The Secret Of Somaliland Government – Part 20

[Deeq A.]

Human life is behavior and practice.
Behavior and practice are a combination
of ideas, actions, interaction, and intentions. The way in which humans behave in response to different situations is what actually makes them stand out more than from one another.

The strength of any country, therefore,
stems from how its people behave and
put their behavior into practice. That is,
putting what the people do and how they
do it into practice.

Of course, good behavior breeds mostly national integrity; the trust to build unity
and togetherness between citizens of
any country, regardless of their religion,
race and color. If the same thing goes for
all societies, the question that comes
here is: Does national integrity play a
much less or a much more central role in building Somaliland common destiny?

The adage ‘two heads are better than one’ comes into play here, as communities work together to rebuild their lives and support
each other whenever threats of evil arise
and approach to them.

Despite this universal concept, national integrity plays a much less central role in building the common destiny of Somaliland people, even though most people recognize that unity gives societies the strength and stability to build a better life and does not totally destroy the character of the tribe to which people belong.

If unity is universally believed or accepted
as a mercy and disunity as a punishment,
why then Somaliland citizens are divided
and deviod of the bond that can unite and
bring them together in the name of their
own country?

First, Somaliland people never seem to
remember that they will always be
sailing in the same boat, no matter how tribalism or something else pulls them
apart in different directions. Suspicions
are such that some communities are of
the opinion that they should always be
better off in all aspects of life than the
rest of the communities without civility.

Second, Somaliland people never refrain
from repeating what has already failed
them, till they have become people who
won’t flourish, any more than a potato
that is planted and replanted for too long
a series of generations in the same
worn-out soil.

What this means is that Somaliland
country always finds itself in where “what
is a nation or state” will not be the first
question from an impresario considering
an ethic representation !

From the year 1969 to the year 1991,
when SNM forces had liberated
Somaliland from Siyad Barre’s regime
to the year 2022 and beyond, Hanad
was an active insider and spectator in Somaliland’s event history – what went
wrong and what not.

Hanad’s knowledge of Somaliland
history was so extensive that he was knowledgeable about Somaliland’s
inability to reach a stage where “what is
a government” was not the first question
from an international advisory board considering the comity of nations.

That Somaliland was the protectarate
that rejected to form its own independent government after gaining independence
from British colonizers was nothing new
for Hanad. Nor the rule of the civilian governments that rose to power right
after independence that was very bad
was a discovery to him. Nor that the
ruling behavior of the ousted military regime headed by Siyad Barre that was even worse was a surprise to him.
Nor the fact that the reign of the mujahids,
which born out of tribal election in
Somaliland was and is the worst of all,
was a nightmare for Hanad.

“It is a cliche’ that doesn’t embellish
speech or writing, leave alone that they
have a promising hope to sell,” Hanad
said when he was asked about how he
had really seen the ruling behavior of the mujahids.

Despite these consecutive pains of bad governance, Somali people had been conditioned and still certainly
obliged to accept that the direction of
the herd, and authority anywhere is
always right.

Being loyal to a government means to
have unwavering faith in the government.
It means also giving unquestioned power
and authority to the government. The combination of these two factors is in
fact what actually makes or paves the
way for the formation of bad governments
in Somaliland or in other Somali territories.

The ignorant and arrogant personalities
who rise to power through somehow or
the other, without doubt, assume that unwavering faith in the government and unquestioned power entrusted in the
government will mean that they should
lead the nation according to their own
outlook, as most of us have already experienced and still observe today.

It is not about people being mindless. It is
not about all people being ignorant and that they all suffer from poverty of understanding, or that all individuals of Somaliland societies are born with hate and have grudge against each other. It is just that Somaliland people are governable.

Without any exaggeration, anyone can
govern Somaliland people, even if they know that the one who wants to rule them is mad and not mindful. The reason is that there is no society other than Somaliand societies that can tolerate governments that are led by leaders who are humanly immune to human care at all the time.

Having seen that Somaliland was a
place that had seen great cruelty and
hardship in its time, that his country had experienced the illusion of power and its ignorant organization, that Somaliland
people had seen sufficient horrors of oppression, supression of common
voice and all kinds of inhumanity, and
that the illusion of power and politics
was a laggard and blind, Hanad
convinced himself that it was a crime
to see Somaliland go through again
terrors of cruelty squad. He realised that the time to get Somaliland out of
nowhere had come.

Hanad was very much impressed with
Hinbir, not in the sense that Hinbir’s
argument was all right, but in the sense
that Hinbir was frank in attitude and conversation. The recognition that
plainness is of course an attitude that
Hanad and his likes have to appreciate
came into Hanad’s mind several times.
He wished that another chance to meet
Hinbir would be even nicer than their
previous meeting.

Hinbir also recalled the converastion he
had with Hanad when he went to his
homeat the end of the evening. He
couldn’t sleep from impressions that
pursued him relentlessly. They were
Hanad’s resolute face, his inquistive
mind, and his vision to transform
Somaliland into a better world through improvements in every area of the
society.

Hinbir also remembered that he didn’t ask Hanad who he was during their meeting;
probably his profession, his goals, his
ambition and expectations, particularly in politics, and most importantly how Hanad would heal the wounds and weaknesses
in Somaliland’s existing system.

Fortuantely, Hanad and Hinbir met in the
same hotel after two days. They saw
each other, hugged each other so warmly
and sat together. Hanad waved his right
hand to a waiter and ordered fresh drinks.
This time Hinbir was very cautious but
curious to know much about Hanad, all
that impressions that already pursued him relentlessly.

“I am sorry for not introducing myself to
you in our last meeting and hope that impressions like who am I as a person
are lingering in your mind,” said Hanad.
“Of course, self-introduction is nowadays
like business cards and seem extremly important,” Hinbir returned.
“That is right.”

“I am neither a politician nor businessman,
nor part of public elders who tend to find
out in where their bread is buttered in
everyday. I am a plain citizen and am self-employed and sociologist by profession – never know you heard it or not,” said Hanad.
“What are you upto?,” asked Hinbir.
“Professionally, I am expert in social life,
the causes and consequences of human behavior and am currently in the middle
of a research that relates to the defects
and defficiencies in Somaliland’s social
and political order system,” replied Hanad.
“That is a tall order to think about. Who assigned you to research in how do
humans behave? The government?,”
asked Hinbir.
“I don’t work for any specific party. I work
as an indeprndent expert, probably as a researcher and collect, organize, analyze,
and interpret information and measure
public opinions to explore issues, solve problems, and provide solutions to
pressing issues.”
“Problem-solving is what all Somalis
require. I would be very grateful if you
could solve my problems first. First
come first served.”
“I am not talking about fast food resorts
service where first come first serve rule applies. I am talking about social and
political problems that affect an entire
society. Two good examples are bad governance and poverty.”
“I personally suggest that you put aside
bad governance and its accompanying problems and concentrate in poverty
alleviation and start dealing with mine
first – poverty.”
“Are you a poor person?”
“Yes. I am very poor indeed.”
“How would you define your poorness,
Mr. Hinbir?”
“My poorness is poverty. What else can
cause my poorness other than poverty?”
“And what is poverty?”
“Poverty is moneyless.”
“Poverty is not penniless.”
“If poverty is not moneyless, then what
is it by the way?”
“Poverty is hunger – down-and-out.”
“Moneyless is another face of poverty,
no difference, the two terms are same,” insisted Hinbir.
“Penniless and poverty are not same.
Penniless or moneyless is in need of
money. For instances when you are
strapped for cash to buy medicine or
household appliances. But poverty or
hunger is when people have no food,
no home, no job. And mind you, poverty
is many and varies from moment to
moment.”

One would think by now that Hinbir would
be more comfortable about the debate, but something about the discussion made Hinbir uncomfortable and this time Hinbir realized that he became the fool that challenged the philosopher.

To be continued
By: Jamafalaag
Somaliland, Hargeisa.

As per usual the opinions expressed in this articale are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of qarannews.com

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