Why is Somali National State (formerly known as Ogaden), lagging behind and is the least developed piece of real state on Planet Earth? That is because three groups of very important people are excluded and marginalized, from participating in the affairs of the nation-at the local, federal and international levels. The following are the marginalized groups:

1-Intellectuals and the educated elite.

We all know how much money; time and energy the poor taxpayer had spent to train this class of people. This category of people is ready to repay; by giving the people proper leadership and guidance, compatible with 21st century diplomacy and politics.

2-Trdational clan leaders (Ugases, Suldans, Garads etc.)

This class has a thousand years of experience of leading the people. For instance, in countries like Nigeria, South Africa and other countries in Arab Middle East, this category of people actively participate in the political decision making process.

3-Religious leaders or traditional Ulemas

These can have moderating and spiritual influence upon the population and can lead the people better than any other group.

The second big question is, who is excluding and marginalizing the above mentioned three groups; who could bring about the real solutions to the immense political, military, social and economic problems facing this so-called autonomous Somali National State?

The following three organizations have succeeded in getting rid of the above mentioned three groups:

1-The federal Ethiopian government, under the leadership of strongman Meles Zenawi.

This regime rules over 70 million people with an iron grip. The population in the Somali National State is approximately 5 million. Could it be the leaders of the federal government don't have enough time to concentrate on the problems of Somali Region, and their hands are full of the problems of other nation states like Oromo and Amhara? Why does the federal government always have rosy contacts with the lowliest creatures in the Somali State, and not with the educated and other highly respected groups? Thousands upon thousands of Ethiopian Somalis (majority of them Ogadens) have starved to death in the two decades the current regime was in power. Why is the federal government in Addis Ababa doing practically nothing to save these people - when drought strikes the region and the civil war intensifies? Is it in the interest of the Ethiopian federal government to leave Ethiopian Somalis die by the thousands, when drought comes and all the animals perish - which are the only means of sustaining their lives? Is it in the interest of the government to establish peace and progress in the Somali National State? These are hard questions to answer; but according to the indigenous people, it seems the federal government has no interest to solve or even talk about the problems of the Somali National State.

2 - Ogaden National Liberation Front

There is another organization in the Somali National State, which calls itself Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). As you can observe from its name, this organization claims to be in armed struggle against the Ethiopians to liberate the Somalis. Unfortunately, most of its highest leaders are made up of former Victory Pioneers (guulwadayaal) from the former failed state that was known as Somali Republic; they were also among the highest members of former Somali Socialist Party in the service of Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. These are the people who in reality have played a major role in the destruction of the Republic of Somalia. These people are trained for destruction and not for construction or re-building.

Nobody knows how this kind of people came to the top of ONLF hierarchy or when and how they were elected. Perhaps conspiracy brought them there; perhaps they were put there to destroy the Autonomous National State just like they have destroyed the Somali Republic. I afraid they might be succeeding in that task.

Coming down the ladder of ONLF is the Central Committee. Except for a few members, this so-called committee is composed of ex-private soldiers, corporals, barely literate third-graders and that kind of riffraff. There are thousands of highly educated people all over the world in different disciplines who have knowledge and political vision-and who can properly relate to the people and events in the Somali region. The traditional leaders (Ugases, Suldans and Garads, etc.) are everywhere ready for peace, progress and stability. There are well-versed and highly educated Islamic Ulemas who have the knowledge and the experience to lead the people. This is the question that I want to ask ONLF: Why has it become indispensably necessary to put third-graders, who are barely literate, very young and very inexperienced in positions of leadership for your Front? Why ONLF is averse to trained professionals, the traditional leaders and the Islamic Ulemas. If ONLF thinks it is advancing its cause by shunning away from this group of people, then it is digging a deep grave for itself. There are hundreds of nations and national states on God's gracious earth. All of these nations seek the expertise, knowledge, experience and advice of their most important asset - the educated elite. ONLF has a tradition of being antagonistic and antithetical to this category of people.

3- Regional government of the autonomous Somali National State

The third factor is the regional government of the autonomous Somali national state. This political framework has been there for almost two decades. I don't have the proper words to describe the people who run this so-called autonomous state. They are a pitiful lot. They have no pride, no confidence and no humanity in them. They are extremely clannish and corrupt. They are cowardly. Do you know the people from which they take their orders? They take their orders from private soldiers hailing from the Ethiopian highlands. They lost credibility, trust and respect of the people. They have committed and continue to commit gross human rights violations with impunity. They carry out collective punishment against entire communities and settlements and have turned the region into a big prison cell.

In conclusion, if the deteriorating conditions of the Somali national state are meant to be improved; if life in that country is to return to normal and if peace, human dignity and progress are to be re-established, the federal government, ONLF and the despicable state government must be accountable to their deeds. They must stop their destructive polices and do more to alleviate the plight of the people. They must seek the advice and inputs of the educated elite, the experienced the traditional and religious leaders.

Mohamed Ugas.
Lemon Grove, CA

E-Mail:ugasxashi@yahoo.com
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