I have my beef with BBC Somali Service and its Chief Somali editor Ina Garaad . I have been listening to it since the arrival of radio broadcast message on the internet. I do not recall a single program in which they had explained in simple plain language, to the Somali people the positions of U.N., A.U., the League Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Conferences, the E.U., the Russian Federation, People's Republic of China, and other pertinent world bodies and governments, in regard to the national unity and territorial integrity of the Somali Republic. A lot of people in the Northwestern regions of Somalia , who occasionally sympathize with the few secessionists in power, are not aware of the World stand on Somalia . Ina Garaad and his crew neither keep the average Somali informed about the international community's unpreparedness in tampering with the national borders of the Somali Republic nor ask the secessionist leaders the hard relevant questions when it comes to have a dialogue about the restoration of the Somali Republic .

The issue of the Somali unity is always on the back burner in their programs. I have never heard a single debate aired by the BBC Somali Service taking place between the Somaliweyn believers in Hargeisa and the flag wavers of the secessionists. Their correspondent in the city, because of partiality and hidden agenda, never bother to seek opinions diagonally opposed to that of the armed few. I mean it is the job description of the modern journalist to see conflicts from different angles. Ina Cige is paid by Ina Garaad . Can you recall Ina Cige going to LaasCaanood , LaasQoray or even to Boorama to check the political beliefs of the ordinary persons in the street of these cities? I doubt you can! Mind you Ina Cige has been in North Somalia for more than 4 years employed by the BBC's Ina Garaad ! That is one of the reasons I am saying that he has a hidden agenda. He is in bed with the secessionists and tacitly is approved by his masters in London .
Without prejudice, when you look at the disintegration of Somalia and the suffering of the ordinary Somalis caused by the few, one can say that the BBC and ina Garaad are not doing their full potential to keep the ordinary Somalis (especially those in the countryside) timely informed in fair and equitable manner. If one asks a common Palestinian Joe or Jane the main resolutions of U.N. on Palestinian-Israeli conflict, chances are that he or she will recite them without hesitation because the Arab media constantly remind us the importance of the world stand on the occupied territories. The ever-on-going reminders keep the Palestinian people realistically united in their struggle. Unfortunately, the world stand on the fractured Somalia drafts from our memories day after day.   Here is where Somali media fails. They do not structure programs or what I call reality checks that frequently keep the common Somali person aware the importance of the U.N. resolutions on the sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of the Somali Republic and their implications on him or her or on other nation-states in the universe.   How many of you can tell me what does Security Council Resolution 1587 stand for?

Examples are countless but what happened on April 12 th of the current will shed light on the unfairness of Ina Garaad's radio to Somalia . On that day, F. Waraabe was given a scope of air time to spread his waraabiisim (cannibalism) and nonsensical reasoning for his suicidal attempt to dismember Somali Republic . Worst than that he did not call Ina Garaad's radio as it is normal for Somali pseudo politicians to phone BBC for addressing accusations made against them by others. But examine this carefully. He was contacted and interviewed by one of Ina Garaad's staff. Several times he stressed that the Somali people in Sool and Sanaag regions and the few secessionists in Hargeisa share an exclusive umbilical cord of brotherhood and that they together have common enemies who are no other but the other Somalis who he described as the black evil hand separating them. He said he wanted to capture their hearts and minds for his blind and unrealistic cause.

The straw that broke the camel's back is that Mr. Waraabe insulted and labeled radio Laascaanood a liar and propagandist.

Where is Ina Garaad's journalist impartiality? Wasn't it the right time to ask Mr. Waraabe if he believed the principle of self-determination and whether he was prepared to accept the judgment of the people of Sool and Sanaag if they are polled through ballot box to go with the secessionists and dismember Somali Republic or preserve Somali unity and stay with the bigger family??? Wasn't it the right time to remind him of the world stand for the sovereignty, political freedom and territorial integrity of Somalia and recite to him Security Council Resolution 1587 ? ( Adduunku waxa uu idiiin arkaa in aad kuligii walaalo tihiin )…

On the other hand Ina Garaad did not bother to call radio Laascaanood journalists and reporters and asked them about what they had been accused of! Radio Laascaanood is a respectful Somali local radio and has large numbers of listeners. The only thing they propagandize is the Somali unity….but the question is why Ina Garaad is always putting the issue of Somali unity on the backburner and at the same time loosen the rob for the few secessionists by giving them free air time? How many Somali people can the likes of Mr. Waraabe speak for? Sadly, British taxpayers' money is being wasted.

It is unacceptable that Somali voices remain silent on the ridiculousness of what Ina Garaad with the help of his right-hand man Ina Cige are doing to the Somali psyche, especially the psyche of the people of North West Somalia. It is given ( let Ina Garaad ask his immediate British supervisor) the objectives of the BBC Somali Service is to help Somali people get relevant information that may, in whatever degree it is, improve their living standards. I mean, basically, all man-made institutions toil to enhance the living conditions of human beings. Whatever role they play in societies, their functions directly or indirectly contribute to the wellbeing of humanity. The air waves of the BBC are not intended to work against the interest of the Somali people.

It is as clear as the light rays bombarding your retina if you are not blind; the whole world, including the British government has been denying the claim of the few armed militias to break up The Somali Republic. For more than fourteen years, the world has been denying Ina Riyaale and likes forum to convince the universe that Somalis, one of the purest races in time memorial, can not live together under one nation-state. Recognition of the Hargeisa's municipal council as an independent state is light-years away. As Somalis say, it is like hair strands budding out of a palm.

It is self-defeating to tally for the few who are suffering from SBS ( Siyad Bare Syndrome) the rationales on which the world bodies based their refusal to break up the Somali Republic for many articulate true sons and daughters of Somalia have been doing justice to them and had unaccountable knockouts. Pseudo journalists Ina Garad and Ina Cige must know their ways to these treasures and all other supporting arguments for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia . They must stop being submissive to the Riyale's militia and the other fake so-called political parties that are caged in Hargeisa's zoo.

Do not think I am just using superlatives to mud the BBC Somali chief editor's name. ( ninka aan Soomaalinima ku dikriyin waa cadowgeiga koowaad ). Ina Garad heads a powerful tool that affects the psyche of many Somalis especially the young and innocent. He is accountable to his actions and his unbalanced editorial piece for it seems his British supervisor gives him a free hand to run the show. In his mind he may be trying to be impartial but he is not. An example illustrates this point. On 26th of April, Ina Garaad gave 12 minutes and 20 seconds of free air time to Riyale's militia when his right hand man In Cige granted an interview to the head of so called commission of elections, Mr. Cadaani , a hypocrite who claimed that 70% of the bill for the anticipated elections in Hargeisa is footed by European Union along with the British government. For an inattentive person, this interview carries the message that the E.U. perceives Hargeisa's municipal council head a sovereign African government. Was not it the right moment that Ina Cige ask the interviewee to clarify to the listeners if the E. U. is funding the elections because they see Northwest regions as self governing province of the Federal Republic of Somalia or as a sovereign bankrupt African “democracy” that deserves financial assistance?

On 30 th April, Ina Cige reported that an A. U. fact finding mission arrived in Hargeisa . The delegation met the press and declared their intention to visit different regions of Northern Somalia .   If Ina Cige is not partial, wasn't it the right time to ask them how it would be practical for them to visit the Northeastern regions such as Sool and Sanaag if they had to be escorted by Riyaale's militia?

News serving industry works for the people. When Ina Garad and Ina Cige give free air time to Riyale's militia to spread their misleading propaganda and falsehoods, have they ever thought how the minds of the 9 years olds in Hargeisa are being manipulated and distorted? Are they not preparing him for a war that he will never win?

This is a wake up call for all Somalis and other peace loving people. We all have to write to the BBC and demand them to structure programs for their Somali listeners that reflect the world stand on Somalia . They have to come up with interviews that challenge the intelligence of the few armed secessionists in Hargeisa .

Ahmed Abdi
E-mail: geedweyn@yahoo.com
Midnimadu waa lama huraan .

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