In Memory of the Dead Nomads

[Fanisha]

The blunders of the so-called Global War on Terrorism have claimed yet again lives of many innocent people. It brought death and mayhem to several nomadic hamlets of cattle herders in the southern plains of Somalia near a town called Afmadow. Scores of unprotected civilians including women and children were decimated by bombs from the sky.

 

The survivors do not know who did it. They could not read an Insignia of a plane high in the sky. They could not read even if it was on the ground. It could have been Ethiopian, American, or others. It just doesn’t matter. It does not make any difference to them. Many have perished instantly, others died from their injuries as those who came for the rescue were bombed too. In the end, no one could bury the dead and bodies lie on the streets.

 

The survivors run for their life to the bushes helter-skelter. They abandoned their homes and cattle for fear of more bombs. They are prey to the mosquitoes breeding in the swamps created by the heavy rains and flooding of last December.

 

These fallen nomads had survived 16 years of civil war, anarchy and brutal warlords mostly because they lived in very remote rural areas far from the reaches of the warlords who thrived in the big cities. In the end though, they succumbed to the ubiquitous might of the American air force.

 

The American officials have shamelessly confessed that they did it. Of course the victims have to be terrorists, high ranking Al-Qaeda operatives, fugitives from justice, and perpetrators of the 1998 twin bombing of Nairobi & Dar ES Salam. They unabashedly gave an estimate of the dead from the unclaimed corpses of the fallen nomads. However, the figure they gave is conservative. Many more had died. The search for justice to the victims of yesteryear’s terrorism has brought terror to the nomads in the low lands of southern Somalia. Where is their justice?

 

These latest civilian victims of the five-year old global war on terrorism are not dissimilar to many before them in Afghanistan and Iraq as there is no representative government who speaks for them. No one investigates the matter. Their death would be forgotten soon by many, save the surviving members of their families. The explanation of the perpetrators would prevail. Their numbers would augment the statistics and success rates of war against terrorism tallied in big offices elsewhere.

 

Tragically, in the case of these latest victims, the leaders of the Somali Transitional Federal Government were quick to justify the bombing of their defenseless poor subjects. In their eagerness to justify so much, different officials have given contradictory explanations. No government representative has been at the sights of destructions or spoken to the elders of the nearest town. They are hundreds of miles away from the scene and yet they hailed the bombing as a success. They have accepted the explanations given by the culprits. Their rhetoric adds insult to the tragedy.

 

The truth of the matter is scores of innocent nomads are dead. Many burned beyond recognition. Many more are injured and no one can go to their rescue. Corpses could not be buried. Few individuals who tried are believed to have fallen as well. They did not return. Vehicles and moving objects are particularly targets of the planes who are still roaming in the skies. Fear has engulfed whole communities.

 

The reaction of the Transitional Somali government is deplorable. They are acting as if they are leasing the country to someone else. They could not even do as well as Karazai who occasionally laments the death of the Afghani civilians under the so-called precision bombs of the occupying forces. Shame on the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government. Shame on them for not speaking on behalf of the innocent nomads. Shame on them for insulting bereaved civilians.

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Abdirahman Dahir

Annandale, Virginia

[Wisdom_Seeker]

Excellent article.

 

We shouldn’t expect anything from this warlord government who had its share of committing monstrous atrocities against the innocent people of Somalia. These innocent bystanders have returned to their Lord, they have nothing to fear, but HIM alone. An ever-lasting justice only comes from Allah.

[Fanisha]

Waa runtaa. Ala ha u naxariisto.

[Qandalawi]

^^^Aamiin to that

 

Absolutely correct, Shame on them!