Hiiraan Online

Abdul-Aziz Muhammad
Thursday, September 03, 2009

The self-declared, which nobody recognizes, breakaway-Somaliland elite have been traveling around the world declaring the “death of Somalia”. They miss not a single opportunity to bury Somalia alive, all be it with faint pulse! They know this is their only chance to realize their generational dream of splitting off from Somalia.

A simple deductive logic is to the Issue. When the prospect of law and order in South Somalia has been endlessly bleak, the whole world has not moved an inch to recognize North Somalia as an independent country. What chance the realization of the independence dream of the North if the problem in the South is solved? None! Therefore, the hopes of the privileged few in Hargeisa are heavily invested in the unending chaos to their south. This is not to say they are responsible.

Inversely, the bedlam in the south plus the fantasy of a successful secession, I would propose, has been the incentive for the peace in the North. There is no magic, miracle or an inherent local ingenuity to this wonderful tranquility and self-governance in the North! Do not believe when you hear or read about some special culture of expertise or craftiness which distinguishes any Somalis in one corner to another!    

For better or worse, whatever is possible of Somalis in one region of Somalia is potential in any region. From the start-line of same biological, cultural, and social DNA–background, all Somalis have a mirror-image potential for peace and order, chaos, clan wars, religious fanaticism and democracy. For that fact, pray hard against it, but do not be surprised if Hargeisa, one of these days, is Mogadishuized. The same people, Somalis, who turned all Mogadishu buildings into giant colanders (Baasta miir) are there. The potential, therefore, is real!    

How disingenuous of Somalis who shown pure hatred for Somalia to cry about little bashing of them, especially when they claim they achieved democracy. I thought dissent is one of the crowning terms of a democracy!

A believer in Somalia does not bash Somaliland without a good cause, when a Somaliland fact would split the map of Somalia. While a believer in Somaliland puts all his hopes for a new country on the death-knell of Somalia as we know it! I would think: it would be a first-class naïveté for the latter to expect from the former a “job well-done” sycophantic note! Rather, he should take at least, and not cry like a baby, some genuine scolding.

There is an authentic and spontaneous, nationalistic feeling about Somalia, as one whole country, however in trouble it maybe at the moment. This is more so for Somalis for the historical denial of greater Somalia by colonial powers and for the fact the same and indistinguishable in anyway people are involved! The self-absorbed so-called Somalilanders would never understand or appreciate that! I can almost hear their cynical comeback with the following question: If you care for Somalia so deeply, why have you destroyed it?

My answer to that is there is a difference between destroying the state, which could and will be reconstituted sooner or later, and the destruction of Somalia unity and territorial integrity. One is temporary, the other eternal!  

By the way, who hates whom here? Donald Payne, a U.S Member of Congress, who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, found out the Somaliland leaders’ hatred of Somalia firsthand.

The congressman invited the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government, Puntland and Somaliland for a hearing. The topic of the hearing was: Prospects for Lasting Peace and a Unified Response to Extremism and Terrorism. All three entities accepted invitation. A week before the hearing, however, Somaliland leaders demanded a separate hearing. The following was the Congressman’s response:

“We informed the Somaliland government that their request was unacceptable and defeats the main purpose of this hearing. If Somalilanders cannot sit with fellow Somalis to explore ways to bring peace to Somalia at this critical juncture, I wonder what this says about their commitment to all Somalis.”

What enmity whose roots gone deep forced them to abandon the few hours-long sit-downs side by side with their fellow Somalis? I wonder!

Do not start me on hatred, when the So-called Somaliland had many times handed over Somalis to Ethiopia! Somali refugees from the Somali region of Ogaden were often collected from Hargeisa and other towns to be handed, as they were, to the enemy they fled! The same happened, I was told, with less frequency in Puntland—a clear sign of how Somalis these days have trespassed every which way on their fraternal codes. Amazing! 

Personally, I would never apologize for my absolute belief in one-Somalia. Any region in Somalia so delusional as to harbor, let alone declare, slicing away from Somalia would never receive my compassion.

It was understandable, but never forgivable, when great foreign powers divided up the Somali people. My fellow Somalis doing this, in this 21st century when technology and interdependency reduces this world to a “Global Village,” it is moronic! 

What reasonable, enlightened in democracy would insist on separating from their own kind? Real democracy upholds universal equality and coexistence of all humanity. Whatever they are cooking in Hargeisa is not such democracy. It is more like “segregation” of one Somali from another. It is a scheme whose self-appointed Declaration of Independency may as well begin with these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Somalis are not created equal, that they are only endowed as separate people by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness!

Also, spare me from the exaggerated boastings of untold riches and this or that progress achieved in the North. Frankly, Mogadishu businesses have shown far clever entrepreneurial initiatives under the severely limiting disorder of civil war. Mogadishu telecom industry, like telephone, internet and TV are even above par with neighboring Kenya and many other African countries. Under anarchy many economical improvements were pioneered by Mogadishu-based businesses. Read Professor Peter T. Leeson’s paper: Better OFF Stateless: 

http://www.peterleeson.com/Better_Off_Stateless.pdf

With 2 decades of peace, Somaliland has not progressed as much as it should have. The port of Barbara, for instance, is almost at stand-still, with little traffic. There has not been much livestock export from Barbara, while Kenya had seen the doubling, from Somali government days, of Somali livestock imports through the border!

These days too, the make-believe democracy for independence is under assault. Elections postponed, people arrested at will and without due process and free press silenced here and there, all these are in the news lately! 

Granted, Peace is one big accomplishment in Somaliland. Of course, with peace, the privileged few throughout Somaliland, from their earnings in the Gulf of Arabia, enjoy the good life. But there have not been much of widespread business initiatives throughout Somaliland.

These days, it is terrible to be poor in Somaliland. The children of the poor cannot go to school either, because their parents cannot afford the tuition fee. You should see many orphaned or poor kids who are high on shoe-glue, who constantly beg motorists and pedestrians alike, in the streets of Hargeisa. It is the classical tale of two cities: the haves and have-nots. It makes you wonder if the poor ever worries or concerns themselves with secession politics!

Ironically, while the well-off in Hargeisa brag of accomplishments on one side of their mouth, they readily excuse lack of progress, when pointed out to them, on being not recognized as a state. This is another incentive, no doubt, for the well off to aim independence for, for millions of dollars in foreign aid will be at their disposal. This move for independence is more complicated than just for local pride or clannish wishes. There is much money to be made from for the crème de la crème in Hargeisa!

I would agree with those who call for amiable debate on Somalia or seceding from it. People have to disagree without being disagreeable. Hate has no room between family members! I would simply point out hate for Somalia does not produce Somaliland! Nor covering up the hate for Somalia, by Somalilanders, with accusations of jealousy and hate for anyone who criticizes this insolent and ignorant secession move is warranted! Qumayyo inta aadan qumayyo ku oran ayeey qumayyo ku tiraah. What a hutzpah or too clever by half wagaash!