An article by Guled Ismail in Awdalnews (22 January), entitled “Sool
Loses”, should not be allowed to pass without response from those who are the subject of his sometimes patronizing platitudes. The crux of his argument is that Sool is the loser in not joining the secession spearheaded by SNM in 1991. Reading between the lines, this judgement is based on his argument that Sool is so poor that it had been hitherto sustained economically by apparently other richer regions now subscribing to the secession- a privilege Sool would lose, according to the writer, having decided to remain in Somalia rather than join Somaliland. If the cost of remaining in Somalia is the loss of economic benefits from Somaliland, as Guled would have us believe, one has to ask him what were those generosities that were graciously proffered on poor Sool in the past but will no longer be available in the future? As I will argue later, the contrary was the case: that it was Sool that had contributed much to the economy of Somaliland rather than the other way round.

Seen from the other side, Sool had never to face any choice between Somalia and Somaliland. It made its irreversible decision in July 1960 when, together with all other Somalis in former British and Italian Somalilands, they all decided to unite and establish the Somali Republic. Until the recent onset of secessionism in the North under the banner of the SNM, the union was held by almost all Somalis as a blessing, an act of faith that ended the artificial division imposed on them by the colonialists for nearly a century. The fact that the secessionists do not share this sentiment anymore in no way diminishes the virtues of union over separatism and disunion.

A united country like Somalia, at peace with itself, with its unique homogenous population, having larger open single market, and enjoying common legal and administrative systems, offers undeniable benefits that could contribute to economic and social development as it would to greater national security. Sool, Eastern Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) like the rest of Somalia, have been sharing these benefits that accrue from a united greater Somalia. On the other hand, a Somalia that split would offer less of these advantages. But it is Somalia that offers more than the barren secessionist entity that the international community had refused to recognize. It would be the hight of folly and irresponsibility for SSC to give up all that they enjoy under Somalia and blindly place their destiny on a wild horse. Even if one were to ignore nationalistic considerations, there is much economic and security reasons in favour of being part of Somalia. However, economic benefits are not every thing and our nationalism and belief in Somalia outweigh all other considerations. That, more than anything else, is why Sool is previlaged to be part of Somalia. If any one is the loser, it is the separatists.

In the past, Somalis used to see their enemies as those across the border and not from within. All that changed when the SNM declared the North as an independenct country separate from Somalia. Suddenly, roles have been interchanged whereby the former enemy, Ethiopia, was adopted as a god father and the rest of Somalia jettisoned as demons. For the secessionists, any price is worth paying as long as it helps them to delink from Somalia. As for Ethiopia, it is a dream come true as they enjoy the sight of various parts of their enemy, Somalia, all outdoing one another to win it’s favour even if they have to end up as its vassals. For what it is worth, Somaliland is the leading champion in this ignominious sell-out. The Ethiopians have no specific love for Somaliland but it simply uses them to accompolish its own long-standing national objective to de-stabilize Somalia if not dismember it.

The only thing that Somaliland retains which is Somali is the name of the country, which they had to adopt for historical reasons. In every other respect, they had renounced all values and sentiments that the rest of Somalis hold dear to their Somalism and nationalism. It is an irony of history that a Somali from Somalia proper is now considered persona non grata in Hargeisa whereas an Israeli or an Amhara fellow from Wollo is given the red carpet. Nothing better crystallises this ant-Somalia phenomena than Faysal Ali Waraabi’s recent statement that an Amhara boy born in Addis is closer to him than a Somali one born in Mogadishu. This is not an isolated, one-off remark by a loony politician carried away by his anti Somalia hysteria. He speaks for many in Hargeisa although they may prefer a whisper to his outlandish public statement. Thank God that SSC are no part of a Somali-hating entity.

Regarding Sool being an economic burden on Somaliland, brother Guled cannot be taken seriously. What have they given to Sool? If only Guled knew how much he owes Sool!! No one denies that Sool and the rest of the North are poor by any standard with scarcely any natural resources and hardly any industrial development. Apart from limited seasonal subsistence farming in some parts of Awdal region, the rest of the territory is semi desert that can only sustain a precarious nomadic way of life. Animal production constitutes the backbone of the economy and here SSC are undoubtedly better blessed than other regions in the North. Their animals used to represent a large proportion of the livestock exported through Berbera. Much of the employment, tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings from such exports accrued to Hargeisa during the colonial times and to a lesser extent since then. Such money has been used to build schools, hospitals, roads and pay government civil servants in Hargeisa with hardly any trickling to the source of that income namely Sool,

Nowadays, the North’s income is supplemented by remittances from the Diaspora and aid from international humanitarian and development organizations. Though they had missed out on international aid, thanks to Hargeisa’s vindictive opposition to any aid for SSC as punishment for snubbing the secession, yet these regions receive higher per capita remittances from their Diaspora than other regions in the North. The standard of living of the ordinary person in SSC is certainly no worse than that in other regions in the North if it is not even better. I have only talked about animal production and have said nothing about underground natural resources that await to be tapped. When that happens, Mr. Guled and his company will be knocking on the gate. He can be assured that, unlike them in Hargeisa, no Somali will be turned back even if he is, or has been, a diehard secessionist.

Turning to the economy of Somaliland, it is reeling from self-inflicted wounds. For one thing, the invasion of Sool had spurred SSC trade with the rest of Puntland with almost all its external trade channelled through Boosaaso. For another thing, the secessionists shot themselves in the foot when they shamefully handed innocent Ogadenis to the Ethiopians and detained others alleged to be members of the ONLF. As a reprisal, the ONLF went for the jugular and hit Somaliland where it hurts most: disrupt and destroy the trade routes from Somaliland going through their territory. The loser is Somaliland while Puntland and Boosaaso are the main beneficiaries of this folly. With their trade links with neighbours in the doldrums, Somaliland is becoming increasingly dependent on remittances and international handouts. That does not sound much like a country that can spare a dime for poor Sool. What is the wisdom of seeking friends from the outside world, from Ethiopia, Israel and all sundry, while at home antagonizing all their Somali brothers all the way from Somalia, the Somali region in Ethiopia and Djibouti? Sooner or later, the chicken will come home to roost.

Coming to Sool’s loyalties, Guled makes the statement that the loyalties of  Sool people are divided and that there are Sool residents who are committed Somalilanders. There are indeed some who support Somaliland but they are not in Sool contrary to what Guled claims. All such people, thank heavens, are exiles in Hargeisa. No doubt, some are there for what they can get out of it, while others are motivated by a more honourable reason. What ever the financial cost to Somaliland, they reckon this is recouped by the propaganda message it conveys to the outside world that all the clans of former Somaliland are fully behind the secession. Of course they fool no one but themselves. All the same, just as the Iraqi exiles in America fooled America that their forces invading Iraq would be welcomed with flowers, the Sool exiles must have equally fooled their hosts by telling arm-chair warmongers in Hargeisa that invading Sool would be a picnic.

Mr. Guled mentions the bond that Sool people share with the rest of the territory. True, such bonds do exist. But it seems to be incomprehensible to Guled and to almost all secessionists that Sool shares a far closer bond with those in the rest of Puntland. As every clan in the Horn has bonds with its neighbours, there is nothing unique of the bond that exists in the North. But why invade Sool when you acknowledge such deep-rooted bonds:? Why not engage in dialogue? Why send your army as the British used to do whenever they want to pacify a rebellious tribe or region? There might have been certain ambivalence among the Sool people towards the secession before the invasion. That blunder has however dispelled whatever hesitations people had before and united them fully behind Puntland and Somalia.

It is heartening to hear Guled say that the regime in Hargiesa is no longer keen on the military option in Sool. This is not out of any kindness to Sool. It is the military reality that has opened their eyes. As the Americans have learnt to their cost in Iraq, it is easy to invade a country or other people’s land, but it is damn difficult to get out of. It is a catch 22 situation for the Somaliland forces stuck in Adhi Cadeeye. They can not move forward to accomplish mission nor can they pack up and go home without appearing defeated with their tails between their legs. The Puntland defending army can afford just to block them and let them sweat it out.

Finally, Guled describes the Sool people as ones who have a “history of making wrong choices in Somaliland politics” and to have a “taste for following the ambitious tribal chieftains from other Darood clans….”As an example, he mentions the support they gave to Sayyed Mohamed Hassan unlike the other opposing Somaliland clans. For the Sool people, the Sayyed’s war with the British was nothing less than a holy war against what they considered to be alien infidels occupying their territory and hence saw it as it as their religious and national duty to join the Jihad. Those who died have Allah’s promise of paradise and those who survived had been proud of their sacrifices. Mr. Guled’s clans, on the other hand, had served as mercenaries for the British and he seems to be proud of it. This only shows the gaping gulf between our values. Sool has a history of supporting Somali cause. Others have a history of stabbing Somali causes in the back. This is where I part company with Guled and cite the holy Quran where it says “Lakum diinukum waliya diin”

Mohsin Mahad
UK
Email:Mohsinmahad@yahoo.co.uk

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