Hiiraan Online

The ongoing violence has never been in our nation’s interest. It is a mistake if anyone views it in their interest. There was no need to target aid workers, peace keepers or our impoverished public. Somalia has been rubbished and degraded. This is not the society our forefathers foresaw. It will take a lot of hard work to rebuild the tarnished image and reputation of our nation.

More than any other factor — what is holding the Somali nation down is the lack of the right leadership to steer the nation out of crises. Our nation is in a mess and lacking the appropriate leadership mainly because of clan politics. Clan-gatherings do not give birth to national leaders.

It is fair to say that the mileage of a government is determined by the vision of its leadership. However, vision alone is futile if unaccompanied by vigour, competence and ample understanding of government function. To avoid conflict of vision and direction normally leadership is provided by one individual. But Somalia is far from normal. 

Skulking in the deepest hole, Somalia has been left behind by everyone near and afar. To catch up with the rest of the world who left us in the dust, our nation cannot wait another day.  However, there are also individual Somalis who feel the need to put clan before everything. For that reason, we need to strike a balance and find the right combination of leadership to rescue the nation.

In a new political restructuring to meet the political needs of the nation, Somalia may need a President chosen for prominence and a Prime Minister appointed for competence to deliver for the nation. In this arrangement, the President may act as the Chairman of government and a Prime Minister who acts as the CEO. After all, it will take a lot of skill and talent to put Somalia together and give the nation a sense of purpose and direction.

The establishment of a good government in Somalia is a do-or-die necessity. Nonetheless, only recently, I was told, it was a fantasy to seek good governance in Africa. Those who believe a good government is not for Africa are mistaken. It is human nature to seek better things. The people of Africa are fed up with ineffectual governments which cause regression, impoverishment and mass immigration. People everywhere want decent life, good education, health care, better roads and functioning utilities such as clean running water, electricity etc.

Nobody gets what they have not sought and worked hard for it. Those who get what they did not seek will most probably not know what to do with it. If we did not seek and go for quality government, how else will Somalis who languish in camps in neighbouring nations ever come home? How will the three million in the Diaspora take part in nation-building? If Somalia remains stateless, population drain will continue. Many more will be swallowed by the sea.

What is being awaited is a government led by a competent leadership which can utilise our able people and fast-track nation-building. It will take vision and competence to utilise our able people wasting away back home and in the Diaspora. It is true that no nation has ever succeeded without the contribution of its able people. So where are our educated? Our educated are mainly on foreign land. What about our educated from self-governing regions? In both Somaliland and Puntland, there is peace and relative calm. However, with little or no prospects in those regions 95% of all Somalis who were exile in the 1980s and 1990s remain in exile. 

Sitting on the fence will not yield a good government back home. To achieve a better government which can utilise our educated, our people should engage. There are things we can all do to help the nation. Certainly, that something is not all our people attempting to influence matters. What about individuals who are indulgent in negativity? How unpatriotic! This is a luxury we can ill afford. What would make such individuals see where our nation lies and outgrow their antics?

The issues and problems awaiting the establishment of a functioning government are many. On top of the list is the issue of Somaliland. With the right leadership, the issue of Somaliland can be resolved. There are a number of ways this issue can be remedied. There is no point discussing them here. It will depend on those appointed to look after the nation and its affairs. The squandered unity will take more than the mere establishment of government. To revive statehood and address issues such as unity will require a lot of competence and hard work. There are many things needed and many more to accomplish for the nation. For instance:

·         There is the need to rebuild the nation and lives of our people.

·         There is the need to discard old habits and bad political practises.

·         There are wrongs to right.

·         There is the need for a new political culture: Politics is about honesty.

·         There is the need for a caring government which looks after its people.

·         There is the need for a system which can house and feed the needy. ^[2]

·         There is the need for government to govern well and stay out of people’s lives.^[3]

Somalia shall need its entire people. Different Somali communities are important for the nation. Our people in Somaliland are very important to our nation and its success. Their absence from the affairs of the nation is lamentable. They are wrong if they feel Somalia is not their business. We are one nation. We will rise or fall together. Together, we can have the better future which has so far eluded the nation. Why should it be different this time? Because, we know what it will take and how to do it! It was a different generation which run the nation to the ground.

Another issue concerns relationship with our neighbours. Growth and prosperity always require a stable region. What we need is peace and security in our troubled region. Conflict with one’s neighbour is unmitigated folly as well as costly. Neighbourly tension is also bad for confidence, investment, nation-building and markets. True, we have outstanding issues with our neighbours. One day, we will sit with them to tackle important issues through dialogue and understanding.

It is very important for every nation to have foreign friends. However, it is hard for any nation to have friends at a time when it has hit the bottom of all nations. The Somali nation has many long standing friends. Our nation is also making new friends at a time when we are not attractive even to a fly. Our nation may have fallen bottom but our come back is only a matter of time. We know who our friends are and we are grateful to them. Our nation shall reward all those who have kept faith with us and maintained their belief in our nation’s ability to make its way out of the mess. 

We know the nation has to wait till the end of the TFG mandate. A clan government has never been the route out of our nation’s woes. The undoing for the TFG was the clan factor on which it was founded. A clan government has many issues, entanglements and impediments. For starters, there can be no unity of purpose in clan government. Those in a clan government have conflicting interests which cripple and paralyze its function. A common cause and purpose is needed to establish and run a national government. Our common cause is the love of our nation!

2009 is very important in our nation’s calendar because at stake is the whole future of our nation. In 2009, at long last the mandate of the TFG is coming to an end. In 2009, the last thing we need is too many individuals driven by the allure of power squabbling over the leadership of our broken nation. It was a mistake if not a cardinal sin to squabble and fight over the leadership of an impoverished nation such as Somalia. Somalia has been let down by a twisted political culture which made holding public office similar to winning the lottery.

Only the right leadership can introduce and nurture what is needed to build a lasting government. Mechanisms should ensure the practice of justice, fairness and equal opportunity. They are the foundations of a lasting state. Success will largely depend on the removal of clannism from our politics. Clannism is outdated and unnecessary. To remove clannism from our politics will require leadership by example! One of the evils of clannism is clan domination. Some Somalis aptly call this bad practice: clan-occupation. Many Somalis love when their clan is dominating the politics of the nation. Somalis also invariably hate it when they are the victim and someone else is dominating. When clannism has been removed from government and its appointments — the nation can be taken out of the cycle of disaffection, distrust and underdevelopment.

Patience was needed, not violence. As the mandate of the TFG is coming to a rapid end, again (for the 15^th attempt) there is a window of opportunity to end the Somali nation’s ignominy and long suffering. To do that will require a leadership which measure up to the task. The nation will need leaders who complement one another and work as a team. There is a need for quality. Quality begets quality. Rulers are known to surround themselves with mirror image individuals. Only quality individuals can end anarchy and restore Somalia to its fullest glory. The most important quality item is: integrity. Otherwise, what is the point of hiring the smartest crook?

For every task — no matter how difficult — there is someone who can do it. The leadership of Somalia is no doubt a mission impossible, but it is doable. This is not a task to clamour or squabble over. However, once we find the right leadership, the nation shall embark on nation-building. With the right leadership and team at the helm, the initial state-building phase should not take long. The nation shall then go to the polls to elect its leaders and politicians. In the regions, too our people should be able to elect their administrators, mayors and governors. The question is: What will it take to pull Somalia out of the mess and unleash the potential of our people?

Different times have different crises which call for different solutions. As touched on earlier in this paper — Somalia will need the combination of leadership which can work and deliver for the nation. In these testing times Somalia shall require a President chosen for prominence and a Prime Minister chosen for competence. The nation shall have a truly representative national government. The President shall be the head of state. The Prime Minister will be required to run the day-to-day function of government. However, to operate and deliver as well as avoid paralysis — a government of dual leadership will require rules and regulation.^[4]

With the right leadership, we believe Somalia will once again rise and shine! The ills of the nation will be remedied. Anarchy and statelessness will be a thing of the past and our nation will once again take its rightful place in world arena. In 2009, apart from finding a Prime Minister, what we will need is to stand behind the leadership of one individual who becomes President of the nation.  There is already one leader who can fill this position for the nation. At a time when what our nation needs most is peace and security, there is a leader who has shown the integrity and wisdom to put the nation before personal interest. That individual is: Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Notes

1. According to the media.

2. It will take vision and commitment. One of the tasks of a good government is to look after its people.

    Otherwise it cannot pass the test of being a good government. 

3. Somalis hate unnecessary government interference.

4. To be discussed in a separate paper.

Abdullahi Dool

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