Regionalism, endless clannism and Segregation Just Led to A Dead End

[SOO MAAL]

Regionalism, endless clannism and Segregation Just Led to A Dead End

 

Sept,10,2005-

 

Only One Man One Vote, Justice And Respect for Human Rights, May Work

 

Introduction: The following events, trends and pathologies will generally put Africa's current terminal ailments into a historical context

 

Educators, intellectuals, academics, traditional and religious leaders, international players such as NGOs, The AU, Arab League, the UN, the European Union and others were debating, discussing, diagnosing and exerting tremendous efforts to understand the Somali dilemma. So far those efforts are to no avail. Somalia as it is today is the first and the only state in this modern times, that lacks a central government for over a decade. There are countries around the world, that went through cataclysmic societal up upheavals and political meltdowns. Yet each and every one of them has at all times, even in their darkest hours have some semblance of central authority. A case in point Sierra Leone, Liberia, Lebanon, Cambodia, El Salvador, Columbia, Ethiopia and others.

 

Historians and other Africa observers believe, the turmoil, political instability, economical stagnation, the multitude of armed rebellion against authorities are due to some or all of the following factors:

 

Preview

 

· social rivalries between the rich and the poor

 

· clan versus the nation state

 

· Growing population's pressure on dwindling resources

 

· Unpreparedness for governance following the hasty exit of the colonial powers

 

· regional and tribal rivalries

 

· constitutions tailored to short-term ends

 

· unprepared bad leaders

 

· environment degradation and shrinking arable lands

 

· Oppression, repression of certain groups and minorities

 

· power concentration in the hands of few people

 

· Absence of civil society institutions

 

· tribal racism, segregation and bias

 

· One or few groups graping all power

 

Other than Eritrea's unique situation, Africa's chronic civil wars fell into 5 major categories:

 

Details

 

(I). I put the illegal ceding of Somali territories to Ethiopia into three phases: (a). Menelik's illegal conquest of Harrar and Diredawa with the help of the British and the French in "1887". (b). Illegal Ethiopian acquisition of Somali lands between Harrar and Jigjiga in "1948", in conjunction with a secret and and illegal treaty with the British and the French in 1896. ©. Illegal Ethiopian acquisition of the beautiful grasslands of Houd/reserved area and western Awdal in "1954".

 

Somalia's problem is a little more complicated than it appears, due in part to the unique relationship between her and her neighbors. For instance the relationship with Ethiopia for the last thousand years was tenuous at best and hostile at worst. There was historical divide regarding land, religion, colonialism and ethnic divide between the Cushitic, Muslim Somalis and the Semitic, Greek Orthodox Abyssinians ( Tukrayans and Amharas). Beginning from 1997 for the first time in a thousand years struggle, the Abyssinians succeeded to encroach into Muslim/Somali heartland, when they conquered Harrar an ancient and diverse Muslim center, the conflict between Somalis and Abyssinians was increased and taken a new dimension. Many Somalis are attached to the ancient city of Harrar and see it as a holy city.

 

During Menelik's reign Abyssinia waged a series of aggressions of conquest against its neighbors. It is this time large swaths of Oromo, Afar and Somali lands came under Abyssinian occupation. Following Menelik's death of 1913, a long power struggle ensued and finally Tafara Mukenon the son of Ras Mukenon the imperial ruler of Harrar succeeded to become emperor Haile Selassie 1 of Abyssinia.

 

Haile Selassie also walked on Menelik's foot steps, he had the opportunity to reach out to those nations and communities illegally annexed by Menelik. But unfortunately he followed the same destructive policy of graping more foreign lands. He continued the age old Ethiopian policy of colonization, marginalization, oppression, segregation and mayhem. Most of the people living in those lands were treated as second class citizens and never incorporated into the Ethiopian empire.

 

Not much significant development projects have been conducted in those lands. Most of those lands especially the Somali inhabited areas have no schools, roads, and very few public clinics and hospitals. Mengistu even started a more brutal way of dealing with colonized land. That touched off a rash of nationalist movement against him.

 

One time Eritreans, Oromos, Somalis and Afars were all fighting against Ethiopia. What this man inflicted on Ethiopian colonized people in particular and Ethiopia in general is incalculable. The day this brutal, genocidal despot was forced on exile, Zinewi came to power. For the first few years, the government proposed some cosmetic changes,purportedly designed to give more autonomy to the colonized people. But as time wore on, it became clear, the new Ethiopian rulers are not that different than their predecessors.

 

Eritrea became independent. The Oromo nationalist movements are slowly getting stronger everyday. The dissatisfaction of the Somalis is at all times high. Another big and catastrophic conflagration is inevitable down the road. Colonized ethnic groups especially Somalis will never accept Ethiopian colonization and domination.

 

The relationship between Somalis and Kenya was marred by a land dispute between the two nations. In 1963 a separately British administered Somali inhabiting land called the Northern Frontier District by the British , that was part a parcel of the 5 Somali states of the vast Somaliland was illegally ceded to Kenya.

 

In a UN administered plebiscite, 87% of the people residing in NFD (Northern Frontier District) chose to be reunited with Somalia. But again the British an arrogant colonial power ignored the international law and the will of the Somali people in NFD, and ceded it to Kenya. In both cases a UN administered plebiscite, 87% of the people residing in NFD chose to be reunited with Somalia. But again the British an arrogant colonial power ignored the international law and the will of the Somali people in NFD, and ceded it to Kenya. In both cases

 

This evil and illegal enterprise have destroyed millions of people, underdeveloped them, robbed them from their lands and left them with a very painful legacy. In most cases, the colonial powers of the African continent were largely forced to leave the continent and in fact most of them never look back, let alone help their former victims. Most of them were unrepentant and were unaccountable of their heinous actions including the illegal blunder of the African resources, illegal and the arbitrary demarcation of borders.

 

These days you hear the British and others talking about the rule of law, democracy and what have you. Apparently they use this happy talk and empty rhetoric when it serves their interest. This is a classic case of double standard of all times.

 

Djibouti was also a part of the five Somali states. Following the collapse of the Somali state, the cumulative actions of Djibouti authorities and the actions of its security forces suggest, It also has a design on some parts of the now defunct Somali state. Since the collapse of the Somali state in 1991, Djibouti forces have crossed the international border between her and Northern Somalia (Somaliland) dozens of times and each time repulsed by the inhabitants of that area. Many observers see Djibouti policy towards Somalia as condescending and expansionist.

 

Djibouti's ruler for life is seen as a master manipulator meddling deep into the Somali affairs, and betting this Somali faction and clan against the other. He clearly took advantage of the precarious situation the Somali people are currently going through. When some Somali groups who were impressed with his 1999 United Nation's general assembly speech regarding Somalia, told me Mr. Geelle will host a Somali reconciliation conference in Djibouti. I thought that notion was too good to be true, wondering what this traditionally political opportunist is up to. My fear came to be true when the Arta Somali reconciliation ended at the end of the year 2000.

 

Djibouti itself is also a failing state heavily embroiled with clan and sectarian policies. it is also well-placed to become embroiled in a new conflicts of her creation. The last so-called Djibouti presidential election was a sham, where Mr. Geelle was the only candidate. Apparently the long time survival and existence of Djibouti is in the balance. May be he thinks the French foreign legions permanently stationed in his state will protect him. But what had happened in France's big price Ivory Coast suggests otherwise.

 

Of the 5 so-called front-line states, only Uganda and Sudan who apparently have no clear dispute with Somalia may be neutral parties.

 

What are the problems ailing Somalia

 

Calling Somalia's problems complicated is an under statement. The Somali question is on the one hand social, ethnic, disastrous clan politics, urge by some groups to annex land, unscrupulous leadership, under-education and very little understanding of the nation state, while on the other hand the on going endless brutal clan wars keep on polarizing clan and ethnic relationships.

 

There is also another element in Somalia complex political and social problems. This is the problem of the illegal land grape and land claims. There are clans who already annexed and occupied territory way outside their traditional homeland. There are also others who are aspiring to grape other peoples' lands either through the pen or through the force of the gun.

 

This new dimension in Somalia's eternal civil strife is a very dangerous escalation, which will further polarize an already polarized nation. This has already happened in the Juba valley.

 

Also, we have been for sometime, hearing groups claiming "Awdalite" lands beyond their traditional homeland. We are getting some reports of land claims on Sool and Sanaag regions also.

 

This was happening for the last 15Th years, but it became much more vocal and louder lately. This is completely a huge escalation of tension between communities, and Awdalites see this as a blatant, arrogant and irresponsible adventure which may lead into a very serious consequences.

 

We don't know whether this is related to the recent decision to divide parliamentary slots on the 1960 unfair format or not. That proposal was passed despite the vehement objections from the Awdalites community and others. Now all of a sudden we are hearing claims on lands in the center of the state Awdal.

 

They made it clear that they will not tolerate such cheap and baseless claim on their traditional lands. This was from the beginning a ploy to distract people from the creation of a region Sahel created by Egal. There was no reason to create an artificial region made up of one town Berbera.

 

Nobody understood why a region is created in an era of great mistrust, tension, chronic suspicion and fragile peace. The senseless clan wars and the sweeping inflammatory rhetoric continues, the whole sale big paint brush attacks against each other presses on unabated. All the aforementioned ailments and pathologies will certainly further complicate the prospects of reconciliation and the reconstitution of the Somali jigsaw puzzle.

 

These wild land claims coupled with other factors suggest the regions with the fancy names were nothing but clan fantasies and wishful thinking of grandiosity and clan supremacy disguising as real deals.

 

The autonomous regions as they seem are not based on common vision, shared goals and the big village mentality. They are also surely are in no way immune from the negative clan sentiments and difficulties that bedeviled the other regions of Somalia. A heavy dose of the afore-mentioned postulates are coming to the surface slowly but surely. Therefore, a just and comprehensive solution to Somalia' problems is remote as ever.

 

The Southern part of the country is even worse and the 15th so-called reconciliation conferences ended by the formation of a hotchpotch of a government by the clan for the clan and to the clan. 15 expensive so-called conferences failed to address the real pathologies ailing the country. Nothing was done about the traditionally oppressed minorities and other non influential groups whose lands have been occupied.

 

The same failed formula of power sharing, which in the first place was one of the factors that has given rise to Somalia's problems was used again. Currently the warlord infested government is bitterly divided into two feuding and non compromising camps. One faction is based in Mogadishu the former capital and the other faction is based in jowhar. The finger pointing between the two groups is going on unabated. The Embagatti made government is currently in a permanent state of gridlock.

 

Congo

 

These tensions fused in June 1960, on the very morning of independence, in the collapse of the new Republic of the Congo, which demonstrated the anarchy threatening any regime whose skill and power faltered. Politicians were divided between unitarists from small ethnic groups and federalists from the large Kongo and Lunda tribes. When central power collapsed, Lunda and allied leaders in Katanga (Shaba) declared independence, backed by Belgium mining interests.

 

A United Nations force reintegrated Katanga in January 1963 but then withdrew, leaving endless regional rebellions, millenarian movements, and tribal wars. Mobutu's corrupt military dictatorship brutally restored central control from 1965-1997. But eventually the chaos that started 1960 Katanga secession , that was just lurking beyond the horizon engulfed Congo in 1997 with the violent ouster of Mobutu, led by a perennial revolutionary Lorene Kabella, a rem anent of the Patrice Lumumba era. Lorene a perennial revolutionary was a holdover the Che Guevarian revolutionary of the 60Th's, the socialist Dr. Salvador Allende's, the 50's and 60Th's resurgent non-aligned movement spearheaded by Jawaherlaal Nehru Ahmed Sukarno of Indonesia, Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia and Abdi Nasser of Egypt. The mysterious assassination of the preeminent rebel, Lorene Kabilla, the man who violently ousted the all time treacherous dictator, the age old chameleon and the foremost lackey of the neo-colonialists European powers, the former Josef Mobutu. He was attributed to the assassination of the pan-African nationalist, Patrice Lumumba.

 

Congo today is a chaotic state whose rule is not beyond Kinshasa, the capital. the military of six neighboring countries and half a dozen rebel groups are directly or indirectly fighting each other until recently, when they were replaced by a small ineffective UN peace keeping force.Violence, misery and eternal instability is the faith of the Congolese people. Most of them live in abject poverty despite the huge riches of their vast country.

 

(II). Sudan and Chad are located in the ancient boundaries between Muslim and African states. The southern Sudanese make up about 30% of the population. The southern struggle for equal rights started in 1955 with a mutiny and then faded. The struggle again started in early eightieths as a full fledged struggle led by Mr. John Grang who recently perished in a suspicious plane crash

 

Last year the Sudanese peoples' liberation Front signed a peaceful treaty with the government. How that treaty is to be implemented has to be seen. But unfortunately the Sudanese government immediately started another dangerous civil strife in Darfur region of North Western Sudan. International groups have accused the government of genocide.

 

In Chad, by contrast southerners are half of the population. They were traditionally backed by the French. The mistreatment of the Christan south against the Muslim north triggered a Muslim rebellion that started in 1965, and continued well into the 1990s.

 

(111). Angola and Mozambique

 

The defeat and the abrupt exit of the Portuguese left former guerrillas to squabble over power. In Angola the MPLA controlled only the capital, while UNITA headed by Jones Savimbi controlled the northern and south central provinces. The civil strife that caused huge suffering on the Angolan people continued into the turn of the century, and just came to an end with the killing of UNITA leader Jones Savimbi.

 

by contrast, Frelimo which defeated the Portuguese has no rivals until its corruption and tribal segregation and nepotism moved peasants to support the Mozambique Resistance Movement (Renamo), a very destructive force created by the white minority regimes of southern Rhodesia and South Africa. Both sides of the conflict brutally preyed on the peasants.

 

(1V). Liberia

 

The Liberian conflict was mainly a conflict between the Afro-American political system and the Liberian natives. In 1980, native troops seize power but their ruthlessness and atrocities sparked an endless civil war, that raged well into 2003.

 

In Somalia, the toppling of a ruthless dictatorial regime by undisciplined tribal-based armed groups triggered an endless civil war that some how is raging as I speak. I t also caused the secession of the former British Somaliland part of the collapsed state. Another part of the former southern Somaliland (Puntland) also became an autonomous region, further complicating an already complex situation.

 

(V). Nigeria

 

The fourth and the last category is Nigeria. According to some conditions for its independence in 1960, the Northern Nigerian region took control of the federal parliament. Three regions have to retain substantial degree of autonomy also. This encouraged the majority group in each region ( Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the west, and Ibo in the east) to dominate local minorities, who together formed one-third of the population. Combined with the localism of voters and the materialism of cultural traditions, this bred a blatantly ethnic, clientelist, and corrupt politics.

 

When young Ibo officers overthrew the government in 1966, they called their state Baifara, and declared its secession from the union. The rest of the federation declared war on the Ibo's. The major reason for stopping the Ibo's from secession was the minority groups, in each region thought that they would be losing a lot if Nigeria disintegrated, provided most of the troops and the commanding general of the war effort, general Gowon. The re-division of Nigeria into twelve states on the eve of war met minority interests and became a condition of peace when Biafra surrendered in January1970 after 30 months of courageous resistance. Baifara mainly lost because they were outnumbered and outgunned by the total force of the rest of the country.

 

Conclusion/Analysis:

 

Somalia problems are much complex, multifaceted, multidimensional and deeper than prescribed before. You have here a nation comprising of numerous mumbo- jumbo tribes, clans , ethnic and racial groups. The amalgamation of the Somalis is much more complicated than described earlier.

 

The permutations, combinations and the history of these clan families is replete with distortions, unexplained gaps and other lack of an accurate account of their origins and the like. The true nomenclature, calculus and the structural relationships between these clan families is a subject of tremendous misunderstanding, that often lacks depth, advanced scholarship and understanding, where these clan families came from and how they metamorphosed as what they are today.

 

Therefore, a huge factor of the intractable entanglement and permanent gridlock consuming people residing in this neck of the woods, is in part due to the lack of true understanding of the nation state. Clan division, suspicion and rivalry also play a huge role. Bad, unscrupulous leaders who excessively use the clan, ethnic and tribal divide is another factor.

 

The gap between the different perceived realities of these people is large. There is very little room of consensus between them. In 1960, there were some commonalities such as the unity against the colonial powers, and a near unanimous pro-independence sentiment, a quality in short supply at best and totally non existence at worst today.

 

The recent persistent and baseless claims on big junks of the state of "Awdal", will shed some light on the complexity and the dilemma facing the former failed state of Somalia. This territorial claims on other clan lands is nothing new. The idea behind the creation of a new state comprising of the town of Berbera alone is part of a clan expansionist mentality, that filled and dominated the Ethiopian backed clan-based militias who fought against the former dictator and also against other tribes. Both the recent and past claims on lands outside their traditional clan territory, on the part of most of clan-based militias is an ominous prophesy of things to come. The clan occupied territories of most of the Juba valley by alien clans, who are not indigenous to those areas is a good example of a grand clan expansionist mentality. The latter will complicate all peaceful efforts destined to bring about a comprehensive peace to the former Somalia. The territorial clans on Awdal., Sanaag and Sool may be the beginning of new era of unprecedented conflict.

 

I have used synopsis of the civil wars and the other problems that have transpired in other African countries as comparison chips. The purpose was to understand the factors fueling these civil wars also, so that we may get the opportunity to compare them with our situation.

 

 

Reference:

 

The Africans, Lewis Lanford