is explicitly reflected in the article, is that he is obsessed with laughable imaginations of seeing a Darod country, under Darod government, with Darod labeled flag. It is like searching for a lost Darod state that once existed on the surface on the earth, then suddenly vanished from sight as the Atlantis city whose mysterious disappearance remains still unknown. He is swimming in day-dreaming and fallacies. There is no nation on this planet, earth, that has population purity, but with mixed races, ethnic groups, or clans. This multi-clan picture is the real national brand of Somaliland. There is no Darod country, Isak country, Hawiye or Rahanwein country. There is no precedent in human history that clans or parts of a country are claimed by others on the basis of simple lineage. The Chinese dominated province in Russia or the Kurds in Turkey would secede if it were possible for them. A nation is greater than the mere wishes of a particular clan. Such impossible quest for unattainable dreams can traumatize one`s life and lead to horrible consequences of depression and stress. When Mr. Barud calls Somaliland secessionist, he fails to draw distinction between secession and legitimacy. Secession is illegal breaking away of a province from its own country while legitimacy is the lawfulness of sovereign, independent state that has unique history of land, people, and culture enshrined within its recognized borders, and under the same government and flag. That is the authentic legitimacy of Somaliland in the court of international law. If Puntland of Somalia breaks away from the rest of Somalia, with which it shares history, people, culture, borders and flag, that is secession. Somaliland is well known to world history and maps but Puntland is unknown. Biafra of Nigeria was secessionist between 1967-1969, Quebec of Canada was secessionist in the 1960s and 1970s, Basque of Spain is secessionist currently. All these provinces were separatists because they wanted to break away from the rest of their legitimate countries. Somaliland has historical background and legitimacy similar to Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Djibouti, and any other nation. |
| Djibouti rejected the union in 1977 after seeing how Somalia abused it and violated its basics- Never influenced by the cold war western world as Barud claims. Somaliland`s anticipated recognition emanates from that same legitimacy which gave international recognition to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that withdrew from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, and Macedonia and Bosnia that withdrew from the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1990s. The history of Somaliland can not be re-written . Mr. Barud has also misconceptions about the root cause of Somaliland`s withdrawal from the infamous union with Somalia due to his inexperience and lack of historical facts. Somaliland was the first Somali state that achieved independence on June 26, 19960,even before Somalia, and mistakenly had unratified, disastrous union with Somalia from July 1st 1960 to May 1991. The withdrawal was effected after Somalia inflicted unforeseen denials, injustice, atrocities and destruction in Somaliland for 30 years (1960-1990). The Somaliland people who were together in the struggle for independence, were together in the re-proclamation of Somaliland`s independence in Burao, Togdheer Region, in May 1991. It is mind defying that Somalia along with Western Somalia which were responsible for the destruction of the union are crying today for unity. Their objective behind that cry is to govern Somaliland again, oppress its people and plunder its resources. Somalia would regret destroying that union, would admit the injustice and crimes committed against Somaliland, and would ask for forgiveness if any it understood the importance of unity. One may wonder the kind of unity that Western Somalia (Somali-Galbeed) is looking for since it is under Ethiopian rule. There is another mistake Mr. Barud commits when he refers to global village of the 21st century. On one hand, he sees the global village as a hope for unity; on the other hand he resorts to the most abominable divisive tactics against Somaliland and its people. Something must have been wrong with him at the moment. He is confused with the definition of global village. Global village is the product of globalizing international marketing system of transnational business corporations in this hi-tech age. Global village never replaces nation-state or culture of any country. And there is no international consensus on global village today. In fact, many developing countries see it as a super phase of neocolonialism where transnational business corporations of powerful nations exploit the natural resources of weak nations and cripple local companies. They see it as a direct threat to their national and local development. Somaliland is cautious of misleading global village. The futile, desperate attempts will never shake up the strong foundations of Somaliland`s legitimacy and independence. Somaliland people have developed from clan hostility and factional fighting that ruined Somalia. Its clans are closely linked and united for Somaliland`s cause for sharing same destiny and practicing democratic principles of fair power sharing, looking to the future with broader vision of peace, social equality and prosperity. All the six regions of Somaliland, Awdal, Northwest, Sool, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sahel are under the full control of Somaliland government, and each enjoys fair regional and local decentralized elected administrations. The decent nation, the enchanting land with the beautiful beaches along the coast of the Red Sea, the distinctive National Anthem, and the Islamic flag hovering in its blue skies are the ideal characteristics of Somaliland. The internationally recognized borders of Somaliland run 7 kilometers from Bosaso and 5 kilometers from Garowe. Its territorial integrity is inviolable and its proud nation is indivisible. As any other nation, Somaliland people may disagree on the platforms of the political parties but they never disagree on defending their national security, unity and sovereignty. If the statehood of such wonderful country were based on clan, it would not be peaceful, stable and democratic. Only diversity based-statehood has such noble qualities, and that is the nature of beautiful Somaliland. The widely anticipated international recognition of Somaliland will bring it more stability and progress. Darods are more obsessed with union than any other clan in Somalia for one simple claim. They are preoccupied that if Somaliland is recognized, Darod will be divided between Somaliland and Somaliland, and they will become minority group in each. This is untrue, it is just another attempt to subvert Somaliland independence. They are tirelessly in quest for trying to retrieve the lost union. It is impracticable quest. Somalia is a multi-clan country where Hawiye is the dominant clan today. But, for historical mistakes on the side of Hawiye and for Majeerteen`s close relationship to colonial power, Majeerteen was the dominant power from the Italian administrations to Siyad`s coup de tat (1889-1969) on the myth that Majeerteen was equal in number to all black-headed (Majeerteen iyo Madax-madow ayaa siman). This myth worked in favor of Majeerteen for that long time. However, the myth started disintegrating during civil war against Siyad`s brutal regime, and post-Siyad civil wars. Two reasons unveiled Majeerteen`s reality. First, Majeerteen founded an armed resistance named SSDF against that regime in 1979. It became the most failing front that could not move Siyad`s forces for one inch. Because of that devastating failure, they started surrendering to the regime on misleading emotional Darodist appeal, betraying their defenseless masses that Siyad`s regime massacred, raped, and looted in the rural areas between Garowe and Galka`ayo. Many of the returnees (Known as smokey face- Dhafoorqiiq) were rewarded with transfer to Somaliland to massacre and plunder Isaks with the “Butcher of Hargeisa” Mohamed Saeed Morgan between 1987- 1989. Then, where is the myth that Majeerteen and all Black-headed are equal in numbber? That was the first hit on the myth. SNM and USC were the most successful armed fronts that ousted Siyad`s Regime in Somaliland and Somalia respectively in January 1991. Secondly, Majeerteen constituted the biggest component of the two Darod invasions waged from Kismayo in April 1991 and April 1992. When Hawiye defeated both of them at the outskirts of Mogadisho, it shattered the rest of Majeerteen`s myth of arrogance, and made it an ordinary Darod subclan in Somalia. Somalia` quest for Somaliland is futile, is in vain, and the union is lost for ever. Somalia must save its grieving nation and restore peace and hope for it. Somaliland is on the right track at the right time. It is role model for many parts in Africa including Somalia, and anxiously awaits for world recognition. Writer: Ibrahim Hassan Gagale. Email: Ibrahim_hg@yahoo.com February 11, 2003. |
| Somalia: The Futile Quest For Lost Union |