Memo to Paul Martin Revisited: The Messy Retrieval of a Dead Entity (Somaliland)

[Xudeedi]

Memo to Paul Martin Revisited: The Messy Retrieval of a Dead Entity (Somaliland) from the Dustbin of Colonial History

 

Gamal Hassan

 

 

October16, 2005

 

On September 29, 2005 Jean Daudelin (an academic at Carleton University) and Lee Seymour (a PhD candidate at Northwestern University) published in the Globe and Mail newspaper a "Memo to Paul Martin" calling on him to recognize “Somaliland†- a breakaway region of Somalia – as an independent country.

 

The Memo, written under the cloak of scholarship, obviously promotes the agenda of the secessionists in my country, Somalia, and since I am a native of what the authors call ‘Somaliland' I take exception to the many distortions of the facts of the situation. I think it is also intellectually dishonest to write about a country or a situation just from one's own head or by relying solely on information provided by a group with an agenda to break up a country.

 

Only a cursory look at the history of the merger between the two parts of the Somalia (the ex-British and the ex-Italian) would have informed the authors that there was no federation in Somalia at all. Yet the authors state that Somaliland “hastily entered into federation with the former Italian Somaliland â€. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They also state equally erroneously that the merger was “an unhappy unionâ€. If by that they mean, as the secessionists always claim, that the North (formerly Somaliland ) did not benefit by the union or that the union was a net loss to it, one should simply and objectively compare how the British left Somaliland with and how it became thirty years later. We, the Northerners, were in the course of those thirty years Speakers of Parliament, ministers, ambassadors, permanent secretaries, high ranking military officers, etc. and the last Prime Minister in the civilian government in Somalia , was none other than the last President of the separatist region that calls itself ‘ Somaliland '. It is true that the cruelty of the regime of Siad Barre to our Issaq brothers and sisters was unparalleled in the annals of Somali history. But that regime was repressive to many other clans as well and that was why the resurgence of clanism swept away the State itself, not in Hargeisa but in Mogadishu, the national capital.

 

The authors claim that “ Somaliland has also constructed the political foundations of a functioning democracyâ€. Again, the facts point to the contrary. A parliament, hitherto unelected, arbitrary detentions of journalists, imprisonment of dissidents, long-term imprisonment, torture and rape of a 16 year-old girl from Puntland accused of spying, the President's summary dismissal of the Chief Justice, a bogus referendum (called for and conducted by the separatists themselves) which the people of Sool, Sanaag and Boohodle boycotted (because it did not concern them since they were, as they are, part and parcel of neighbouring Puntland), the prohibition of open debates to precede the referendum, and the detention of those who openly advocated against secession, are all the elements of the “functioning democracy†the authors are talking about. The authors deliberately chose to downplay these serious violations of rights by saying, “All is not perfect in Somaliland â€. This is a serious understatement which smacks of dishonesty.

 

The authors display yet again their ignorance about the “ Somaliland †they are defending by advising the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, to travel to Hargeisa for the “inauguration of the country's government that will emerge from today's elections...†The system obtaining in that breakaway region of ours is a presidential one and ministers are not chosen from parliament. Therefore, there is no government that will emerge from this or any other election and hence no inauguration.

 

As regards the elections the authors state: “Outside observers have deemed these elections to have been largely free and fair.†There is an obvious and revealing discrepancy between the fact that the article was published on the Election Day itself and the time the statement of the observers was made. Did the authors anticipate that the observers would say that the elections were free and fair or did the observers tell them in advance that they would declare the elections as free and fair? Now, where is the honesty in this?

 

Unfortunately, Africa has seen many foreign ideologies that bring their destructive missions to the continent and on its people - from slavery, colonization and cold war to the current neo-colonial economic domination fronted by the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and scholars with hidden agendas, all with disastrous effects. One of the most effective forms of domination tactics used by these groups in Africa and indeed to the rest of the world was the concept of “divide, weaken and ruleâ€. The authors reminded me the application of that policy by the late Apartheid regimes in South Africa who created Bantustans (tribal homelands) such as the Transkei and KwaZulu headed by Matanzima and Buthelezi respectively. The purpose of these tribal homelands was to weaken the unity of the majority of South Africans and their struggle against the apartheid system. History was on the side of the people of South Africa as they defeated the apartheid regime and established a free and democratic society. Equally, if a fair and UN-observed plebiscite is held today in ‘ Somaliland ', the overwhelming majority of the people of ‘ Somaliland ' will vote against secession and creation of Bantustans in Somalia .

 

It is evident that the entire purpose of the authors' misinformation is to get the Canadian Government to recognize “ Somaliland â€. But the Canadian Government is not as gullible as the authors might think, and it will certainly not base its decision on so tendentious a report or letter. Let me repeat, however, for the benefit of the authors what Mr. Chris Mullen told the Legislative Assembly in Hargeisa a year ago. He told them in clear and unmistakable terms that recognition would cause war. He could not be more right. Somaliland and Puntland have been at war and are, after a modus vivendi , still on the brink of war because of Sool, Sanaag, and Buhodle all of which were part of British Somaliland but are now part and parcel of Puntland which effectively controls them. Somaliland and Puntland, unlike the Southern regions, enjoy at present relative peace and quiet. Recognition will simply turn that on its head and export the war in the South to these quiet northern areas.

 

There is no valid reason to complicate matters further and cause bloodshed when Somalia has just adopted a federal system in order to provide the maximum autonomy possible to areas like the breakaway region of “ Somaliland â€. There have been contacts already between the Federal Government and ministers from Hargeisa. And the clans in the North as a whole are represented in the Federal Parliament and Federal Government.

 

Recognition of ‘ Somaliland ' will also be a flagrant violation of the numerous Security Council resolutions on Somalia which affirmed, and reaffirmed time and again, the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia . As a Canadian, I trust that the policies of our government will not be influenced by individuals who pronounce themselves so carelessly on matters for which they have no expertise.

 

It is, however, necessary for the secessionists and their ‘friends' to understand that if Somalia is divisible, Somaliland is also divisible .

 

 

Gamal Hassan

Ottawa, Canada

Email: ceelaayo@yahoo.com

 

www.wardheernews.com

[Xudeedi]

The marvelous article by Gamal has attracted a lot of responses, one of which is

 

 

In Response to Egeh : A New Reagan Democrat for the Cause of Somaliland

[wind.talker]

Additionally, the author eluded that 95% of the northerners voted to secede from the Republic; what a propaganda! That made its way out. The number 95% itself invalidates the legitimacy of the outcome. In free societies this kind of percentages are long time obsolete except if one is under authoritarian rule or

Marxist

states such as the case of North Korea and some Arab states or in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia.

That's a mean thing to say - comparing the Riyaale admin (elected) to Marxist dictatorships. Remember, the Marxist leader they love to hate (Siyad Barre - Allaha u naxaristo) also had similar winning percentages during voting procedures (always in the 90th-percentile). Strange? Not really, considering the SL leadership consists mainly of students of the late Marxist leader.

 

Moreover, the author is conveying implicitly that northern *****s make up less than

5%

of the population of the north;

Is that a fact from the book, "Somali Population for Dummies" - the official SNM student guide? I wonder...

[Liibaan]

This memo was well written. it has balance, proportionality, logic and most importantly it carries tangible facts. For example, Gamal Hassan's last statement

"

It is, however, necessary for the secessionists and their ‘friends' to understand that if Somalia is divisible, Somaliland is also divisible."

precisely makes everything clear.With no farther due, I would like to ask my dear brothers and sisters who blindly believe utopian state of somaliland to carefully read above quote and to think about it deeply. unfortunately, establishing a clannish state at this stage of era is a brainless model, which portraits catastrophic image of "our mental maturity". Since, the world encountering the formation of multi-national states . This clanism has zero incentives to its citizens - economiclly by e.g. possessing less natural resources and socailly by e.g. picturing their follow brothers and sisters (rest of the Somalis) as a foreigner. Although, this ideology was creatively planed by old Somali politicians, who simply were after “Mansab†a political title, post the fall of Somali federal government in year 1991. Sadly to say many young people back then were misled and totally changed. Who up today fighting for state that simply carrying a name with false themes. Therefore, Mr. Hassan's alert has come the right time and along with him iam cautioning our Canadian government to not misled by egoistic professors who purely after a fame.

[qumane]

Do you know different between Gamal Hassan and Paul Martin. One is Independent researcher who is analyzed with his rational mind and other one is well educated Somali who can not control feeling from his sub-cognition mind and deep tribalism. I believe in scientific world you have to be rational and independent to publish paper with quality.

[Suldaanka]

^^Corrections sxb

 

I think you meant to say Jean Daudelin & Lee Seymour the academics who authored the piece that these little nobodies are seeking to reply to.

 

Only a fool would try and block the sun with his own barehands and would think the rest of the world also do not see the light too. Likewise, these little nobodies would do anything, yes anything (check that link out).

 

But as the saying goes, If wishes were like horses...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Originally posted by qumane:

Do you know different between Gamal Hassan and Paul Martin. One is Independent researcher who is analyzed with his rational mind

Paul Martin would have wished today he was really a "independent researcher" than a Wasiirka Koowaad of Kanada since his Liberal government's is embroiled in a huge financial scandal.

[qumane]

Halmaan Hadal kumo jiro ayay Somalidu tidhaa Don't try to scape my.... you know what I mean and you get also from suldaan

I think you meant to say Jean Daudelin & Lee Seymour the academics who authored the piece that these little nobodies are seeking to reply to.

[Xudeedi]

Quamane, The "little nobodies" implies plural--two to three persons that replied to the two Canadian academician who authored the "Memo to Paul Martin" . There is only one person known as Gamal(an Educated brother and a Somali Canadian) who critiques that memo exceptionally well. Two other persons came in response to Gamal's literary work. One was in favor of the Canadian authors in a desperate attempt to counterblast Gamal's article unmindful of the weaknesses of the scholars' Memo. As the Somali saying goes, "rabbi ka cabso iyo rag iska dhici meel islama galaan". Egaal was truly sycophant and didn't have much to say to support them after Gamal exposed their ignorance to Somali's current politics and the history of the protectorate. Gamal writes, " I think it is also intellectually dishonest to write about a country or a situation just from one's own head or by relying solely on information provided by a group with an agenda to break up a country. "

 

 

I have reiterated so many times that these self-made pro-seperatist foreignors wallow in the misery of our country and they mostly eschew to seek the balance on the probability on Somali's dreams and realities.

 

If you pay close attention to How Gamal hold them up to ridicule, we won't be having this discussion and some of us like Suldaan wouldn't be so heedless of the contents of the Memo in terms of its context, rickety evidence, and ignorance that has swept away its whole relevance.

 

 

Only a cursory look at the history of the merger between the two parts of the Somalia (the ex-British and the ex-Italian) would have informed the authors that there was no federation in Somalia at all. Yet the authors state that Somaliland “hastily entered into federation with the former Italian Somaliland â€.

 

 

Gamal continues,

 

 

The authors display yet again their ignorance about the “ Somaliland †they are defending by advising the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, to travel to Hargeisa for the “inauguration of the country's government that will emerge from today's elections...†The system obtaining in that breakaway region of ours is a presidential one and ministers are not chosen from parliament. Therefore, there is no government that will emerge from this or any other election and hence no inauguration.

 

 

Gamal finishes up his critique clearly and fairly,

 

 

"As a Canadian, I trust that the policies of our government will not be influenced by individuals who pronounce themselves so carelessly on matters for which they have no expertise."

[SOO MAAL]

The better Memo to the Canadian premier Minister Paul Martin

 

Ali Osman Samatar

 

 

October16, 2005

 

Historically it might be right that Canada was according to the western history writing the engine of the Political recognition of China mainland within the western world but the Chinese revolution led by the legendary chairman Mao Tse-tung (Oct 1,1949) and the birth of the Maoism in China and the whole world was irreversible. Later the cold war has divided the world in to two computing ideological systems and China/Taiwan conflict was an integral component of that conflict. The belatedly political recognition of China by the US American political establishment was only the logical political consequence of the global political reality at time. The never ending political crises between China/Taiwan and many other bloody conflicts particularly in Africa and Latin-America was systematically initiated by the cold war major actors and have been carried out by chauvinistic secessionist or ethnic-clan movements in many developing countries. However, bring that dark historical events again in connection to the so-called “Somaliland†primitive clan based secessionism absolutely deserves the predicate sticking -in- the mud and is not politically a good artistic performance.

 

Canada knows much better than any other nation what secessionist movement means and the Quebec secessionism is a periodically occurring (Quebec referendum, 1980, Oct 24, 1995 Cree Indian referendum, Oct 26, Northern Quebec, last referendum Oct 30, 1995) ritual and that was the major reason why Canada became perhaps the motor of China mainland political recognition within the Western countries. Apropos Quebec Canadians were at least asked to decide democratically if they want to stay with Canada or not.

 

In Contrast to that, in the Self declared republic of “Somaliland†unionists aren't even allowed to enter their country or are simply jailed if they take part any conference concerning Somalia let alone asking the people what they really want. . Having said that, the territorial separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia came into being after 30 liberation years against Ethiopian occupation and ended after the total collapse of the Ethiopian Military regime in early 1991. The sovereign Eritrean people decided later in April 23 to 25 1993 in a well organized free and fair referendum for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia . Furthermore, the Political recognition of West Sahara Republic by the South African government today has a long historical back ground which is backed by the AU and the United Nations after Morocco invaded and occupied 1975 illegally the West Sahara . However, it is absolutely incorrect to say South Africa is looking favorably towards the independence of the self declared republic of Somaliland that is what the Indian/South African lobbyist and self declared “ Somaliland †Ambassador disseminate.

 

Besides that, it is quite well know to us (outsider may learn) Somalis that the people in the Regions of Awdal, Sool, Sanag and Togedhee r are literally against the separation but they support the peaceful co-existence and Governance of the region. In addition to that, Somali people in Sool and Sanag consider them self freely as natural and administration wise as part of the Autonomous Punt land region of Somalia as well as the Great (Somaaliween) Somalia . By the time Honorable Paul Martin becomes the driving force for the recognition of the self declared “Somaliland†and more external political intervention gets involved in the Northwest Somali issue another Dafuur will become inevitable although the people in Togdheer, Sool, and Sanag are already periodically starving due to droughts and food shortages and consequently the peaceful situation in the area will be passé. A growing significant number of very popular and politically influential business people in Hargeisa are questioning now more and more the realistic economical existences and viability of the region

 

However, it is more than surprising why our academicians like Mrs. Daudelin, Jean and Mr. Seymour, Lee simply ignore their beloved democratic regulations which provided millions and millions in the democratic western hemisphere a high standard of living conditions and peace. Let me make a short humorous satiric and to certain extend ironic suggestions.

[SOO MAAL]

Reality Check of A Propaganda Piece: A Better Memo to Paul Martin

Introduction

 

First of all I hate to hear anybody especially an outsider speaking for any people or any of the states and communities comprising Somaliland without permission. The people in this neck of the woods-all Somaliland have been misrepresented, mishandled, misruled and ill-treated by a succession of bad and inept leaders for about 30 years. Therefore, they are totally adamant about any outsider or outsiders misrepresenting them for the sake of false and cheap propaganda purposes.

 

Great leaders rise and fuel great movements to rid nations from the yolk of tyranny, oppression, subjugation, lack of freedom and bondage.These prophets of change usually come from the woodwork at times of reckoning. They emerge from the wilderness without notice. These great leaders in the past led nations from darkness, oppression, tyranny and into the light of freedom, liberty, democracy and self-determination.

 

They rose up in Vietnam, Algeria, Nicaragua, Iran, Eritrea, South Africa, Singapore, India, the United states. These great men were visionaries who led their nations out of colonialism, tyranny, and bondage. There are others who are agitating and struggling as I speak for their basic inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

 

The people of Somaliland and their leaders are no different. They are struggling to rebuild, and develop their country, protect their sovereignty, freedom, civil rights and human rights. I don't see why the afore-mentioned attributes are offensive to anybody. I wonder how come people taking care of their lives without outside help can bother anybody with his/her right mind.

 

Is this all fuzz the work of the failed guard still creating illusions, lies and wishful thinking. Is this the last throes of the architects of deconstruction and institution implosion, unity busters, societal polarizers masquerading as the bulwarks of Somali-Weyn. Or is this a clumsy tactics created by the vestiges of the doomed past as a false diversion from their failure.

 

I wonder where were the self-styled unionists and the so-called nationalists, when the people of Somaliland were marginalized, humiliated, treated like aliens in their own land and denied equal opportunity and the development of their land. Where were this neo-nationalists when most of the international donor funds were lopsidedly going to the southern part of the country.

 

Where were this selective nationalists, when all the faculties of the Somali national university was just concentrated around Mogadishu and its environs. where were these agitating nationalists, when northern children have to leave behind their families and everything they know and venture into a unknown territory thousands of miles away, simply because to get access to higher education. isn't that called selective activism and advocacy.

 

Who is to blame here. But all this is unnecessary right now, because over 95% of the people of Somaliland decided to go their own away and have their independence and it is nonnegotiable. Somalia's shaky union has naturally dissolved in 1991, at which time Somaliland reclaimed its independence in accordance with the then Organization of African Unity's (OAU) protocols and agreements of "1963".

 

My advise to those who are spewing the last gasps of the failed old guard is, don't waste your precious time with something which is out of your control. The people of this land unanimously said never again and decided, not to put their faith and future in the hands of outsiders as has happened in 1960. That historical mistake of the old generation have been finally rectified.

 

Let me remind you also that you are swimming against the tide. What had happened in the former Somalia is a huge and an irreversible tectonic plates shift. What you see is an unprecedented paradigm shift. These structural changes will take their course.

 

At the end of the day, Those who took control of those seismic movements sweeping through out the Horn of Africa will survive, thrive and succeed. Those who loose control of their destiny will atrophy and fall into decay, disorder and under-development. Clearly the people of Somaliland are the driver's seat of their destiny. IGAD despotic states, who are barely in control of their own internal undercurrents, the inept UN or any other entity has the ability to suppress the destiny of the people of Somaliland.

 

We also hope other Somalis to do the same and take care of their business. Finger pointing, blame game, conspiracy theories and wishful thinking will serve no purpose. It will only increase the level of suspicion and gulf between the two brethren states of Somaliland and Somalia.

 

I am urging Somalis to refrain from their preoccupation with Somaliland and focus their energy on their own regions. The problem plaguing Somalia is not Somaliland, it is bad leadership, lack of compromise, out of control warlords, virulent clannism, intransigence, chronic political gridlock, factionalism, disorder and power struggle.

 

Remember people in this part of the world elect their leaders, they won't cater to self-styled, unscrupulous and shady personalities running on an empty clan platform but lacking the attributes of leadership, management, magnanimity and integrity.

 

The letter titled a better memo to Paul Martin was strongly worded, full of tired expressions and false pretenses. It was full of contradictions, misrepresentations, baseless assertions and misleading dispositions.

 

For example the letter alleged the states of Sool, Sanaag, and Buuhoodle district are against secession. I wonder how come anybody can tell peoples' aspirations with the absence of opinion polls, plebiscite or referendum. In the meantime What has happened here is not secession but reclamation of a lost sovereignty.

 

In response to the writers assertion that all the people of Somaliland are well represented in the collapsing IGAD project, first of all the people of Somaliland elect their leaders, and unelected charlatans and vagabonds from the diaspora can not represent them. Secondly, That formula has serious and insurmountable structural problems and has nothing to do with Somaliland. The government of Somaliland is the only entity that can represent its people.

 

It is completely ironic to see failed leaders who congregated in Embagatti for two years to use the same formula, that was one of the major reasons that failed the former state of Somalia in the first place.

 

The letter is nothing but unfounded happy talk without merit. The argument in that letter should have been, according to the recently held referendum, or opinion polls conducted in those regions, for instance 50% or what ever the result may have been favored this or that policy.

 

I am urging the writers of such baseless and 20Th century argument to come up with some new line of facts, because their trade mark argument is in the past and has no place in the future or the reality on the ground.

 

Meanwhile, these states many happen to talk about every now and then are not monolithic. Most of those states are not exclusive for only one community or tribe. This means nobody has the exclusive monopoly on those states. Like the other states of the country, they are diverse states, where different communities live side by side. To sum it up, the letter was nothing but a false misrepresentation of the people of Somaliland.

 

In the information age sir, nobody can speak for peoples' aspirations and self-determination. It is also totally un-academic, unethical, uncivilized, baseless and utterly irresponsible to predict the aspirations of people, without the the introduction of a some sort of referendum or plebiscite if you will.

 

There is no other instruments to measure peoples' wishes and aspirations without using opinion measuring techniques such as opinion polls, referendums and plebiscites. Therefore, speaking for the above-mentioned great Somaliland states has no merit.

 

Meanwhile, Letter assertions lack any kind of scientific basis which means there is no evidence for the writer's wild and unproven hypothesis.

 

What you see in Somaliland today is supported by the majority of the people of that land. Instead of unleashing defensive wishful thinking, that is not based on any measurable proof, or unprovable theories and postulates, your argument will not have any legs to stand on. That is why nobody in this region will pay any attention at all to such kinds of innuendos and lies.

 

It is very important to have an intellectual discussion as to why so many people, who may otherwise, have been still hopeful of the revival of the unified Somali state, are not currently found in Somaliland. The answer is simple, the former Somalia as you know it is over. No peace and reconciliation in what is left of the former Somalia is not on the horizon.

 

Most of the current players outside Somaliland are an amalgamation of an unelected warlords, clan leaders, recylced failed leaders from the past, community elders, average and above-average honest people, and unscrupulous personalities. But unfortunately with the help of the IGAD states, and their terror tactics, most of the power resides with the warlords.

 

These clan-supremacist as the writer of the afore-said letter is would have been better off, If they send few books to the children of their village or their town. Instead of being stuck with old ideas, theories and realities, they better help the local clinic of their village, pay the school fees of their young relatives and what have you.

 

Empty slogans without action can not do any good to the communities still engulfed by senseless violence, hopelessness and political gridlock. The letter writer needs to give his earnest advise to those who need it the most-the warlords, failed leaders frozen in the past and those who constantly came short to recreate any viable thing out of what is left of the former Somalia.

 

Conclusion

 

Don't be surprised to see a chorus of nations, academics, journalists, human rights advocate and others vocally calling for the recognition of Somaliland, because there is a lot of good things happening there which could not be ignored. So far three elections has been conducted and three community-based universities have been established from scratch in Amoud, Hargeisa and Burao.

 

There are also several functioning community and technical colleges. A functioning and robust K-12 education is available in all the urban centers. Community based agencies such as Awdal Development organization (ADO) for instance, has built and run more than 18 schools from "Eel Shaikh to Lawya-Addo". Most of these schools are in a traditionally under-served rural areas.

 

There are also several Think Thanks, human rights and women's groups around the country. Is everything perfect. No but there is always a room for improvement and growth. There is also a free press though the government every now and then still shows intolerance towards them. This is an area which needs a room for improvement. The business sector is free and somewhat booming. Needless to mention the region is enjoying peace, tranquility and relative progress for the 15 years.

 

I have my own disagreements with Somaliland, recently, for instance when some Hargeisa election candidates lay claim to some parts of the Awdal region. That action triggered a huge uproar in Awdal and beyond. Therefore, I am urging the government, community elders, the religious community and intellectuals to resolve this problem once and for all.

 

Suleiman Egeh

[SOO MAAL]

In Response to Egeh : A New Reagan Democrat for the Cause of Somaliland

- Saturday, November 05, 2005 at 15:22

 

The debate that was initiated by the articles of Gamal Hassan and Ali O. Samatar on WardheerNews.com regarding the “ Memo to Mr. Paul Martin " has provoked a hasty response from a Sulayman Egeh and others. As expected the articles generated discussion on the issue of “Somaliland secession" from supposedly the rest of Somalia. However, distorting facts on the secession agenda, which we have already seen with Egeh's piece, is at best short-sighted and at worst self-serving recommendations and careless argument.

 

Mr. Egeh's piece which was posted on several websites, triggered a conflict between my heart and mind, where my heart told me to leave the man alone. But my mind said "NAY, do not let such an author who propagates fabrications off the hook." For the sake of educational purposes, and to avoid the reoccurrence of such essays in the future, the latter was adopted.

 

As a start Mr.Egeh's confusing writing style does not distinguish negative sentences from the affirmative ones and at times mixing entire negative paragraphs as affirmative ones. Consider for example this paragraph which read like a question but ends up as affirmative joined sentence:

 

“ Where were this selective nationalists, when all the faculties of the Somali national university was just concentrated around Mogadishu and its environs. where were these agitating nationalists, when northern children have to leave behind their families and everything they know and venture into a unknown territory thousands of miles away, simply because to get access to higher education. isn't that called selective activism and advocacyâ€.

 

In terms of content, it seems that he is either lacking the capacity to grasp that politics is the art of the possible based on compromises and consensus or greedily doesn't want to get the problem at hand.

 

His interpretation of “ Somaliland 's†status and its constituents is mind-boggling. For instance, when we want to interpret an issue at hand, three factors should be considered; comprehensiveness, coherence, and context. Therefore, Mr. Egeh's analysis of the matter is contradictory. On the one hand Mr Egah is advocating that ethnocentric “ Somaliland †administration as being the only legitimate authority in all the northern regions. On the other hand, based on his political miscalculations, he thinks that the people of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn have no right to self-determination and decide on their destiny like their counterparts. He is arguing that by any means, they will remain to be an integral part of the so-called “ Somaliland †administration, regardless of how loud they speak time and again about being part of Puntland and their wish to preserve Somali unity. Thus Mr. Egeh's coherence is questionable. At minimum, it is a new form of arrogance emanating from those areas of northern Somalia that have more familiarity with oppression and suppression than any other region.

 

Additionally, the author eluded that 95% of the northerners voted to secede from the Republic; what a propaganda! That made its way out. The number 95% itself invalidates the legitimacy of the outcome. In free societies this kind of percentages are long time obsolete except if one is under authoritarian rule or Marxist states such as the case of North Korea and some Arab states or in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia.

 

I must admit here that I am amused to teach a "researcher," an “instructor†and a self-appointed "freelance writer," (these are qualifications that Mr. Egeh claims on all the pieces that he posts on the Web), a thing or two about sampling. It is probably inevitable that I revisit my past basic statistics courses. Such visits to basics are often necessary when one is calculating percentages, unless one claims such preposterous numbers for the purpose of eluding the public.

 

Let us assume that we are to conduct an election in northern Somalia . The process calls that we set up some polling stations in Hargeisa, and mass-produce ballot papers. When election time comes around, we proceed and let the people vote. Let us assume also that a lot of people show up at the polling stations and vote even in high numbers and the outcome is in favor for secession. Then the big question is; does that voting exercise in Hargeysa has any relevance in the reality of the people who reside in Borame, Buroa, Lascanod, or Las Qoray? Or can we learn anything newsworthy pertaining to northerners' destiny from that exercise? I leave that to you as a reader to figure out.

 

Moreover, the author is conveying implicitly that northern har tis make up less than 5% of the population of the north; again all I will say to that is even an elementary school child will take that as the joke of the day. What is not a joke however is his attempt to jockey what he perceives as the second largest community in the so-called “ Somaliland â€.

 

Like most of his clansmen, Mr. Egeh was a staunch Somali unionist prior to Mr. Rayaale's coming to power in “ Somaliland â€. All of a sudden, he is a new convert to the “ Somaliland †cause and the unknown sent down a revelation to him to abruptly switch his political affiliation. The cause is no longer a mystery to many. As spectators of the here today and there tomorrow of some politically immature groups who are unsure exactly where to affiliate themselves we shall wait until another massive switch takes place.

 

This type of unprincipled behavior can be equated to the phenomenon of "The Reagan Democrats". In principle; Reagan Democrats are nothing more than swing voters or balance twisters. They do not have nor control the agenda setting of the political currents around them. In a similar way, Mr. Egeh and his argument is nothing more than a well organized swingers' argument towards the well established and publicized secession of Northern Somalia, whose origins date back prior to Rayaale's coming to power. If Egeh and his elk fail to face the reality and ask themselves the question of who owns the secession agenda, I would not fail to do so and bluntly say that it is not a har ti agenda. If that prompts this Borama boy to assume that the har ti clans with all their might and massive population in the North are a mere 5%, it must serve us as a laugh factory.

 

With arguments like that the political discourse of “ Somaliland †is running to a dead end. It denies self-determination and self expression to those who disagree with the secessionist agenda of the north while it depicts itself as where law and order are safeguarded. If you are sinking it is hard to swim against the current. Therefore, “Somaliland †cannot have it both ways, and let it be remembered that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. But the har ti is too big and powerful to be silenced or easily pushed aside.

 

Nothing can be further from the truth, you and I being Awdelite and northern har ti respectively, we very much know the reality of each community's strength and weakness. As such, one should not loose a wink of sleep as to who is big or small, putting aside the current craze of Somali debate where one side can claim to be larger than an entire region. Simply call it the signs of the new times.

 

Mr. Egeh, it escapes me as to why you chose to be part of the problem when it is wiser to align one self with the solution. I detest when freedom of expression doesn't reconcile with rationality. Being modest sometimes is a virtue and let us keep the secession debate modest and civil, where no one thinks to posses the power to decide for the other side. Remember we are a nation of clans, and what unites us is not Britain's arbitrary line of demarcation of "Somaliland Protectorate" borders from that of Italian Somalia, but is our shared ethnicity, heritage, and nationhood, which your entire line of thought is against.

 

Ali M. Artan

[SOO MAAL]

thanks maakhir

[Taleexi]

This thread is reaching its summit, and before I delve into about what I am tempting to add to the discussion. I prefer posing a question to all of us from the outset since some of us left the kettle over the flame little too long.

 

Are we all free from being a hostage of some sort of syndrome?. I am saying that because after reading some posts I realized how eminent that some of us ought to visit one of the local urgent care centers. Some of us need clarity because of confusion; others need natural treatment from brain chemical imbalances.

 

In any event, much has been said about Somaliland, as evident there are supporters and opponents(in which I am one of them), since this is a big divide of opinion we should decompose the problem pertaining Somaliland status into components, and address them accordingly. for instance, secessionists' component, unionists' component, SNMist component and zetra.

 

I am anticipating, after analyzing these components separately on each in my subsequent posts, to develop methodologies so then we can have a say on each.

 

It is apparent the secession idea is not sexy anymore, but some zealots still stick to it,

does that blind support have any implicit detrimental effect on the cause?. one question per post.

 

Toohe Jr.

[Suldaanka]

^^ Welcome on board my friend

Your first post and you are already firing some bullets in the air.

 

Is Somaliland a secessionist state or is it a country restoring its sovereignty? That's the very first question for one to tackle when it comes to addressing Somaliland's bid for independence independence.

 

Considering the historic aspects of being a formerly independent state which was recognised by a number of prominent countries before it "willingly" (borrowed that term again) united with Somalia(proper) on 01/07/1960.

 

And after the failure of the "union" and the total collapse of the nation that once existed between the years 1960-1991, Somaliland declared to "restore" its lost sovereignty again "willingly".

 

Within that backdrop, Somaliland and its supporters (Somali or otherwise) believe Somaliland is not a region seceding from its mother country, rather its a country restoring its independence over its old internationally recognised border.