Sanaag Predicament...

[Suldaanka]

^^Biliteral relations between Somaliland and Ethiopia is something of great importance to both sides.

 

But when it comes to Somaliland's internal affairs, there is no role open for Ethiopia to play. The best Ethiopia can do in this issue is to play the role of an external mediator.

[NASSIR]

Originally posted by ThePoint:

^Caamir - If that is the case - why are SL govt delegations received and welcomed over there? Doesn't that send a mixed signal? Or are those reports all false? To my knowledge - there are people who claim to represent Sanaag in Hargeisa. Doesn't that also add to the confusion?

The point, you have one-sided info of the story, gleaned from sources loyal to the secessionists. No, Dhahar residents did not welcome or received delegates from Hargeisa but was caught on a cross fire because the Hargeisa group attempted to impose itself on the city through forceful means. My sources tell me that they remained on the west side of the city and remained there in anticipation of armed conflict with Puntland. The first conflict, they were forced to retreat , but this time they managed to be stationed on the outskirt of the city, as I said, in anticipation of another conflict.

 

It does not appeal to the common sense that officials representing clan fiefdom will be received well in times of crisis. Don't you think that innocent residents are apprehensive of what is to come? Not only are you denying the fact on the ground, but you are suppressing the political views and standpoint of the Dhahar people.

[NASSIR]

Verification of what I said.

 

Wasiirku wuxuu sheegay in ciidamada Puntland ay laba Jiho oo dhinaca Boosaaso ah ka soo weerareen galabta 4-tii ciidamada Somaliland ee duleedka Dhahar ku sugan

BBC

[ElPunto]

Adeer - relax. I'm just presenting what I have gleaned from the web. It may be wrong. If the ppl of Sanaag are overwhelmingly for PL - why do continuing skirmishes? Is it that SL will not 'give' them up? Simple as that? Also, how do you explain the Sanaag representatives in Hargeisa - are they to be dismissed?

[NASSIR]

Communique released by Sultans, Garads and elders of Sanaag people.

 

Isimada Puntland qeyb ka mid ah oo ka hadlay xaalada colaadeed ee ka soo cusboonaaday Dhahar

 

Qaar kamid ah isimada dawlad goboleedka Puntland ayaa galabta beyaan ka soo saaray magaalada Boosaaso beyaankaas oo ku saabsan colaadda ka soo cusboonaatay gobolka Sanaag gaar ahaan degmada Dhahar.

 

Beyaankan oo ay isimadu ugu tala galeen saxaafadda madax bannaan ayaa ayaa sidoo kale ku socdo madaxweynaha Puntland, dadweynaha reer Puntland iyadoo sidoo kale la ogeysiisey dawladda federaalka Soomaaliya.

 

Isimamadu waxay beyaankooda sheegeen gardarrada qaawan ee ay maamulka Somaliland ku soo qaadeen gobolka Sanaag, waxanay soo saareen qododbadan hoos ku qoran:

 

Weerarka qaawan ee maamulka la baxay Somaliland uu ku soo qaaday gobolak Sanaag iyo joogistooda degmada Dhahar in uu yahay gardarro aan marnaba loo dulqaadan karin.

 

 

Inuu gobolka Sanaag si aan mugdi ku jirin uga mid yahay dawlad goboleedka Puntland, sidaas darteedna Puntland uu waajibkeedu yahay difaaca xuduudka dhulkeeda.

 

 

Midnimada Puntland iyo xaqiijinta nabadgelyadu waa muqaddas.

 

 

Cadowga dalka ku soo duuley in xoog lagaga saaro, wax kalena aan lagu labayn karin.

 

 

Wixii khasaare ka yimaadda dad iyo maal waxaa si aan muran lahayn mas’uul uga noqon doona nimanka dalkayaga ku soo duuley.

 

 

Ugu dambayn waxay isimadu maamulka la baxay Somaliland ugu baaqayaan in aanu caadaysan kana waantoobo isku daadinta dhiigga dadka walaalaha ah ee deriska ah, sidoo kale, in laga waantoobo siyaasad xumada ku wajahan marin habaabinta dadweynaha reer Somaliland ee u baahan nabad iyo nolol.

 

 

Beyaankaan waxaa ku saxiixan isimada kala ah:

 

 

Garaad Cabdullaahi Cali Ciid

 

 

Suldaan Ciise Xasan Cumar

 

 

Suldaan Bashiir Muuse Koonte

 

 

Suldaan Siciid Guuleed

 

 

Islaan Maxamuud Yaasiin Warsame.

 

 

Maxamuud Faarax Bile

 

 

 

Source

[NASSIR]

The Point, Records tell us that these representives weild no authority and their claims thereof is by default to the eyes of Sanaag people. None of them has ever visited the countries which they claim to represent, so their representation is severely limited and continue on a very restricted domain of influence. To the Sanaag people, they are the black sheep of the society. The only credit I reserve for them is that they haven't posed immediate challenges that threaten the lives of their people like this one, so do your home work, make a diagnosis and recommend solutions in a way that is consistent with the fact on the gruond.

[ElPunto]

^Ok adeer - my questions are not meant to be adversarial. I just asked for some clarity on the politics in the region. I don't have a clear picture. I perceived some indecisivness. I'm not the only one. This is me doing my homework - asking for input from those from the region.

 

BTW - what solutions do you recommend? How do you stop the repeated skirmishes if the Sanaag folks are firmly in the PL camp?

[Laba-X]

^I would like to get a sense of what Solers from the region want. It seems that Sanaag especially risks becoming a much abused football between SL and PL. Why don't the inhabitants decide which 'team' they want to 'join' or decide they want to go their separate way? It seems to me that the indecisiveness or lack of clarity from the inhabitants prolongs the tension and puts them at peril. Am I being overly harsh here or just plain wrong? I don't know.

ThePoint , if everybody is now laying claims to territorial boundaries, then by all means I would want my very own Sanaagland too! So Somaliland and Puntland can take their baalxoofto elsewhere. I would be willing to invite Sool brethren too if they are willing to join, though they are capable to maintaining their own. But you see, therein lies the rub. This is what I want as an individual , and what I want as an individual cannot be used as a method to determine the wants and wishes of all Sanaagians. It is this difference of opinions that distinguishes individuals – and of course at times ruins them; case in point Sanaag. There is also a clear case of bribery from both these adminstration, further dividing the inhabitants and leading it to be much like an abused football.

 

Lets be honest with one another here, both the administrations of Somaliland and Puntland have one clear goal in mind, and accomplish it they will by any means – to gain control of Sanaag and Sool. The people of these regions are of least importance to both of them and insignificant are the numbers of the deceased with the intensifying skirmishes. Both these administrations are exercising what the Oodweyne Abwaan Axmad Daahir once described as,

 

Falaadh baan circa u diray

nimey durina yeelkii

walle kuuma duurxulo

kaama dhawro dakharkana

 

…that’s is as long as they get what they want. It is clearly a case of politics and not in interest, even slightly, to the people of Sanaag and Sool.

 

Hadii ay awood iyo raganimo sheeganayaan, and if they want sanaag this much then I suggest they take their war to Xadeed plains in Sanaag. For this is where no tree is in sight for miles and miles and a direct combat – manly one at that – can be fought with a clear distinction between the winner and the looser; where the oppressive sun’s heat just breathes hot fumes down your throat, scalding its walls; where not even a shrub is a available to hide behind in; where a fleeing coward can be spotted easily and guillotined at a later stage; where a reward for valour will be greatly pleasant and that for cowardice greatly unbearable.

 

Walle Xadeed nimey kaadi ku qabatey kelyuhu xanuunaan!

 

 

As for Sanaagians,

 

Hadde mar haddi dubbiyo waran

duunkayga lala dhacay

yaa dabarka igu xiray?

 

 

As for Ethiopia, i doubt that it will be involved - it has to preserve its ties with both Somaliland and Puntland in order not to loose any favours from both sides. It will lay back and watch it from its vantage point for quite a while. It is also important to remember that Ethiopia is in much need of the support of both Somaliland and Puntland in order for it to flourish both economically and execrise its surreptitious war.

[Paragon]

^^Well said, Laba Xiniinyood. We've always be of similar opinion on many things and on this particular issue, we share the same opinions. Illaa uu ninka ragga yiraahdo, what is mine is mine and mind his own affairs personally, nothing would improve. Waxa markii horeba Boosaaso iyo Hargeysa geeyey reer Sanaag oo iayagoo soo indha cad taladooda ugu dhiibteen ayaaba la yaab leh.

 

Whatever the case, since today's so-called government of Somalia is a federal government, this permits all regions the right to self-organization and representation. Thus, it is a great a deal to think along the lines of setting up an administration independent from Puntland and Somaliland.

[Allamagan]

As Somalia is caught in the crossfire of Ehiopia and Eritrea so as to Reer Sanaag & reer Sool are unfortunaly caught in crossfire over on-and-off battle between PL & SL. Each time it is the locals who suffer the most heaviest casualties.

[Paragon]

Originally posted by Allamagan:

As Somalia is caught in the crossfire of Ehiopia and Eritrea so as to Reer Sanaag & reer Sool are unfortunaly caught in crossfire over on-and-off battle between PL & SL. Each time it is the locals who suffer the most heaviest casualties.

Allamagan, yes, that is all we are looking at. Nothing more.

[ElPunto]

^LX - Interesting arguments. I think it is less about grabbing territory per se than the political wieght that is implied therein. I think whether Sanaagians join SL or PL - their own territories will be subject to self-rule as districts within the larger entity.

 

For a Somaliland seeking independance - all territories contingous to the old British Somaliland need to be in the fold for the needed recognition. For them - I think it is a matter of clear imperative to establish control here ASAP paricularly if the TFG experiment in the south starts to work. For PL - having Sanaag and Sool in the fold is about having the necessary political heft in a future federal Somalia. A PL with Sanaag and Sool will be better able to project itself on the national scene particularly as compared to populous areas like Banadir or Bay if a federal state becomes a reality.

 

I would like to ask you and Paragon this:

 

Do most Sanaagians want to be part of a larger Somali state?

 

I understand where you guys stand personally - but what is your best sense of where most Sanaagians stand? Is it a 50/50 split?

[Xudeedi]

Paragon and LX, you two are really speaking like a person with no scant knowledge of the reality in Sanaag. Both entities are too powerless to even drift one mile into the heart of Sanaag or border. Sanaagians believe in firmly Somalinimo. I remember a blog that I read past two years . The blogger was a girl from the states. She took a trip to Bosaso(partially reer Sanag home) and Badhan. In her memoir, the people do not believe in Seperatism or governments that only exist by default. They believe in Somalinimo and wave the Somali flag in every one of their houses and business stalls and If you raise the point of Land Land to them they will indeed laugh at you.

 

 

What is the political and economic influence of the two entities in the region.

 

Let me target the Sanaag issue.

 

Since the U.N has unfairly lumped the region with Somaliland mainly for the port of Berbera as an entry point, Sanaag inhabitants should establish accessible rights with the Somaliland adminstration to earn its allocated share of aid. It is not within the purview of Bosaso port in terms of the different categories of aid like medical supplies, developmental projects, food etc, hence Sanaag being responsible for the procurement of materials and supplies.

 

Somaliland as well has welcomed with open hands the former government military and police personnel of Sanaagians who returned to their homesteads and gave them modern military vehicles and cash funds that would allow them conscript local troops and pay their salary. These are things that are very hard to ignore given the political maturity of Somaliland over Puntland. One is being fair with its sources of revenue(Ports, airports and international aid) that it inherited luckily from the collapse of the past regime while one has been very reluctant to form or support local troops, yet Puntland operated in the region at minimum capacity. It never had any interest in the region until the Majihan incident, which was a total debacle. Despite the minimal services and total isolation it created, it(PL) has been engaging in dangerous politics by bribing lackely officials to forestall and prevent any person or people that have to do with Somaliland even if the targeted group is delivering something that is very valuable to the community. How can the community get the support that is immensely needed to improve the capability and capacity of civic structures and institutions for self-governance? Furthermore, how can Sanaag receive their aid without which no meaningful collaboration with interested international partners could take place towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction of essential socio-economic services but the only access to the international partners is through Berbera port? Zero!! Realistically, this is what the Sanaag community recognized long time ago, yet a different purported scene in PL is that you are either with your kinsmen and be isolated, divided, and your rights claimed or else, we will army with all our might lackey PL officials from the region. That is the sensitivity of the nature of risk PL poses to the region.

 

If the effort to create a new state requires an infrastructure, then I should let Puntland do what it can do to help the region. But if it doesn't want to help and can not allow groups loyal the seperatist state come in and deliver much needed services, that is a malevolent agenda. Every act is done by individuals from the region with diffrent uniforms. The sources of revenue I mentioned is the tool with which to manipulate their politics as Laba Xininyod reflected on his opinion.

 

Brothers, both entities take all the credit for themselves, but it has been SL that has been propitious to the community and I don't see any problem in establishing rapport with that entity as long as they are delivering to us what the International world has allocated to the region. If not, there has to be some way to obtain the support needed from the United Nations and not for prifit organizations independently, in addition to stability. Sanaag can still maintain its pro-union agenda. It does not matter. The world knows only one Somalia.

[Xudeedi]

Falaadh baan circa u diray

nimey durina yeelkii

walle kuuma duurxulo

kaama dhawro dakharkana

 

These lines exactly capture the reality.

[Xudeedi]

"A PL with Sanaag and Sool will be better able to project itself on the national scene particularly as compared to populous areas like Banadir or Bay "

 

 

A clearly biased statement. Sanaag alone is as populous as Bay.