By every standard, as Somalia political leaders fail to have the vision to fix its longstanding problem, which has turned into vicious cycle of conflicts for over 26th years owing to dosages of national, regional, and international influences, Somalia works out to fail Somaliland as they are busy with drawing and hooking the elites from Somaliland to represent the fake, old and outdated XY Somalia. And notably why Somaliland shouldn’t make a national priority to those joins and dance at Mogadishu political theater, and then come back to Hargeisa, making Somaliland a waiting room?
Somalia has been in protracted war and conflict for more than 26 straight years while Somaliland has been enjoying peace, democracy, and development for those 26 years. Day-in and day-out Somalia kicks off offensive political music to disturb the course of Somaliland`s political and development chemistry. It wants to capture the attention of millions who are mindful on the mass atrocities, crimes against humanity and human tragedies which Mogadishu committed in the 1980s against the Somaliland people. And up until now, a human has no value in Mogadishu; if hundreds killed, they are worthless while one killed in Somaliland is too many.
Why war criminals invite the victims? Why theatre of all conflicts invites Somaliland? Why and why some of the victims are dancing at the theatre of the perpetrators? Are you using the philosophy of an American Moral and social philosopher Eric Hoffer who once said: “A war is won only after you have turned your enemy into a friend?” But there is no open war between Somaliland and Somalia. Being a Somaliland is a fait accompli and no one on the earth can change that! Malcolm X once said: ‘Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down’. And Somaliland did that after they confronted the Siyad Bare Regime in the 1980s and ended it in 1991. So, why perpetrators propose to marry you politically?
If we make conflict analysis, or systemically research the conflict profile, the causes of the conflict, the dynamics, and actors on the 1960s-80s conflict between South and North, all the triggers of that conflict can now be found in Mogadishu political equation. The genesis of the conflict goes back to 1960, and soon after the union, the South started to marginalize the people from Somaliland. Thousands were killed because of their tribe. For example, many people in the army and retired generals who committed crimes against humanity in Somaliland in the 1980s were invited to February 2017 presidential inauguration in Mogadishu, like Morgan. And Somaliland people aren’t wondering the reason Morgan was invited because Morgan is a war criminal in Somaliland, but a hero in Somalia! Thus Somaliland needs a politics dominated by hardliners and political artists in this regard.
Unlike Somalia, Somaliland has been in permanent and positive peace, enduring democracy and vibrant socio-economic development. It has been a home to a democratically elected and accountable government with a sense and culture of constitutionalism, and politics that set and drives plans and priorities for economic growth and enduring democracy. It has been the home of a myriad of positive success stories in all walks of life.
Very unfortunately, for many years, Somalia has been inviting Somaliland to join with the bad political entertainment in Mogadishu with dreadful, unpleasant and bait music to hook the most influential youth, business and political elites from Somaliland, but that will not work. Somaliland government and its people are willing to talk to Somalia in a kind and compassionate way but it seems that Mogadishu is unable to understand and appreciate that. Thus Somaliland should reconsider its position to deal with these settings and circumstances.
Theoretically, Somaliland knows in length for what would have happened in Somaliland if it had not cut off from Somalia at the collapse of the Siyad Bare regime in 1991. However, those whom Somalia invited for Mogadishu profitable-political business will soon practically realize the thousands of reasons of why Somaliland disconnected from Somalia. And many already realized like those who were protesting in Mogadishu in this May 2017, complaining about the marginalization—one of the protests from Somaliland said: “we are like Somalis in South Africa and we are marginalized, and we are demanding from Somaliland to send us airplanes to evacuate from Mogadishu to Somaliland”.
Yet, to that said, the bad music, naivety and ignorance at play in Somalia will not jeopardize Somaliland, but will be the continuation of their previous cocktail of abuses like wars, piracies, and terrorism in play in Somalia for so long. And those who hail from Somaliland who went to Mogadishu were promised to earn money as they couldn’t and shouldn’t represent Somaliland people. And that is why the tens of past Somalia conferences—including the 11ist May, 2017—ended up unproductively.
In the failed Somalia, the contemporary political players play unprofessional music with Somaliland. This political music is manipulative tactics which they want to use to disintegrate and create confusion in the peace led, vision-led Somaliland. The former president of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud once said: “we are working on the union through culture, religion…and now there are young people from Somaliland who work in our institutions, and many of them held political positions in Somaliland in the past.”
Imagine in 1the 1980s thousands of civilians who were displaced from their cities, and on their way to refugees camps, their government bombed, killed women and children intentionally because of their ‘tribe’ and region. The government bombed its tax payers selectively. The music at play in Mogadishu will not edit out or erase our 50,000 people who were intentionally exterminated in the 1980s and that memory can’t be deleted from our hearts and minds. Some in Somalia believe that there are lingering doubts in the minds and hearts of Somaliland people regarding its sustainability. They consider that being Somaliland is emotional theory and hilarious that goes nowhere. But to be load and clear the case of Somaliland has been erected on tough, cohesive, inclusive, and productive philosophies which are unshakable.
As for Somaliland governments, it should be very determined and take a hard-line position towards those working to the detriment of the state. Similarly, Somaliland should also work on strengthening the local capacities and employ the thousands of graduates who are in dilemma and seeking hopes from Mogadishu. The youth in Somaliland needs opportunities and responsibilities. Thus Somaliland ought to leverage the talents and energies of its educated youth. Despite huge progress in Somaliland, unlike the youth, only the politicians of the 1980s-90s are enjoying the Somaliland development and that is why Mogadishu is hooking the Somaliland youth. Any president of Somaliland needs to take a strong stance on these issues in order to fix these pressing challenges facing Somaliland youth. Somaliland sits on time bomb unless it works the otherwise.
Taking into consideration the 18th Mays Jubilation, the euphoria of Somaliland people and the Mogadishu babbles in all history, Somaliland needs a political artist and hardliner as a president who can design a promising future for Somaliland. We need a leader who can deal with the elephant in the room but if that is not the case the Mogadishu case will work out, and Somaliland would face the biggest headache ever. In no doubt, Somalia government is the reflection of its citizens, so we wish to propose to its people to stop the pathetic policies of hooking and disintegrating Somaliland. But rather work on your most pressing challenges like the wide-spread insecurity, recurrent droughts and the prevailing hunger across the regions. The international community should as well know that Somalia is opening Pandora`s box. And instead of opening Pandora box for Somaliland and Somalia, it is better for Somalia try copying and putting in place the successful bottom-up approach of Somaliland peace building philosophy that has been termed as a model to Africa.
Written By: Mohamed Ubbo