Thursday, March 28, 2024
Wardheer News
  • Opinion

The Stars of the Horn ((Xidigaha Geeska): The new and Brighter Face of Somalia

By Ali H. Abdulla

Iga daa Qabiil:  way dabar jare, iga daa
Iga daa Qabiil: way duleeyaye, iga daa
Iga daa Qabiil: Qaran baa i deeqee, iga daa

Woe to tribalism: it is eradicating my existence
Woe to tribalism: it is eradicating my pride
Woe to tribalism: for it can’t replace a nation
– Xidigaha Geeska (The Stars of the Horn)

A group of young and talented Somali musicians have finally managed to defy and bring down the artificial iron curtain erected between North and South Somalia by old, angry, vindictive, unforgiving and divisive politicians in Hargeisa. They joined their brothers and sisters in Awdal, Sool, Sanag and other Northern regions who felt all along that isolating the North from the South only served the arch enemies of Somalia: Kenya and Ethiopia.  It also serves our tiny sister, Djibouti, well since it is the main beneficiary from a weak and divided Somalia. All the major navies in the world have a presence in Djibouti to supposedly fight against Piracy and Al-Qaeda resulting in a constant stream of hard currency for our sibling. . Holding the short end of the stick, all we get are overfishing and the dumping of toxic waste along our shores by conglomerates protected by these navies in the absence of a strong Somali navy.

Xidigaha Geeska
Xidigaha Geeska

In addition to encouraging and tacitly supporting the separatist minded elements in Hargeisa, the two neighbors have encouraged and imposed the clan-based  power sharing 4.5 formula upon the Somali people to keep them divided, weak and incapable of demanding the territories bequeathed to the two by the British Raj before it and the Italian Fascists reluctantly granted Northern and Southern Somalia independence in 1960. What is happening in Somalia is similar to what is happening in Iraq where power sharing is based on the shia/sunni/Kurd affiliation.  Other power sharing formulas are probably being hashed for Syria, Libya and Yemen. The Somali game is not over yet and the ultimate goal seems to be another Sudan.  If you believe in conspiracy theories, you can probably conclude that the Muslim world is fair game for political polarization along ethnic or religious lines to keep them weak and divided. If what General Wesley Clarke said is true, then you may be right in your conclusion: The West seems to be winning the Clash of Civilizations.

The young musicians risked their freedom twice by holding music festivals in Mogadishu, the Somali capital which languishes under the rule of a corrupt and clannish religious cult known as the “New Blood” which failed to utilize the largesse of the international community to rebuild the Somali Republic and heal the deep wounds their brothers in the North had suffered under the long-gone military regime. The young stars lost their freedom in the second trip but fortunately, they got it back after a court in Hargeisa ruled against their illegal incarceration.

The talented group has now released an appropriate song that shuns tribalism and calls for unity, nationhood and good governance for all Somalis. ‘Iga daa Qabiil: Qaran baa I deeqee, iga daa” which means Let us shun tribalism in favor of nationhood which is more fulfilling. The song is not directed at Northerners only but addresses all Somalis. It is sure to have a tremendous impact on the young generation on both sides of the curtain and hopefully bring them together against the wishes of old men who lack the vision and wisdom to forget and forgive. According to Ghandi: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”.

After wrestling their independence from Britain in 1960, the Northern Somalis called for unity with the Italian Somaliland (Southern Somalia) and sacrificed everything for that unity to become a reality. They even ignored the need for a fair power-sharing formula since they were driven by the vision of a greater Somalia that united all the Somalis in the Horn. The name chosen by the young musicians in Hargeisa (Xidigaha Geeska) is not coincidental but symbolizes and rekindles that dream again. The great Sheikh Zaid once remarked that “A nation without a past, is a nation without a future”. There are elements in Hargeisa and probably Mogadishu as well that are trying to eradicate Somalia’s illustrious past which was based on unity and resistance against foreign intervention. Thanks to groups like the Stars of the Horn, that will hopefully never happen.

Nine years after independence, a fledgling democracy was replaced by a military dictatorship that ignored the egalitarian nature of the Somali people and alienated large sections in the society that saw scientific socialism as an alien and inappropriate doctrine in a Muslim society.  In its last few years, the regime used disproportionate force to quell legitimate grievances that surfaced after we lost the war with Ethiopia in 1977. Ethiopia used the festering grievances of the Somali people to its advantage and eventually succeeded in dismantling the Somali Republic with the help of the rebel movements that it nurtured and adopted. Those rebel movements represented most of the Somali clans and some of the surviving rebel leaders or their heirs are still loyal to their Ethiopian handlers such as general Gabre.

The brutal bombing of Hargeisa by the military dictatorship and the hasty formation of a government in Mogadishu after the collapse of the regime without consulting the Northerners led to the equally hasty and unilateral declaration of an independent state in the North against the wishes of many constituencies in the North such as Awdal and Sool.  The lack of visionary leadership led to the debacle that served to alienate siblings from each other for 25 years. Unlike Nelson Mandela in South Africa who managed to heal the wounds suffered by the black people at the hands of the white minority, the Northern leaders used the heavy-handedness of the military dictatorship and the wrong behavior of the shortsighted leaders in Mogadishu as justification to divide the Somali people and attempt to unsuccessfully break away from the Somali Republic. The equally shortsighted leaders in the South focused their energy on milking the International Community without any serious attempts to reconcile with their brothers in the North.

Unlike the current divisive leaders in the North, the late former president of Somaliland (S/L),  Mohamed Ibrahim Igal, cautioned those calling for revenge when heavy rains exposed mass graves in Hargeisa by declaring that the massacres were not committed by certain Somali clans but by a brutal dictatorship whose members included all Somali clans, even those from Hargeisa. Igal was one of the architects of Somali Unity in 1960 and his early departure from the Somali political scene created a visible vacuum which was unfortunately filled by divisive leaders such as the current president who is responsible for a deeply divided North.  ‘Meel Aar ka kacay, Atoor fadh-fadhiisay”

Finally, after a long 25 years, we are now witnessing a slow but sure steps towards reconciliation and healing. The healing process will hopefully be helped along by the reality faced by all the Somali people: the prospect of being gobbled up by their more populous neighbor, Ethiopia. Sheikh Adan Siro recently cautioned Somalis against being swallowed by Ethiopia like Samosa. He asked Somalis to use their brains and ingenuity to counter such a frightening prospect.

The budding healing process is symbolized by several developments such as :

  • The daring actions of the young Stars in Hargeisa who defied the iron curtain and started composing rousing lyrics that call for unity and nationhood.
  • The realization by most Somalis including the most radical secessionist cleric in Somaliland of the need to counter the impending Ethiopian menace.
  • The emergence of many activists in Somaliland such as Abdimalik Oldoon who openly voice their desire for a united Somalia, a taboo for 25 years.
  • The recent debate in Sweden in which a group of Northerners including professor Ahmad Samatar argued against the celebration of 18 May, the day that a group of angry SNM rebels declared unilateral secession in Burao, while ignoring 26 June: the day that unites all Northerners; the  day that is equivalent to the 4th of July in the United States; the day that We as Northerners hoisted the blue banner together and lowered the union jack that symbolized colonialism and subjugation by an alien nation.

18 May is a few day away and I am sure that many from the North will celebrate that day with gusto all over the world. I call upon the celebrants to pause and ask themselves what they are really celebrating:

  • They are celebrating a day that not only divides Somalia into North and South but also divides the people of the North themselves, since not all of them believe in that day. In Sool and Sanag a handful of people in Las Anod celebrate it halfheartedly to please those in Hargeisa in order to keep the dollars coming. The majority of the people regard 18 May as a day of garbage collection to defy the claim of the secessionist leaders in Hargeisa . The occasion is even used to burn the S/L flag despite the presence of S/L soldiers sent by Hargeisa to suppress the wishes of the unionists in Sool. In Awdal, Sultan Wabar is again calling for an uprising against the hegemony of Hargeisa. A random sampling of the population in Borama revealed that none of the participants could recite the S/L anthem while all of them were able to sing “Somaaliyey Toosa”, the Somali national anthem.
  • They are celebrating a potential another 25 years of isolation since no country in the world would recognize a country whose people are divided along clan and ideological lines.
  • They are celebrating the mass exodus of young and bright Somalis who see no future in an unrecognized country that cannot offer them jobs and risk their lives in the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea. We were all heart-broken when we learned that most of the people who lost their lives in the recent debacle caused by a sinking boat in the Mediterranean hailed from the North.
  • They are celebrating an unstoppable flow of Ethiopians who will eventually lay claim to their shores after taking root for several generations and eventually replacing the departing Somali youth who either perish in the sea or end up in refugee camps in Europe.
  • They are celebrating a potential conflict that can force an uncle to take up arms against his nephew since fellow Northerners in unionist regions are determined to resist an imposed secession. We cannot afford another Kalshaale that caused us more than 300 young lives.
  • They are celebrating a system of corrupt NGOs that makes a few rich and relegates millions to poverty and misery.
  • They are celebrating the generation of more wealth for a few blood sucking companies like Dahabshiil (formerly Dhiig Shiil – Blood sucker), Telesom, and Coca-Cola in a system that knows no accountability and the concept of fair taxation for the common good.
  • They are celebrating the abuse of their shores and the polluting of their grazing lands. For example, a Chinese company near Berbera uses chrome for tanning leather. The fumes from the toxic brew has already affected hundreds of nomads in the area.
  • They are celebrating the plundering of their land, minerals and fishing grounds by greedy companies and their collaborators. Just look at the large areas sold to Arab Emirs in Sheikh and Gacan Libaax. Berbera port is next on the block.
  • They are celebrating the uncontrolled importation of expired drugs and food items that contribute to the rising levels of patients suffering from cancer.
  • They are celebrating a hidden drug war being waged against them by their enemies. Hargeisa has become the major hub for distributing the Kat drug to all corners of Somalia. The drug siphons our hard-earned dollars and saps the energy and productivity of our youth. The pesticides used by the Ethiopian and Kenyan farmers wreaks havoc on the health of the Somali society.

The secessionist president of S/L who used to be the Minister of Finance under the military regime in Mogadishu has recently appointed a committee for seeking world recognition for S/L. The committee includes professor Samatar who flatly refused to be party to such a misguided approach. One of the members in the committee asked sarcastically whether recognition was something lying on a shelf that the committee members could grab and come back with victoriously. If a large percentage of the population opposes the secession, how would it be possible to convince the international community to bless it?

Another misguided attempt to gain recognition has been timed with upcoming the 18 May celebrations. The attempt involves gathering one million signatures to petition the international community for recognition. The S/L Department of Foreign affairs is preparing forms that will be distributed in Borama, Hargeisa, Burao and Erigavo. Although they excluded most unionist regions like Sool, they somehow included Borama, where all the subjects of  a random sample conducted by a young journalist, who ended up in jail for his effort, failed to recite the S/L national anthem. A petition signed by a million secessionists can be easily countered by a petition signed by a million Northern unionists.  This is a zero-sum game where we all lose.

The Somali people and those in the North in particular should try to fathom what is happening to their country and the ugly direction it is heading towards. To understand where the Stars of the Horn are coming from with their new song, you should watch the recent inauguration ceremony of President Omar Guelleh who invited all the dictators in the region to his ceremony: Kagame of Rwanda,  Al-Bashir of the Sudan and the Tigre appointed Prime Minister of Ethiopia. For Somalia, he invited the always smiling and always bowing Hassan Sheikh of Banadir, Gas of Puntland, and Silanyo of Somaliland. He did not dare invite Abdi Iley of the Somali zone in Ethiopia since, as a sovereign state, the Ethiopians would not stand for that.  I am pretty sure that it must be against international protocol to accord a president and his governors the same red carpet treatment.

Silanyo and Gas ended up near the entrance among the ordinary delegates and stood up to greet the incoming genuine heads of state. I am sure that Silanyo got pissed when he was not seated near the sovereign states attending the ceremony and many in S/L will be disappointed since they wrongly assume that they are a sovereign nation. For Gas, being there must have been a big thing.  He ignored the turmoil boiling in his state and rushed to a ceremony where he was forced to stand up and clap for Hassan Sheikh, which is not bad after all.

The President of Somalia was received at the airport by the Djiboutian Minister of Education as Federal Minister Hassan Sheikh of Somalia. To add insult to injury, when the announcer repeated the names of the dignitaries a second time after taking their seats, he somehow missed Hassan Sheikh of Somalia. Even Silanyo, Gas and their wives  got mentioned .  I cannot help but wonder what happened to Madobe of Jubaland and AbdulKarim of Galmudug. You should be able to draw your own conclusion from this incident. But it should be obvious how even our own Djibouti treats Somalia these days: with utter contempt.  The recent massacre of Somali fishermen near Zeila by the Djibouti navy should give you an indication of our helplessness and how low we have sunk. We let it go and rushed to Guelleh’s ceremony as if nothing had happened.

To cut a long story short, we should listen carefully to the Stars of the Horn and get our act together by throwing the shackles of tribalism. Our first priority is to get rid of the “Dammul-Al-Jadid” thugs  and elect a president with a national agenda. I know that this is easier said than done but we should never lose hope. The new president should then promptly start a healing process that can satisfy our brothers in the North.  Hopefully, by that time S/L would have managed to depose the aging SNM rebel and replace him with a more visionary leader who can herald  a new era of forgiveness, healing  and unity for the whole of Somalia. The Ulema in S/L like Sheikh Siiro and Sheikh Mustafa in Hargeisa  have an important role to play in uniting the Somali people and alerting them to the disadvantages of weak mini-states that are vulnerable to Ethiopian domination.

For now, let us start with celebrating 26 June with all the fanfare it deserves. It is a day that we  all share and revere.  Hopefully,  the Stars of the Horn and other Somali artists will  continue the journey that they started towards unifying all Somalis in the Horn.

As for 18 May, it can surely enter  history as the day that Somalia got rid of its Dictatorial past.

“Dadkaan la hadlayaa, baan lahayn, dux iyo iimaane” Timacade

Note: Somali Unity is not equivalent to Southern hegemony

Ali H. Abdulla
Email: [email protected]

————–

The Complete Somali Lyrics as  transcribed by a young Somali: (Tough to translate)

Iga daa qabiil wey dabar jaree iga daa,
iga daa qabiil wey duleeyayee iga daa,
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa

Waa dabin gumeysigu nagu dagee iga daa
dhiig daatay iyo kala daadsanaan iga daa
diif iyo darxumo waa halkay dagtee
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa

Mid daciif ahoo ladudaayo qoys iga daa
maatida dayacan dab dhintaa dhaxdhiga iga daa
darajaduu ku helo dowlad kuma noqdee
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa

Iskudiin bulshoo waxa kala durjiya iga daa
dadka quursigoodana igu dirqiya iga daa
dulmigaan galnaan dib ka eednayee
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa

Iskuduubnibaa dowb lagu hantee ila doon
midnimaa dalka wax u doorisee ila doon
danta guud ayaa dawa ii ehee
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa

Iga daa qabiil wey dabar jaree iga daa
iga daa qabiil wey duleeyayee iga daa
iga daa qabiil qaranbaa ideeqee iga daa


We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com. WardheerNews will only consider articles sent exclusively. Please email your article today . Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WardheerNews.

WardheerNew’s tolerance platform is engaging with diversity of opinion, political ideology and self-expression. Tolerance is a necessary ingredient for creativity and civility.Tolerance fuels tenacity and audacity.

WardheerNews waxay tixgelin gaara siinaysaa maqaaladaha sida gaarka ah loogu soo diro ee aan lagu daabicin goobo kale. Maqaalkani wuxuu ka turjumayaa aragtida Qoraaga loomana fasiran karo tan WardheerNews.

Copyright © 2024 WardheerNews, All rights reserved

16 Responses to “The Stars of the Horn ((Xidigaha Geeska): The new and Brighter Face of Somalia”


    Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'Roots_Walker_Comment' not found in /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-content/themes/roots/templates/comments.php:11 Stack trace: #0 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-includes/comment-template.php(1554): require() #1 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-content/themes/roots/templates/content-single.php(46): comments_template('/templates/comm...') #2 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-includes/template.php(772): require('/home/forge/war...') #3 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-includes/template.php(716): load_template('/home/forge/war...', false, Array) #4 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-includes/general-template.php(204): locate_template(Array, true, false, Array) #5 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-content/themes/roots/single.php(1): get_template_part('templates/conte...', 'single') #6 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-content/themes/roots/base.php(23): include('/home/forge/war...') #7 /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-includes/template-loade in /home/forge/wardheernews.com/public/wp-content/themes/roots/templates/comments.php on line 11
    WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.