Celebrating Somaliland’s Independence with vigilance

[Jacaylbaro]

"Way Ahaataye Maanta Si Wanaagsan U Ciida"!

 

The 16th Anniversary of Somaliland Independence Celebrations

 

Sanad Guuradii Lix Iyo Tobnaad ee Gubanimada Jumhuuriyada Somaaliland

 

 

"Quotes"

 

"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object." Thomas Jefferson.

 

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." Martin L. King.

 

"Idaa Shacbu Yawman Araada Al-hayaat Falaa-Buda-An-Yasta-Jeeb-al-Qadar falaa-buda-Li-Layli An-Yanjalii-Falaabuda-Lil-Qaydi-An-Yan Kasir." (Abukassim Al-Shaabi, The famed Tunisian poet.)

Translation: "If people one day aspire to become independent, the Almighty will respond to their aspirations, the darkness will change into light and the bondage will be broken."

 

Ka Kacay Kama Kama Yimiday Kenyuu Gubay Tan Wuu Gubuyay-The spontaneous words of the legendary Abdullahi Qarshe when Sir Gerald Reece, a British colonial governor was transfered from the then Rhodesia to Somaliland in "1956". Sir Gerald Reece was regarded as a heavy-handed colonial officer brought to Somaliland in order to crush the activities of an emerging independence movement, which at the time was becoming bolder, more assertive and louder.

 

I have written the above words to inform the free loving people of Somaliland to be vigilant, for the protection and the preservation of their hard-won independence. We can see the enemies of freedom, the failed dictators of the last century, the defeated and the discredited colonial powers of the yesteryear making desperate attempts to come back. We are hearing them using the old school of dictators and unscrupulous personalities under new pretexts such as war on terrorism.

 

We have shown our resilience, creativity, hard work and patience. But we need never forget, that the failed imperial powers even the fragile and backwards ones like Ethiopia are aspiring to make a come back and still resorted to their failed old ways. These gimmicks will not work in the long term; all they are doing is creating paranoia, tension, conflict, violence and confusion. What they are doing is not different than the racist theories coined by a famed slave master several hundred years. About 400 years ago, Mr. Willie Lynch came up with the following: "In order for the slave masters to keep their slaves forever without problems, they need to sow the seeds of discord, envy, distrust and conflict between slaves." His argument was, "you need to bit light skinned against the dark skinned, women against men, children against their parents, fat against the lean, and big against the small."

 

In the spirit of the 16th anniversary of our independence, we need to remember the many heroes, fighters, poets, religious personalities and freedom fighters who struggled or have given the ultimate sacrifice for the independence for our nation. The struggle for our long and bitter independence is not fully completed yet. Despite the road blocks the old colonial powers and their outdated and irrelevant organizations are putting in front of our train of liberty and self-determination, our struggle will continue unabated both inside and outside the country.

 

Freedom is not free until the likes of Zinawi are bullying our region with war, intimidation and intervention. Freedom is not free when our enemies are despising and belittling our aspirations, success and choice. I would like to take the opportunity to warn this miniature dictator- Zinawi, ruling Ethiopia, a very poor, polarized and fragmented state, that his dictations, warmongering and double face will not work. He needs to withdraw his defeated ragtag militia from Mogadishu just now without any condition. He also needs to reverse his multi-faced incoherent policies.

 

Global independence celebrations

 

More and more voices are calling for the recognition of this emerging democratic state. More and more attention is given to this Phoenix, which has risen from the ashes of a collapsed state-Somalia. Many International News Organizations are in Somaliland this year, to cover the May 18, 2007 independence celebrations. Major News organizations such as Al-Jazeera, Al Arabia, Ghanaian TV, South African Broad Casting Corporation, BBC, and a number of Websites have converged on Somaliland. Moreover, Somaliland communities in the diaspora, other Somalis and non-Somali friends are also celebrating with Somalilanders this year. Here are some of the diaspora communities who have already held or will be holding their celebrations in the coming 24 hours:

 

Norway, Finland, Denmark, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, India, Kuwait, Kenya, South Africa, Malaysia, Minneapolis, Mn, Nashville Tn, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington state, Columbus Ohio, Raleigh, NC, Los-Angels, Ca, Dallas Texas, Toronto, Canada, Ottawa, Canada.

 

This year is different from past years, because Somaliland Independence has made a full circle. We have created a robust democracy without help. We have built about four Universities without outside help. We have created a working health care system. All these have been done because we are free to think, organize and decide. You cannot differentiate between freedom, progress and peace. The former three are complementary not mutually exclusive. Without one the two others will not exist. This is nothing but a classical, indigenous grassroots democracy in action. We have our share of mistakes and stumbles but overall we are in the right tract. What you see in Somaliland today is a new homegrown phenomenon in the world called indigenous democracy, which has the potentiality to be become a tempting model to imitate.

 

You can see that Somaliland independence is not something confined to one group, Somaliland proper only and only Somalilanders. In Nairobi, many of the participants were other Somalis. The changing of attitudes regarding other Somali-speaking communities has to be underlined. This may lead into a mutual recognition between the people of Somaliland and a Somalia ruled by an elected government.

 

Background information:

 

1960 was an era of superfluous jubilation, bond-less joy, and an era of huge community spirit. The curse of tribalism was almost on a precipitous wane. it was a time of unprecedented solidarity which if nurtured, channeled and properly exploited, may be within 10 years following 1960, clannism perhaps may have been eradicated altogether. It was a time when people have unlimited energy enthusiasm amid motivation to change their nations and the world.

 

1960, was a time of great optimism, hope, euphoria and huge expectations. The love of liberty, fraternity and equality was vivid in the lyrics of all the songs and the great poetic works of the day. The wind of independence was also blowing through the length and the breadth of the vast African continent. From Cape Town to Cairo, Cape Verde to the Comoros, People were gripped with an aura of independence fervor and were engulfed by jubilation, joy and superfluous happiness. The tectonic plate tremors of freedom and the demand for justice and equity for all have shaken the whole landscape of the continent. But unfortunately that hope has been dashed in many parts of Africa and around the world. That grand conspiracy was hatched and executed by the bitter former colonial powers, with the help of willing local lackeys, agents and executioners. The colonial powers have never forgot their ignoble ouster from the continent. Therefore, they came back big time in different mutated forms and under different guises and pretexts. This is a major topic, which I am not ready today to say more than I already said in this context.

 

That hope has been busted by a joint venture of a former colonial powers, their indigenous agents, dictators, warlords and criminal syndicates in the form of unelected dictators, weak and incompetent politicians. The colonial masters under a new management have supported, financially, politically and economically the post-colonial unsavory groups who dominated many newly independent countries. Though severely weakened, the latter as I speak are still wrecking havoc in Mogadishu, Darfur, Ivory Coast and elsewhere. Though not as strong and dominant as before, the old colonial powers are still equipped with their age old ambition of domineering others and hegemonic tendencies. The old colonial powers of the yesteryear are still active in Mogadishu, Abidjan, Baghdad and Kabul. They still ignore us, because they were not part and parcel of the foundation of our best kept secret-Somaliland. Their form of democracy is the one lead by their selected agents and under their supervision and interference.

 

That was a time of great superfluous joy and great delight and limitless energy. It was a time of tremendous solidarity, brotherhood, harmony and selfless cooperation and magnanimity. That was a time of great optimism, hope, euphoria and huge expectations. The love of liberty, fraternity and equality was vivid in the lyrics of the great poetic works of the day.1991 was no different than the declaration of independence of the United States of America in 1776 in Philadelphia, when a small group of visionaries s such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and others came together started drafting the United States constitution. May 18, 1991

 

Since 1991, the people of this land were building the structures for a modern democratic nation state. The country has two elected houses of parliament, an elected president who is the head of the executive branch of the government, a relatively independent judiciary including a supreme court, a robust functioning police force and a free media. The nation is also looking forward to the coming municipal and presidential elections.

 

AU challenge

 

I want to challenge the meaningless so-called international organizations to affirm our hard win independence. These vestiges of the last century are also thinking as such. Let me tell them, Somaliland independence is a done deal, a reality if you will which nobody has the power to reverse, and anybody who tried that is at his/her peril. Be wise and try to enhance your stained name and take the lead to recognize the Republic of Somaliland. You need to avert a gathering time bomb, because Somalilanders will vigorously defend their freedom and independence. We are a peace loving but ready to give all our energy, efforts and blood again for the preservation and sustainability of our independence. The AU is faced with a huge challenge, because as of now there is no legal reason for not recognizing the Republic of Somaliland. Therefore, It is up to the AU as to how they can fairly resolve this important and urgent issue. Apparently, there is no reasonable justification what so ever, why the AU will keep the status of this emerging democracy in the balance. The AU has no tract record of resolving conflicts or problems.

 

Somaliland's success, recognition and development is an asset for all Somali-speaking people in the Horn of Africa.

 

Suleiman Egeh

MS-Molecular Biology

MA-Science Education

 

 

JUST HERE