Somalia: a German abducted, Maakhir in Stability, and Somaliland in Disarray

[NASSIR]

Somalia: a German abducted, Maakhir in Stability, and Somaliland in Disarray

By Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

February 13, 2008

 

 

February 13, 2008

 

Somalia: a German abducted, Maakhir in Stability, and Somaliland in Disarray

 

Over the past two months, we dedicated several articles to Maakhir, the self-proclaimed autonomous state in Northern Somalia that acclaims every unitary effort in the multi-targeted and war-stricken country of the Horn of Africa. Contrarily to the secessionist aspirations of Somaliland that lies in the West, and the ineffective political targets of Puntland that lies in the East, the Maakhir authorities pledge full commitment to peace, concord, and local development until the time of an All-Somali Union.

 

In the few months that passed since the new state was launched (1 July 2007), tiny Maakhir (area: 35000 km2; population: 700000 people) proved to be a paradise of stability and concord, civil order and environmental sensibilities, if compared to warring Somalialnd and Puntland that do gravely threaten stability and peace, socioeconomic development and national union in the Horn of Africa area, in the same way the Abyssinian soldiers do trigger Islamic Extremism in the Somali South.

 

Abduction of a German male aid worker

 

In a clearly deteriorating environment in the ailing and unrecognized pseudo-state of Somaliland, a German male aid worker was reported abducted in Erigavo earlier today by gunmen loyal to Somaliland militias in the area. The news spread immediately allover the world, as it highlights the total incapacity of Somaliland´s secessionist government.

 

The authoritative Maakhir portal Laaqoray.net, in an informative article (http://www.laasqoray.net/view_article.php?articleid=2662), gave details about the event, stating that "Eye witnesses reported that the aid worker's driver was wounded by gunfire when the kidnappers intercepted his vehicle in an area claimed by both the breakaway states of Maakhir and Somaliland.

 

According to elders in the city the aid worker and his driver was heading to Waqdiriya (an ancient town controlled by Maakhir) area outside Erigavo when the gunmen ambushed and snatched him and left his driver wounded and lying on the floor.

 

The abducted aid worker was employed by German Agro Action, a non-governmental organization which has been operating in the area for several years. The NGO based in Bonn, [known in Germany as Welthungerhilfe] confirmed that one of its employees had been abducted in northern Somalia.

 

In the area where the abduction took place, Agro Action [which has been active in Somalia since 1990s] was leading a project on irrigated farming development.

 

Aid workers, notably foreigners, have been increasingly targeted in all parts of the restive Horn of Africa country".

 

Through contacts with various Maakhiri authorities, we reconfirmed that the early information, according to which the abductors went to Southern Erigavo, was false. As a matter of fact, the Erigavo district is divided between Somaliland and Maakhir. As the area was for many years open to roaming Puntland and Somaliland militias, the Maakhir Authority made repeated calls for self-restrain in order to help establish a minimum security around its borders.

 

Reports from Badhan, the Maakhir capital, specified that the abducted German aid worker was taken away to the mountains toward Daalo, an area controlled by clan militia supporting Somaliland.

 

The Maakhir Authority, in an effort to solve the problem, entered into negotiations with the tribe loyal to Somaliland (***** Clans) because Somaliland does not exercise real power in its eastern regions. Maakhiri elders from the Maakhiri part of Erigavo have held talks with their ***** counterparts, offering full support in order to obtain the release of the abducted German aid worker.

 

Mohamed Digil, a former Somaliland administrator as head of ´uncontrolled´ militias

 

According to converging information from Laasqoray and Maakhiri Erigavo, the militia that abducted the aid worker is clan militia unhappy with the Argo Action representative and his team, as they were heading towards Waqderiya (an ancient town controlled by Maakhir) in order to consider details pertaining to a new development project.

 

The ´uncontrolled´ militias had allegedly stated to the Argo Action representative that the area is disputed, and demanded that the NGO does not help whomever may be currently in control in Waqderiya.

 

 

This reveals the dedication and the commitment of the German NGO, and the dramatic circumstances under which they do their best to help the indigenous populations.

 

Through my latest contacts, I got the reconfirmation that the leader of the militias involved in the abduction is no other than the notorious Mohamed Digil, a former administrator in the breakaway and unrecognized, mafia state of Somaliland. Mohamed Digil belongs to the Habar Yonis clan, which is a sub-clan of Muse Ismael and Jibrel Turwa.

 

Why?

 

As we already said, Somaliland does not exercise real political, economic and military power in the province of Western Sanaag, even though the area is a ***** territory; for non insiders, the ***** clan is the strongest component of the secessionist administration of Somaliland, but this does not imply total ***** support to the Hargeysa puppets of the Abyssinian tribal dictator Meles Zenawi. Many ***** Somalis oppose the paranoid secessionist dreams of the Abyssinian puppets who portray themselves as Somaliland´s leaders.

 

As a matter of fact, Somaliland functionaries are scarce in the east of the Hargeysa and Berbera, the main Somaliland´s port which is controlled by Abyssinian paramilitary criminals and thugs.

 

The abductors are certainly loyal to Somaliland authorities in terms of clan, but as long as we are not aware of their projects and targets, we can only express the conjecture that they employed methods already successfully employed in Yemen in order to attract governmental interest and subsidies.

 

Antecedents

 

Beyond the illustrious Yemenite tradition in this regard, we have to admit that abduction has been a common story in Puntland where last year two women from Spain and Argentina working for MSF were abducted. A while back, a French cameraman preparing a documentary on migrants was also kidnapped. In all cases, ransom was paid to the abductors in order to get the aid workers back.

 

As for many years Somaliland and Puntland have been engaged in conflict over the territories of Sool and Sanaag, and always viewed these provinces as marginal to either Hargeysa and Garowe, their respective capitals, the autochthonous populations enthusiastically sought peace and development, and backed their political leaders who declared its independence as Maakhir State of Somalia. Maakhir is therefore the guarantee for civil order and discipline in the area.

 

What to do?

 

One of the most critical problems of the Horn of Africa region, and Somalia more particularly, is related to the uncontrolled areas of Eastern Somaliland where the political vacuum and the socio-economic underdevelopment are matched with tribal militias prevalence.

 

The clash between some clan militias and the otherwise nebulous and ill-fated administration of unrecognized Somaliland endangers peace and progress in the entire area. When every clan has its own militias, the rise of tribalism gives localism an anti-patriotic nuance that ends up in ceaseless wars.

 

Somaliland is also threatened because of this procedure; when Eil-Afweyn is controlled by ***** militias who don't care whether Somaliland exists or not, the Hargeysa warlords should re-think about their dreams of international recognition that, if we assume possible to materialize (which is not the case), could turn to a nightmare of the utmost subdivision and split.

 

It would be to the benefit of all these provisory states in the Somali North to cede control of their borders to UN peacekeeping forces until a General Constituent Assembly of all the Somalis brings forth the next, real, effective and auspicious National Unity Government of Somalia.

 

Maakhir should be helped in its effort to establish civil order, social rehabilitation, and unitary national feeling, and supported in its commitment to stop illegal charcoal trading, and hunting,

 

Note

 

Picture: the natural pyramids of Sanaag in the autonomous state of Maakhir in the north of Somalia

[AfricaOwn]

Do you agree with what you posted?

[Jacaylbaro]

Source ?? Link ??

[Koora-Tuunshe]

JB: Saaxiib here is the Source

[NASSIR]

Originally posted by AfricaOwn:

Do you agree with what you posted?

No I should agree with what Hadhwanaagnews and Somalilandtimes scribble on their walls.

[SomaliThinker]

this is an opinion written article people please, thats not fact but opinion !!!!!!!!! its me writing something saying "Somaliland on the rule and Puntland in disaray". Heck we see that the author who's name is Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin. Stop with the crazy talk people.

[AfricaOwn]

HARGEISA, Somalia (Reuters) - Authorities in the breakaway Somali republic of Somaliland arrested five gunmen in connection with this week's kidnapping of a German aid worker, officials said on Thursday.

 

Daniel Bronkal, who works for German Agro Action (GAA), was seized in an ambush on his car and held for several hours before being freed on Tuesday evening after local troops fought off the gunmen who had abducted him.

 

"Somaliland troops captured five of the abductors who kidnapped the German man and we are still after two others who were involved in the abduction," deputy chairman of Sanag region Abdiasis Hassan Said told Reuters by phone.

 

Somaliland's interior minister said the kidnappers were from the neighbouring semi-autonomous region of Puntland -- engaged in a long turf war with Somaliland over the Sanag region.

 

"I can tell you that the gunmen have come from Bosasso and I can not give any details now because the case is under investigation," Abdulahi Ismail told Reuters.

 

Puntland brushed aside his claim that the abductors travelled from the its port city of Bosasso where several kidnappings occurred at the end of last year.

 

"The kidnappers were not from Puntland. Everyone knows they were from Buro and Era Gabo that are under Somaliland administration," said Puntland presidential spokesman Bille Qabowsade.

 

Kidnapping of aid workers and foreigners is common in Somalia, but captives are usually treated well -- since they are usually held for ransom. Authorities generally blame militant Islamists for attacks on foreigners.

 

"I was not treated badly, but you can imagine how difficult my situation could be," Bronkal told reporters at the airport in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa.

 

Somaliland broke away in 1991 when warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, plunging the Horn of Africa country into anarchy, and has governed itself since.

 

Source: Reuters, Feb. 14, 2008

[Thankful]

What hypocrites, they complain when Puntland blames them for their problems and now they go ahead and blame Puntland for theres. Just like those few foreigners killed years ago, the government blamed it on outside influences like al qaeda, yet for some reason when they made the arrests on that particular case they gave the so called killers clemency from the death penalty. What about the aid worker shot last week in hargeysa and wounded?? They said it was a pay or employment dispute? Yeah right!!

Province of Somaliland has to realize that they can't be happy when they hear news about kidnappings in Puntland and other crimes (nothing close to executions). Most peaceful provinces/states in the world are surrounded by other peaceful ones. If the one next to you has problems you most likely will to.

[NASSIR]

Reuters’s methodology of news reporting is not without criticism in this particular situation. Its reliability regarding the accuracy of its news reporting from Sanaag is highly questionable because it often receives the wrong information frmo these two entities which always claim Sanaag as though they have jurisdiction over the Makhir State when in fact it is the inhabitants and their shaky administration of Maakhir that can be said to have the authoritative facts and knowledge over what truly occurred. The American Chronicle relies its news from local sources such as LaasQorey.Net.

 

Whilst Somaliland (Northwest) craves to the opposite of observable consequences of true but unfavorable events and thus sways international news agency from the ineffectiveness of its tribal administration , it has no real political or military authority in the region except claiming old colonial borders, so the ostensible truth of news from Makhir news agencies which often provide substantial evidence bolstering their reports in the region go unnoticed. The reason is that no such agencies would want their staff, stationed in Nairobi, to divert from their regular activities in conformity to their non-alignment policy of news reporting in Northern Somalia other than going alone with the "disputed status" of Sool and Sanaag;

 

You can simply understand that it quotes two conflicting statements from Puntland and Somaliland over what has actually happened Wouldn't you therefore disagree with such conflicting statements and deem them as statements subject to biased views and distortion of facts.

 

Somaliland

continues to claim the entire area of the former British Somaliland.

 

It is currently under the control of the western half of the former British Somaliland, with northeastern Maakhir

having declared a separate, unrecognized autonomous state within Somalia on July 1, 2007.

Press TV

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Will some be happy if Waqooyiga were in "disarray" and chaos?

 

Ma dad saas ku farxi lahaa jiro, dhul Soomaaliyeed oo nabad ah in dab ka kaco, oo holco? Xaasidsanaa, oo cuqdad miiranaa dadka qaarkiis.

 

Kidnapping of aid workers and foreigners is common in Somalia, but captives are usually treated well -- since they are usually held for ransom. Authorities generally blame militant Islamists for attacks on foreigners.

There is something wrong with this paragraph. It alludes if "Islamists" kidnap the foreigners in Soomaaliya? If so, when did ever an "Islamist" kidnap a foreigner in Soomaaliya? Yaab ee kaa keenaan Western media, "Islamist, Islamist" lagu qafiifay.

 

The last time I knew mööryaans and their qabqable nominal leaders were the kingpins of kidnapping business.

[NASSIR]

MMA, disarray is a state confusion or turmoil. It does not mean choas.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Caamira, duqa, I do know what the word means. The way the title implies, however, is different. Si kale aan u dhahee, like minankeyga nadiif waaye, dariska walaalkey kiisana qashin waaye camal loo qoray, even si qof faraxsan camal soo qoray u eg.

[AfricaOwn]

Originally posted by Caamir:

Its reliability regarding the accuracy of its news reporting from Sanaag is highly questionable because it often receives the wrong information frmo these two entities which always claim Sanaag as though they have jurisdiction over the Makhir State when in fact it is the inhabitants and their shaky administration of Maakhir that can be said to have the authoritative facts and knowledge over what truly occurred.

Who are the inhabitants of Erigavo? Does Makhir you speak of control this city?

[Som@li]

Thanks Caamir for the article,

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

Will some be happy if Waqooyiga were in "disarray" and chaos?

Sadly yes!