by Muna Bulhan
Friday, January 21, 2011
On Sunday, Somali Ethiopians will come together for the arrival of Somali Region State President Abdi Omar in Minneapolis. Ethiopian flags will be raised together in celebration of our people and our homeland. But should Mr. Omar's visit because to celebrate, or should our flags be kept at home?
Mr. Omar has undoubtedly done some good for Somali Region. He has closed down a handful of military bases, appointed county leaders from the local majority clan, and brokered peace deals with rival factions. The end result has been a more peaceful life, a better life, for those living in Somali Region.
Or has it? Mr. Omar has taken great pains to craft his public image, an image that presents him as a strong leader, a leader of the people. But both the leaders he has appointed and the treaties he has crafted have been weak and ineffective. He has appeared much more concerned with looking like a leader to members of the Diaspora--Somali Ethiopians who have left their homeland for a better life--than leading the people of Somali Region. I suspect the reason for this is simple: we have more money here than our families do back home, and Mr. Omar needs our support if he hopes to remain in power.
If the current welfare of Somali Region Ethiopian is any indication, we should withhold our support for Mr. Omar's regime. The state he rules is suffering from disease and hunger, and lacks basic education and infrastructure. There is no safety, there are no jobs. Thousands upon thousands have been beaten, tortured and killed. Many more have simply disappeared. Mr. Omar has threatened many during his short time in power, and he has backed up those threats.
It's all a part of the game. Mr. Omar is as responsible for the plight of our people as the government system that he leads, a system chock full of corruption and violence. Like the men before him, Mr. Omar has sought quick fixes that look good in the media, fixes that at first glance look good to those of us far away from the problems. But what is needed is real change: Somali Ethiopia is dying, and we must stop trying to cure cancer with band-aids.
We need to dig down to the root of this cancer, identify the core problems and address them with real solutions. First and foremost, everyone must be involved in the solution, and nobody can be treated like a second-class citizen. Even the poorest people of Somali Region need to feel safe in their day-to-day lives, and to have faith in a justice system that is fair and unbiased. As Thomas Jefferson said, “though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail...the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” The true measuring stick of a people is not to be found in the quality of life of the wealthy and powerful, but that of its poorest, weakest citizens. And right now, the poorest, weakest Somali Ethiopians are suffering greatly.
I do not claim to have all the answers. Nor do I put all of the blame on the shoulders of Mr. Omar. But I do know that I cannot support Mr. Omar or the corrupt system that has left so many of our people destitute. And come Sunday, I will leave my flag at home.
Muna Bulhan
Minneapolis, MN ( USA)