The 25th of August is marked as turning point in the pages of history, in many ways the last 6 months showed us that Somalilands issues are far more structural in nature, rather then solely an issue of wrong leadership, bad decisions makings. The last months have showed us that even in Somali politics principles and ideologies matter, even though we tend to think it’s all personalities and personal choices, and that decision making, outcomes and directions are guided by the principles, beliefs and ideas one holds.
The current ruling elites in Somaliland, more then any previous leaders, consist of those that are truly closest in sincerity to some of the core chauvinistic ideologies that have come to influence the most populistic narratives and loudest notions and voices in the public debate and politics of Somaliland. And perhaps have equally influenced similar narratives and populistic sentiments in other parts of the peninsula and among other regional and clan constituencies. Even if others parts or groups are claiming moderation, it does not adequately demonstrate the actual difference between these groups, as the core remains the same self serving clan driven populistic ideology. It is not enough to assert the numerous and very real divergences between clannish groups in Mogadishu, Garowe, Baidoa or Hargeisa.
Therefor the true task at hand lies in fighting ideology with ideology, as the political set of beliefs don’t easily die in battlefields, and neither do they just end with the careers or life’s of politicians. The obligation, then, is to undermine the foundations upon which this clan driven chauvinistic popular ideology has drawn and to lay to rest the focus on personalities, clan relations and dynamics, incidents and eras which provide fodder for legitimacy of extremist self serving ideologies to hide behind, and with which to deem their actions as normalcy and natural part of the Somali way of life and narrative.
Henceforth this begs for serieus soul searching where we wrong and seriously reflect upon the false beliefs, divisive ideas and wide-held popular narratives that have been subversively been planted and propagated over the decades amongst the Somali people.
P.S. And even though we could have discussed this as a separate topic in overall Somali politics, not necessarily coupled to either Somaliland or developments of the last months, nevertheless I am doing so as this offers a concrete case for learning and reflection that marks the futility of and end game of this ideology tangible.