Somaliland's fighter jet unifies

[Jacaylbaro]

It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the African sun casts its rays and makes its presence known. 47- year-old Mohamud Hassan has just started his day’s work.

 

Mohamud, a father of 7 is a taxi driver and has lived in the capital of Somaliland, Hargeisa, all his life. He offers to show us around but as we pass through the centre of the bustling city, Mohamud hits the breaks of his car, missing the car in front by a whisker.

 

He immediately calms himself; un buckles his seat belt and gets out of the car. At this point Mohamud’s mode has changed from that of a jubilant and out-going man to grief stricken.

 

“I want to show you this monument. It’s the model of a plane that was used by the Dictator Siad Barre to bomb our people in 1988,” Mohamud says. “He was ruthless and arrogant. He killed so many Somalilanders. He wanted us to join the rest of Somalia but we resisted.”

 

Never again

Pointing at the rusting shell of a fighter jet that perches on a brick platform just by the side of the main road, Mohamud’s eyes are filled with tears.

 

“On the worst day of the bombing in 1998, I lost 12 of my close relatives. I was part of the resisting forces and though I was lucky, my closest cousin and aunt died. This monument reminds us Somalilanders of the troubled past we have been through. We will never want to witness war or a situation like that one again.” Mohamud says loudly as tears roll down his chin.

 

At this time a dozen other people come closer and all emphasise the significance of the memorial plane.

“This plane has made us stay close and relate to each other as brothers and sisters. Siad Barre thought he would divide and rule us but he didn’t succeed. The bombings only made our will to be independent from the rest of Somalia stronger,” said an old man with a red-dyed beards.

 

No unification

My presence in Hargeisa coincided with the inauguration of the newly elected president of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Silyaanyo” and as if reading from the same script of the president’s speech, Mohamud and the rest of the people who joined him insisted they are not ready to join the greater Somalia even if peace prevailed in Mogadishu.

 

“I hope our new president doesn’t think about that option, because we the people of Somaliland will never want to be part of Somalia. We are doing well on our own and all we need now is doing business”, Mohamud insists raising his hands to the sky.

 

Hargeisa was almost completely destroyed in 1988 by airstrikes launched by the regime of former Somali president Siad Barre. An estimated 50,000 people are said to have died in the attacks on Hargeisa and its surroundings.

 

In the years that followed the overthrow of Siad Barre’s government, Somaliland has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity while much of the rest of Horn of Africa has been ravaged by war.

 

The International community doesn’t recognise the independence of Somaliland but Mohamud and most of Somalilanders say they will do anything to be independent.

 

 

By Kassim Mohamed

[Jacaylbaro]

Radio Netherlands

[Mr. Somalia]

^

Ah, poor Jacaylbaro, still adrift in that intoxicating dreamworld that in no way resembles reality? You realize, there's nothing wrong with you that a few sessions of electrocution therapy and some temperance from khat couldn't cure.

[NGONGE]

Either the writer is a liar or the taxi driver is a great actor! Tears roll down his face? Dee naga daayaa.

[STOIC]

^ The writer story is already characterized by untruth ..Somaliland was under Igal rule in 1998...there was No bombing.I know it is a typo..So I guess the cabbie was just out for his tip

 

PS So My father in-law calls me from Hargeysa (he is the new recent wave of retiree that moved before the election) I was kidding with him when I suggested he should come back now that his party lost the election, but he got offended...Just looking out I told him...He told me see you next summer..Hope this old guys don't screw up the country!