A Revolution against Somalia’s Assassination Spree is a Must

[Che -Guevara]

HIIRAAN ONLINE

E D I T O R I A L

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

 

 

 

 

In Somalia, the murder of the society’s notables and innocent foreigners—especially aid workers—is becoming an epic problem. In the past number of years, unknown dark forces eliminated hundreds of important and innocent Somalis and visitors from other countries. This space is not big enough to list the names of the victims assassinated in Somalia. In fact, as we were drafting this editorial piece, we were shocked to read about the news of yet another cold-blooded murder.

 

 

 

The collective failure of the government and the opposition forces to halt these assassinations (if they are not involved in them) ought to produce another grassroots, people-owned revolution against these horrific, un-Islamic and un-Somali murders.

 

 

 

Just to pinpoint some of the victims would illustrate the breadth and depth of the premeditated and politically motivated assassinations in Somalia.

 

 

 

On Sunday July 6, 2008, we are reading about the execution of Osman Ali Ahmed, the chief of UNDP- Somalia, Mogadishu Office. The victim was gunned down as he was leaving a mosque where he performed evening prayers. On Sunday June 21, 2008, Eng. Mohamed Hassan Kulmiye was assassinated in Beledweyne, where he tirelessly worked in the areas of peace and reconciliation. He left behind seven children. On Wednesday July 2, 2008, Abdikarim Sheikh Ibrahim, a well-known Somali businessman who campaigned for Somali orphans, was killed in Mogadishu. The victim assisted over one thousand orphans. On Monday June 30, 2008, Siyad Orow, the head of local charity organization working with WFP was kidnapped and later killed. On Saturday June 7, Nasteh Dahir Farah, a reporter with BBC, was murdered in Kismayo.

 

 

 

 

This shocking and partial list of murdered Somalis was in the months of June and July alone. Many others where killed in the previous years and they are too numerous to list. As a reminder, let us mention some of the victims of the assassination spree in Somalia. On Wednesday February 9, 2005, Kate Peyton, a BBC producer was killed just moments after she arrived in Mogadishu. On Friday June 23, 2006, Martin Adler, a Swedish photojournalist, was killed in a broad daylight assassination while he was filming a Mogadishu rally. On August 11, 2007, Mahad Ahmed Elmi, a radio talk-show host, was murdered outside his radio station. Ali Iman Sharmarke, the co-owner of Hornafrik was murdered after he returned from the funeral of his assassinated colleague, Mahad Elmi.

 

 

 

On November 4, 2004, Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, a well-respected Somali general, was shot and killed on his way back from morning prayers. He passed away five days latter in a Nairobi hospital. On July 11, 2005 Abdulkadir Yahaya Ali, was murdered in an execution-style killing at his home in Mogadishu. On Friday July 28, 2006, Abdalla Derow Isak, a Minister with the TFG and the Former Speaker of the Somali Parliament, was killed as he left a local mosque in Baidoa; he just finished Friday prayers; and on and on and on…

 

 

 

Most probably, the men who pulled the trigger of the guns that silenced these victims did not know their targets. Most likely, the victims did not cause any harm to their killers, for how the late Ms. Kate Peyton of BBC who was in Mogadishu in mere hours, crossed anybody. These people died because someone or some group marked them to die. Similarly, in every assassination, there was more than one assailant, as well plenty of eyewitnesses, who saw the unfolding horrific crimes. It also plausible to assume, in addition to the culprits who carry out the killings, there are others who are privy to the planning and other information concerning to the murderers we have chronicled as well as other hundreds of killings that we did not mention.

 

 

 

To put it differently, the victims the Somalia assassinations did not die in an uninhabited desert. Many people know about these crimes. Many theories abound about the perpetrator and their motives. Conjecture is not the best root to solve crimes. There are time-proven methods to solve murders. It is called homicide investigation. Somalia has had experienced criminologists; also there are many Diaspora Somalis who honed their skills in this field. Our society is also known for its propensity to divulge secrets. There is no way that the killings of hundreds of people could be covered forever.

 

 

 

Diaspora Somalis should seek the support and cooperation of the criminologists in the host-lands. There are sophisticated ways and means to bring justice, not only to the killers of the innocents in Somalia, but also the masterminds behind the killing spree.

 

 

 

The file of every assassinated victim in Somalia should be an open file… justice must prevail. Doing nothing about the assassination spree in Somalia and allowing criminals to get away with the murders of the best and brightest is as bad as the killings itself.

 

 

 

Send your comments to: editorial@hiiraan.com

[Che -Guevara]

 

[Malika]

Walle sometimes,one wants to cry just for the sheer hopelessness!..This practice of killing the best and brightess has been practiced along while,its almost expected if you want to hurt where it matters most,kill the best men from those you see as your enemy..Revenge,where it hurts but without contempleting the consequencies of such actions..Innocent people murdered just because they happened to be distantly related to an individual..

 

The mindset is mind boggling wallahi..

 

But how is justice to be served in such a chaos?

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Kuwa badan ayaa ka maqan, though.

 

Intii la dilay the last five years oo aqoonyahan, waxgarad, ciidamo milatari, culumaa'udiino -- you name them. Maba la sheegi karo intaas.

 

There is something, something unseen and probably u shaqeynaayo shisheeye kale ayaa wado wax. Runtii hal hal dadkii intii yarayd wax bartay dalkeena ku haray loo naf diloyaa. Eebboow.

[Chimera]

MMA i normally take conspiracy theories with a grain of salt, but in this case i too believe there is something more sinister at play

 

This is why positive news articles about patriots and friends of Somalia keeping the country afloat through healthcare,education and humanitarianism worry me because they become targets

[Som@li]

Something is deff not right, Somalis have been killing their best for many years now, Waa la isii si curyamin, Alla Maxaa rag wax tar ah Soomaali iska dishay.

[Fabregas]

A revolution, yeah right!

[NGONGE]

Dear Sir,

 

I fully agree with your recent editorial regarding the assassinations of important Somali personalities. This is unacceptable, intolerable and wrong. When these dark and unknown forces were killing our women and children, we did not like it but hoped that things will get better with time. However, now that they're hunting down our aristocrats we cannot stand by and let it happen no more.

 

The TFG should station at least one fully operational technical outside the houses of all important Somali people. Engineers, humanitarians and foreign visitors should each have at least half a dozen bodyguards.

 

Sir, we are happy to sacrifice our infant children for a better Somalia. We don't like that our women are oppressed and raped but we shall happily grin and bear it. However, when these animals start targeting our aristocrats is when we shall have enough and demand a revolution. How dare they kill ina hebel eyo ina hebel eyo ina hebel? Don't they know this is not how it was meant to be? Only the peasants were supposed to be the cannon fodder. But now that they're killing our aristocrats, we demand a revolution.

 

Come on all ye Somalis, join me in the deafening chant of: SAVE OUR ARISTOCRATS.

[Fabregas]

Originally posted by Malika:

 

But how is justice to be served in such a chaos?

Didn't you read the conclusion of the article? Justice is to be served by gathering plenty of comrades, a.k.a Criminologists, to start the revolution. Who will protect these crimnologists from getting assisinated themselves is anyones guess!

[Geel_jire]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

Dear Sir,

 

I fully agree with your recent editorial regarding the assassinations of important Somali personalities. This is unacceptable, intolerable and wrong. When these dark and unknown forces were killing our women and children, we did not like it but hoped that things will get better with time. However, now that they're hunting down our aristocrats we cannot stand by and let it happen no more.

 

The TFG should station at least one fully operational technical outside the houses of all important Somali people. Engineers, humanitarians and foreign visitors should each have at least half a dozen bodyguards.

 

Sir, we are happy to sacrifice our infant children for a better Somalia. We don't like that our women are oppressed and raped but we shall happily grin and bear it. However, when these animals start targeting our aristocrats is when we shall have enough and demand a revolution. How dare they kill ina hebel eyo ina hebel eyo ina hebel? Don't they know this is not how it was meant to be? Only the peasants were supposed to be the cannon fodder. But now that they're killing our aristocrats, we demand a revolution.

 

Come on all ye Somalis, join me in the deafening chant of: SAVE OUR ARISTOCRATS.

^ This time ng makes absolute sense

 

while it is regrettable that these people have been assassinated but I'm guessing the ratio of innocent civilians slaughtered to foreigners/educated is more than 1000:1

 

not to belittle the death of foreign reporters but it comes with the territory see they have a 'choice' in going to Somalia .. unlike the innocent civilians.

 

so if a "Revolution against assassinations is a must" these folk are way on the bottom of the list .. priorities are getting mixed up here.

[Malika]

^Its not about ARISTOCRATS,its about a pathetic culture ee Somaliduu garaneeysa,even before the civil war and even in places where there is peace this is still practiced,targetting those whom have done well for themselves to revenge sometime pathetic fueds.

 

I know someone close to me,he cant set foot in Burco nor Hargeysa despite him owning pleanty of businesses there,why because some imbicile he is distantly related to killed someone from another lineage,marka shekhadaan mahan waax cusuub,it just part and parcel of our some how jahiil traditional juridictions.Its not like highlighting this issue is supposedly to take away the reality of those caught up in the madness on the ground aka women and children.

 

ps.What does Ngonge know.plz! :rolleyes:

 

NG.

[Geel_jire]

^ I agree to some extent .. but what you are referring to is different .. it is when two Qabil's have a querral and for example mid tuug ah laga dilo Qabil X and they kill wadaad from Qabil Y. by the way us diaspora folk fall into this category as prime targets in case you go back home and a distant cousin killed someone.

 

This thread is more about assisinations in general in the context of this war ... which also included western journalists and Aid workers ... who were not killed in retaliation for any Qabil bickering.

 

either way the only reason the author is making noise on behalf of these named individuals is thier prominence while it is a noble cuase, someone should be doing the same on behalf of the nameless whos sufferering is much greater in magnitude and number.

[Malika]

^I hear you loud and clear,but if we disregard those two or three foreign aid workers.What will be the reason behind the assissination of those prominent Somalis?

 

Isnt Qabil the centre issue in our conflict? or has it somehow transformed it self to Islam v non belivers?

 

So your argument is he shouldnt have highlighted the assissination of these prominent members of our society because the issue facing us is bigger then them?..I agree but he did! sue him.

[NGONGE]

Geel Jire, I copied and pasted Malika's words into Babble Fish and all she seems to be saying there was : Oh. Ok. I made a mistake.

 

(yeah, I know, I was shocked too).

[xiinfaniin]

Good call!