The Dissolution of Somaliland–Part II. Can NSUM and Patriotic Forces Lead the People to Insurgence?
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
April 05, 2009
(http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/97313), I focused on the rejection of the Riyaale tyranny by the outright majority of the North Somalis, and republishing two devastating criticisms against the present administration of the breakaway pseudo-state, I stressed the need for drastic and violent reaction to overthrow the tyranny of the Riyaale gang.
As many years have passed and meanwhile various projects have been promoted by the colonial enemies of Somalia, the North Somalis have practically speaking been left with no choice. If they don´t react today, overthrowing the Riyaale regime by any means of violence, developments have been systematically prepared to take place and bring about a new situation in the area of the present breakaway pseudo-republic. That situation will plunge the North Somalis in further discord, fratricide conflict, and deprivation, leading them to considerable decimation.
Today, North Somalis are left with no choice; either they will take to the streets, and through all possible means of violence, will turn the Riyaale tyranny to ashes or they will soon be confronted with the prearranged decomposition phenomena that the colonial powers have prepared for the multi-targeted area. These colonial plans provide for the formation of 3 or 4 absolutely impotent and incessantly warring tiny states run by tribal militias and fully instrumentalized local dictators who will be unable to prevent the total exploitation of North Somalia´s natural resources by the colonial powers and the ensuing extensive environmental disaster.
It is therefore essential for all patriotic organizations and parties originating from the area of North Somalia to immediately launch violent campaigns and lead the North Somalis to insurgence against the Riyaale tyranny. There is no time left for personal issues and ambitions in this regard.
Worse than the Abyssinian involvement, the presence of English, American and French advisers and political agents throughout the territory of today´s Somaliland is uncontrolled and greatly detrimental for the local interests of the Somali tribes and indigenous population.
Further contacts and efforts for cooperation with representatives of the colonial powers seriously jeopardize North Somalia´s last chances for peace; it must therefore become fully understood that there is nothing to expect from these countries and the colonial countries´ interests on Somali soil must be considered as priority targets against occupation forces.
Certainly, there are no English, French or American soldiers today in Somalia. However, the existing on Somali soil and malignantly acting political agents of the colonial powers, using all possible means of bribery, false promises and any functional fallacy attract destitute Somalis who thus gradually became fully instrumentalized and act against the interests of their country without even understanding it. In fact, Somalia is today a semi-colonized country, and this concerns all the parts of the beleaguered nation.
I republish herewith an insightful about the Northern Somalia Unionist Movement (NSUM) reaction against the visit of tyrant Riyaale in England and the exchanged in this regard correspondence between the NSUM Spokesman, Mr. Osman Hassan, and the UK Ministry of Foreign Commonwealth Affairs. I also republish an interesting analysis about the expected challenges for Somalia´s North, elaborated by Ibrahim Adam Ghalib, a Somali political analyst from Borama in the Awdal region. I understand the good intentions of course, but I wonder whether the North Somalis are truly able to imagine the impending deterioration and realize that, for the interfering colonial powers, the Riyaale tyranny was not an end but a means – for a far worse situation of division, discord and destitution.
Somaliland's leaders official visit to London
By Osman Hassan, Spokesman NSUM
http://jidbaale.com/fullpage.php?sscid=7786
Somalis in their different ways, as organizations or as individuals acting in their own personal capacities, had campaigned against all efforts aimed at dismembering their country.
Much of that effort had been directed towards the British government which is seen by many Somalis, rightly or wrongly, as providing succor to the secession declared by certain sections of the population in North West Somalia. The recent official visit to the UK by Mr. Dahir Riyale, leader of the self-declared Somaliland, was only the latest act by the British Government offering political, diplomatic and economic support to the area, inevitably generating deep anxiety and anger among many Somalis, North and South.
The Northern Somalia Unionist Movement (NSUM), whose members hail from North West Somalia, and whose main constituencies are the Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) regions, was established to defend Somali unity and to confront the secession. In this regard, it had numerous contacts and communications with the international community and in particular with the appropriate authorities in the British Government. The last such exchanges between NSUM and the UK Ministry of Foreign Commonwealth Affairs relate to the recent official visit to the UK by Mr. Dahir Riyale. NUSM is deeply grateful to WardheerNews in putting this exchange in the public domain given the importance of the substance of these changes to the wider Somali public.
Somaliland's leaders official visit to London
Friday, 27 March, 2009 11:18 AM
From: Matthew Extance
To: ohassanomar@yahoo.co.uk
Dear Mr Hassan
Thank you for your email of 3 March to the Foreign Secretary about the visit of Dahir Rayale Kahin to the UK and for the attached press release of the Northern Somalia Unionist Movement. I am replying as Assistant Desk Officer for the Horn of Africa.
The UK position remains consistent with the rest of the international community that we currently do not recognise Somaliland as an independent state. Moreover, the UK has signed up to an EU Common Position and to many UN Security Council Resolutions which refer to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia. Our policy has long been that the Somali people themselves should determine their future relationship and that their neighbours and other African countries should take the lead in recognising any new arrangements.
The leader of Somaliland met the Foreign Secretary on 6 March as part of his visit to the UK, where they discussed a range of issues. The UK values its cooperation with Somaliland, acknowledges their achievement in creating relative peace and stability and looks forward to future cooperation in many key areas, including migration and counter terrorism.
The current focus of the UK is to support the new transitional Somali government in establishing a representative presence in Somalia with the aim of improving security and stability. However, the UK remains committed to supporting development and good governance across the whole country including Somaliland.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Extance
Africa Directorate
Northern Somali Unionist Movement (NSUM)
27 March 2009
Subject: British Government Stance on Somaliland
Dear Mr. Extance
Thank you very much for your email of 27March, responding to my communication addressed to your Minister, Hon. David Miliband, and regarding the recent visit to the UK by "Somaliland´s" leader, Mr. Dahir Riyale. Much as it is heartening to be apprised of your government´s "signing up to an EU Common Position and to many UN Security Council Resolutions", pertaining to the territorial integrity and unity of Somalia, this claim is nonetheless contradicted by your government´s covert and overt dealings with the one-clan based secessionist enclave.
The fact that you have evolved, as you acknowledge, valuable bilateral cooperation with this entity, and that you and your government refer to it as "Somaliland" and not North West Somalia as it is officially known, or that you can officially invite its leader to Britain as if he was coming from a country separate from Somalia, and do all these things over the heads of the internationally recognised governments of Somalia, whether the former Transitional National Government or the present Transitional Federal Government, are indicative, separately or collectively, of de facto recognition of this enclave. It is difficult to see any other interpretation.
Britain´s pro-Somaliland stance is apparent from other perspectives. For example, it has never publicly acknowledged in all its statements and actions the country-wide opposition to the secession not only in southern Somalia, but, more importantly, by most of the clans in North West Somalia. It is important to repeat, even if it is for the umpteenth time, that among the five clans in North West Somalia only one clan has opted for the secession. As for the rest, the Dhulbahante and Warsangele clans, who belong to the wider Darood clan, and whose eastern regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) constitute almost half of the geographical area of former British Somaliland, are totally against the secession, incurring "Somaliland´s" invasion and occupation of Sool region in October 2007.The Issa clan in Awadal region, bordering Djibouti and ethnically belonging to the same Issa clan in the city State, are opposed to the secession. In the case of the Gadabuursi clan, also in Awdal region, only a small minority provide lip-service support to the secession, not out of conviction but only out of loyalty for their fellow clansman, Mr. Dahir Riyale, for the duration of his presidency whose days are numbered as his defeat in the forthcoming election is highly probable.
It is very difficult for any Somali to believe that Britain is unaware of the clear divide on the secession issue among the clans in its former colony. It is for this reason they lump Britain with Ethiopia as the two countries that had been historically partners in the curve-up of the Somali homeland in the Horn, and who are now active for the break-up of Somalia in their different ways and for their own purposes. That is a, however, is a short-slighted policy which is doomed for if there is one thing that unites the Somalis across clans and regions, it is their opposition to foreign interference and perceived threats to the unity of their country. A good example is the nation-wide opposition to Ethiopia´s recent invasion of Somalia with USA backing. Not only have they failed in their mission and objectives, but an unintended outcome was the birth of Al Shabaab Jihadists who now control large parts of Somalia and whose influence is spreading like bushfire throughout the country. Their recent suicide bombings in "Somaliland" clearly show the reach of their tentacles and that no area in Somalia is immune to Islamic radicalism sown by foreign interferences and interventions. There is no reason to believe that Britain succeed where others have failed.
If, as you said, Britain respects the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia, and if its current focus is to support the new transitional Somali government in "establishing a representative presence in Somalia with the aim of improving security and stability", then the best way to help it is to refrain from undermining it by dealing with parallel competing illegal authorities like Somaliland. Britain should go through the appropriate governmental machinery if it wishes to provide aid to any region of Somalia. Clear actions supportive of Somali unity, in words and deeds,can only dispel long-standing deep-rooted distrust of Britain among Somali nationalists, unionists and lately Islamists. Otherwise, Britain will remain part of the problem and not a contributor to the solution.
Yours truly,
Osman Hassan
Spokesman NSUM
Email: ohassanomar@yahoo.co.uk
Crisis of Governance and the Challenges Ahead
By Ibrahim Adam Ghalib - Borama Awdal region
http://hiildan.com/2009/03/29/crisis-of-governance-and-the-challenges-ahead/#more-3399
Somaliland is facing the worst crisis today. The present in efficient administration is the cause of this crisis. One constant feature that you will notice immediately in this administration is the lack of political will and guts to move things forward. Effective leadership is vital ingredient in solving problems that arise. An administration cannot properly represent people unless they have confidence in it and have access to its decision structures. The policy of wait and see cannot take the country of this serious political turmoil.
The present leadership failed to win the confidence of the political stake holders-the political parties, the bicameral parliament and the people represented by the civic societies. These institutions have been treated as enemies rather than partners to be trusted and the people that have the strongest stake do not understand their role that they retain the ultimate decision making power since periodic elections allow them to reject representatives that do not carry out their wishes. The present administration uses the house of elders that do not represent the people because they did not come on a popular vote.
The meager resources of the country are being used as kick backs to win their votes. These people are voting for the administration when they receive money only but they themselves do not trust the administration. The best way to cut this chain is to make the voting a secret ballot. In here it will be difficult to know who voted for who and the corruption can be minimized. The people are watching the Guurti that is not seeing the poor people´s wishes and satisfying only their needs by allowing the present administration that is representing the people today to rule the country on an iron fist.
Establishing public institutions and the rule of law can only help restore ethnic conflict that is reigning. A consensual approach is the best way to address the political and socio-economic issues necessary for peace. Frustration is building up and chaos is only a heart beat away now and can explode at any time. Politicisation of the public service caused by organized clan pressures by the administration created disorder thus permitting those in control to capture the resources for their own ends and build their power at the expense of the poor people. This chain cannot continue for ever and there will be one day that they will leave office. They will be asked from where they have brought the wealth in which they have build the palaces that is apparent in all the big cities of Somaliland.
The country have been divided into cantons by giving districts and regions to every tribe without assessing if these districts and regions can fulfill the criteria that a region or district is formulated. Governors and district commissioners have been appointed and have been give luxurious cars without the approval of the parliament. These offices are only for Udub the ruling party to campaign for this administration. The administration do not care any body but are interested to continue to rule the country.
Corruption reached a point of no return. This is widely exercised by low level of government. How can junior personnel take bribes at the presence of their seniors if not being encouraged by the people at the helm. I am putting this forward without reservation and any body that says this is not true is welcomed to prove otherwise. I am in side the country and am writing the reality on the ground. The people that write democracy in Somaliland is advancing is not telling the truth but mere slogans.
Now the voter registration have been derailed. This is the only viable program that ever been presented in this country to get free and fair elections. The way the program is handled felt short of the criteria of one man one vote. The government acted alone in choosing the commission that mishandled the voter registration.
The government failed to bring all stake holders at the round table to select together the commission that will lead the electoral process. The president nominated 3 members on tribal bases and played a role in nominating the other two that the house of elders selected. An equal employment opportunity have not been observed and the members were selected on random without judging whether they can fill this risky job.
Any way they have not been given a support to fill their space but the government dispatched all the officious ministers and the governors of the regions have been instructed to defy the rules of the registration and instruct the people in the registrations polls to register any body. The governors were masterminding this irregularities. The commission have been pressured and not given time to breath and this caused the blunder that have been exercised that cannot be solved.
Now we are in a political crisis. The president and the vice president have been given another term of six months. This does not represent the opinion poll of the country. The administration have used everything to stop the people that would have made their word peacefully and they are happy to sit on the chair without the mandate of the people.
This I am sure will give popularity to the opposition parties and they will get a time to unseat them on a popular vote.
The media that would have played an important rule is not there. There is no investigative journalism in this country. The daily news papers, the television and the radio is only in Hargeisa. This media is divided on tribal bases and cannot comment on the irregularities of the voter registration. They suffer capacity weaknesses and lack of financial resources. Can you believe they cannot comment on those people that speak slogans on televisions in Hargeisa. They only comment on Awdal region.
What happened in the other regions in the voter registration have not been reported. I am not biased but this is the reality. we have asked them to write an article that was correcting a popular man that spoke on a television badly but all the news papers refused to write this article.
Finally I want to ask my fellow citizens to be patient and to say their word in the ballot box. It is not possible to derail the fragile peace that we have restored and sustained.
We must keep our calm and a day will come that we will unseat the present administration. I would like to advise the present administration to change attitude and safe the country from disaster and try to lead the people at least in the coming six months to a livelihood recovery and hold the elections on time.
Ibrahim Adam Ghalib can be contacted here: Kaalib33@hotmail.com
Note
Picture: NSUM - Northern Somali Unionist Movement
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