By Abdil-Majid Jama
It is an obsession for most Diaspora Somalis to check the news of their homeland, Somalia. One morning, in recent days, I saw an amazing article “Somaliland: Is Invading Las Anod part of “Creating New Reality on the Ground?” on WardheerNews, written by one of our great inspirers and critical thinker, Faisal Roble. This article, written in 2007 on the night Laas Caanood was invaded, is a study and a thorough analysis of the situation in Northern Somalia (“Somaliland’). The article is as relevant today as yesterday.
Mr. Roble lays out a very accurate evaluation with his perceptive understanding of the root causes based on his knowledge of the region and its surroundings. A longer version of this piece was published on the Horn of Africa Journal, Volume XXV, 2007 .
It is an article that persuasively argues against Hargasys’ unilateral secession, and with historical facts defends the territorial integrity of the Somalia. The fact-based knowledge contained in this particular piece should be included in our school curriculums, as it could help our nation get through the difficulties it is facing today.
Mr. Roble brings to the table all the facts for those who truly desire to learn- who really want to know the reality of Somalia, especially the reality of the northeast and northwest (the regions we used to call Waqooyi Bari iyo Waqooyi Galbeed). Mr. Roble’s paper includes the names, dates, places, times, organizations, and the areas involved; and “figures don’t lie”.
Now, back to Waqooyi Bari and Waqooyi Galbeed, aka “Somaliland and Puntland: Residents of Waqooyi Galbeed always claim to be the victims of Siad Barre. Yes, Barre’s regime did destroy Waqooyi Galbeed- attacking them with any kind of weapons, killing many innocent people. We have to acknowledge that. Siad Barre clamed that he was fighting against SNM’s armed militia.
On the way, though, he massacred residents of Hargeisa, Borao, and Erigavo. That is an undeniable fact. On the other hand, the immense suffering of Waqooyi Bari (Puntland) began even before that of Waqooyi Galbeed (“Somaliland”). Prominent politicians from Puntland were jailed as far back as the early 1970s. Some were executed. Many were forced to exile. It was devastating to all Puntland families- their children, and their parents. It was a very new phenomenon that had never occurred in Somalia before the military dictatorship.
Puntland suffered in its innocence more than any other region of Somalia, because its residents never complained, and they wanted to solve their problems independently. That does not mean what has been inflicted on them should be ignored. All their trade was confiscated. In fact, in 1973, in just one day 27 boats were confiscated by Siad Barre, and the people of Puntland were left to starve. We all know that the people of what used to be called Bari, from Galkayo to Bossasso to Las-Khori, had depended on the sea trade- never on government jobs- for thousands of years. After that their water wells, which were used both by humans and their livestock, were poisoned; as a result animals and people died.
Then the USC tribal militia refused to deal with the prominent politicians of the Manifesto who wanted to save our nation because they were visionaries who wanted to see a peaceful nation, the youth of SYL who are now elderly, who founded the nation of Somalia before the majority of African nations. They included Adam Abdulle, Muse Boqor, Mohamud Yusuf Murro, Mohammed Abshir, General Mohamud Holof, Ali Shido, Ali G. Shirdon, Osman Roble- to name a few of the 114.
In the end, the USC militia (the majority from Central Somalia) attacked and took over Mogadishu, massacring 30,000 unarmed civilians (who were mostly Puntlanders) in two weeks. (For further detail on the casualties of the 1991 civil war, see Clan Cleansing, by Dr. Lidwien Kapteijns) members and supporters of USC militia looted private properties in Mogadishu, mainly real-estate and still continue to occupy them up to today.
The people of Waqooyi Galbeed (“Somaliland”) led by the SNM cooperated with the USC during their war of clan cleansing in and around Mogadishu (This fact is memorialized in a Youtube video where Aideed and Ahmed Shell from the early 1990s endorse massacring some groups).
Let’s now look a little deeper at Bari (eastern regions) and Galbeed (western regions), that is to say the ex-Italian-Somaliland and ex-British-Somaliland, respectively. Italian-Somaliland, as any part of Somalia, was clan-based. It was a vast land which had a good structure of cultural rule by kingdoms and later by sultans. Italians have the culture of southern Europe, which is less discriminative and more intermixed with the local people, as the Spanish, French and Portuguese. (Look at South America and West Africa.) The Italians were not inclined to impose an institutionalized tribal system of rule in Waqooyi Bari (eastern region).
On the other hand, Waqooyi Galbeed (who were the same people as Waqooyi Bari- same language, same religion, same lineage of birth- they are now Puntland and Sool and Sanaag) were colonized by the British; and the British were known to create and impose an institutionalized tribalistic system of hierarchy, typical of the northern European pattern of rule.
The British brought that division of the society to many other countries, more than just the tiny area of Somalia’s Waqooyi Galbeed. They did it in the USA, much of Africa including our neighbors Kenya and South Africa, Palestine (still a hot place), Australia, Hong Kong and the mighty China. So, this is not new. Somalia has to grow up out of that, and recognize that the SNM Somaliland will never get full secession. Again Mr. Roble’s article lays out the local and global challenges that make this secession difficult or impossible.
The SNM secession will never occur as long as Puntland exists, because Puntland people are known to have always been the heart and soul of Somali unity. They are not scared of unity because each and every one, from childhood, has been raised with a strong sense of Somali unity. Although Villa Somalia and Somaliland meet for reconciliation purposes, avoiding Puntland; Puntland is and will always be the glue of Somalia no matter what.
The concern about the ongoing attacks and aggression from Somaliland to especially Sool, and parts of Sanaag (Somaliland wants to prove their secession from the nation of Somalia) is that even though Puntland government rejects violence there is a strong kinship within the population of Puntland and inside the military of Puntland. They are feeling uncomfortable and humiliated by Somaliland’s attack on their kinship.
In reaction to the invasion, there were thousands of volunteers to defend the region, because they believe Sool and Sanaag are part and parcel of Puntland. The pressure is high, and it is mounting. So, again, I don’t know how the secessionist SNM can ever get recognition as a nation given pressures coming from the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn, as well as from Putnland army and from the Somali Federal Government whose job is to protect the unity of Somalia.
One more thing: Puntland never partook in any tribal discrimination. The proof is that in Puntland those that were tribally disregarded still flourished, equally just like any other citizen. The social structures that have taken roots in Puntland, as far back as the days when hereditary kings ruled the region is still intact; the residents of the region just coroneted their 34th king. that event was one which all Somalis from around the corners of the world participated. It was a Somali event.
We have recent memories of the egalitarian Boqor Osman, and Sultan Ali Yusuf, who promoted citizenship over sectarian feelings. It is not a question of DNA that makes or breaks civic culture; it is about a citizenship oriented social system that makes the difference. Let us therefore work to reunite our country by starting a reconciliation program.
Abdil-Majid Jama
Email:[email protected]
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