Hope In the Horn of Africa

[Gabbal]

Gediid point well taken brotha, but i want to restress what I wrote earlier.

 

What hope in the Horn of Africa did the article you brought talk about? Instead of writing about real hope, this article was a politically motivated peice that basically layed waste to the Somali people that live in that part of Somalia.

[AYOUB]

Hornafrique these are the points that gave me hope:

 

'...... country that has pulled itself by its bootstraps'.

 

'Somaliland is growing despite of international community not because of it'

 

'Last week they PEACEFULLY returned Kahin by a mere 80 votes'

 

i'm just looking forward to the day i visit my motherland and taste that fresh lobster insha Allah .

[Gabbal]

Well I hope you enjoy that lobster.

[AYOUB]

thanks HornAfrique, i'll take that with a pinch of salt

 

regarding your article it said 'The International Labour Organisation has launched a prototype community project....'

note it's the ILO that launched the project that you seem to be so proud of. bro you are very suspicious of some foreigners (no prize for guessing who ) and so welcoming to others. we are Muslims and Somalis and we know who our enemies are and some of us know how to deal with them. flag waving and finger pointing is not the answer.

in case you thought the ILO are the good foreigers, your article ends with '....intergrated approach to addressing people's needs, gender and adherence to ILO decent work principals'

what do they mean gender?

what do they mean principals?

what do they mean adherence?

[Gabbal]

Salaamz

 

Ayoub, since we are so observant, let me clarify that a gaal who wants to help you is better then a gaal who wants to divide and destroy you and your religion.

 

Nabi Maxamed said that a pagan woman, a prostitue went to heaven because she gave water to a dying dog.

 

If your questions were for constructive reasons then I welcome them, but if there are hidden meanings and conniving intentions, then it is said that, that is the work of Shaytaan. Acuudu bilaah.

 

You said

your article ends with '....intergrated approach to addressing people's needs,

gender

and adherence to ILO decent work principals'

I think our Muslim sisters in this great forum would agree that there is discrimination against the female gender across countless cultures, including ours. If the entirety of our culture was based on the islamic religion, then there wouldn't be discrimination against females and that article would not have said "intergrated approach to addressing [the]...gender [problem].

 

The other part about addressing people's needs; obviously you don't need to ask me that question. People in muqdisho need something to keep them busy and this is a great oppurtunity for them to turn away from the violence that has plagued our beloved country for so long.

 

Any sensible Somali, who uses half the brain that Allah gave him/her wouldn't question the motive of the ILO.

 

Secondly the article is not the spokesperson for the ILO, and I am not the spokesman for the article and it's journalist. It was because of the agenda of the community project that I posted that article, not because I care about who the journalist is.

 

Allah-Mahadleh

[AYOUB]

HornAfrique you must be some kind of wind-up merchant!. Brother Geedid's piece had some positive points, which were a credit to Somalilanders Alxamdu lillah.

 

you claimed your article had 'hope, dignity....' . is there any dignity in ILO launching a project to '....to remove sand and garbage from streets of Mogadisho'? . is see it as an insult. given a chance, i'm sure the residents of that city can do that and more without help from ILO and it's baggage.

 

i noticed that you expect ILO (the helpful gaals) not only to clean up the mess but also to help you end the 'discrimination against females' How? By adherering to ILO principals?. if you do that i suggest you start giving water to every dying dog you come across.

 

HornAfrique it's time you ease up on this paranoia and obsession over a non-existant 'empire'. i see them as weak, poor and ever-starving people who depend on us for their survival. If they were an empire, they would not be a land-locked country relying on somaliland. i'm sure their leaders would be thrilled if they ever read their quotes that you keep repeating on this forum. enemies of Somali people come in every shape, form, size and colour, not just this long dead empire of which 50% of it's people are Muslims. we have to deal with our foes in a smart way, not using 1970's rhetoric.

 

finally, if the article is not from ILO and you seem to distant yourself from it, why does it give so much hope, dignity and bla bla b......

[Waaq]

I have to agree, HornAfrique it is time you gave up this nonesense. the "hope" is a peaceful transition of power. Silaayno did a noble thing, and a rare thing in Africa he accepted the results of the election. That is hopeful. I for one pray to Allah that Somaliland gains recognition in due time. Though I am not as diehard as others on this forum.

 

Somalia does not need to be one nation-state in order for Somalis to act with unity.

 

No doubt Ethiopia has played a large hand in Somali internal politics, as it definitely serves their interests. However, if I understand your logic, Somalis will unite if faced with a more sinister enemy than themselves. What will this unity bring, another war! Hasn't there been enough violence in this part of the world to last a thousand years. Please aboowe!

 

Plus you are missing some key points from your theories on Ethiopia.

 

1) It is a majority muslim country.

2) Somalis are becoming a large economic power within Ethiopia.

3) Peaceful cooperation is better for everyone then the antagonism that has characterized this relationship in the past.

 

No doubt, Ethiopia had definite imperial ambitions. Maybe they still exist. But this is only allowed because as muslims we are divided, the umma is weak. We lack the vision and leadership to demand our rights. These are the real enemies.

 

I suggest to you, that the economic ties being fostered between Somaliland and Ethiopia will be far more powerful than any army.

 

Somali identity it won't get washed away so easily. Just ask the Arabs!

[codetalker]

Gimme a break!

 

I bet the journalist got paid to write that crap by the so-called Somaliland Diaspora movement...Much like the episode on the BBC whereby they showed a street light in downtown Hargaisa! ...ooh a street light..!!! ...scary!

 

Wake up n smell tha coffee..its gettin late..

[Gabbal]

Ayoub_Sheikh brother you seem to me like a person who doesn't pay much attention to Somali current events.

 

HornAfrique it's time you ease up on this paranoia and obsession over a non-existant 'empire'. i see them as week, poor and ever-starving people who depend on us for their survival. If they were an empire, they would not be a land-locked country relying on somaliland. i'm sure their leaders would be thrilled if they ever read their quotes that you keep repeating on this forum. enemies of Somali people come in every shape, form, size and colour, not just this long dead empire of which 50% of it's people are Muslims. we have to deal with our foes in a smart way, not using 1970's rhetoric.

To have an enemy is believable, but to be blind to that enemy is unbelievable.

 

I would recommend you read a book called Oromia and Ethiopia, State Formation and Ethnonational Conflict, 1868-1996 by Asafa Jalata.

 

The Muslims of Ethiopia are not my problem, and Islam in Ethiopia is purely spiritual and it does not have any power. My enemy is , and I have constantly said, the Habasho gaals that have always ruled the Ethiopian Empire.

 

....to remove sand and garbage from streets of Mogadisho'? . is see it as an insult.

Pride is a sin, even though your supposed pride is a farce. You are trying to make the people of this forum to see you as a person who feels insulted by being helped to clean up the garbage of the Somali capital of Muqdisho. I don't feel any insult by what the ILO is doing. I actually feel happy that our people are getting a chance to break the cycle of violence in our motherland, and if that is done by a small thing such as this, then hey go ahead you have my full backing.

 

you claimed your article had 'hope, dignity....' . is there any dignity in ILO launching a project to

Yes, there is, because it shows the international community is launching projects that are not politically motivated, but is for the people by the people. Hope, because the international community is focusing back on us, and dignity, because by doing something that doesn't involve violence for once, we're regaining the respect we lost by killing each other.

 

No doubt, Ethiopia had

definite imperial ambitions

. Maybe they still

exist

. But this is only allowed because as muslims we are

divided

, the umma is weak.

Maybe you should listen to more of what you write Waaq.

 

For more info, please go here and read it from an experienced person.

 

HORN OF AFRICA'S PROBLEM IS THE LEGACY OF THE ABYSINIAN EMPIRE

[Matkey]

Aslaam alaukum my bros/sists

 

I have tried to refrain from partaking in this discussion when I read the initial point of the arguments. However, after I read Waaq’s comment, I have decided to add my views to the discussion.

 

 

Originally posted by Waaq:

No doubt, Ethiopia had definite imperial ambitions. Maybe they still exist. But this is only allowed because as muslims we are divided, the umma is weak. We lack the vision and leadership to demand our rights. These are the real enemies.

I must agree with Waaq on this point. Undoubtedly, there are external forces (Ethiopia, Jew, and US) that hinder the process to successful Somali state. There is no symmetrical relationship between countries. If there was, there would not have been too many inter-state or intra-state conflict. One must be the dominant in order to get the bigger piece of the pie. I believe most of you aware that this is how the world system works. Ethiopia sees Somalia as a future threat to its existence. Thus, it must make sure that Somalia’s state of anarchy continues, in order Ethiopia to preserve its existence. And I am sure that there are some other motives for Ethiopia’s interference in Somali politics.

 

Going back to the Waaq’s point, what we should be focusing on is our internal conflict. The truth of the matter is that our political stagnation should be blamed on Somalia. How long are we going to blame the West, Ethiopia, and Jews for our shortcoming? Yes there will always be outside influences--- which persistently continue degenerate political and social conditions. Clearly, we are letting this happen by not dealing with the real issue---our tribal conflict.

 

Allah (SW) told us in His Book that the Gaal is our enemy. Therefore, what they (Ethiopia, Jews and US) are doing to Somalia and other muslim countries are expected, accordingly. The victory comes from within | Blaming other for our current conditions will only divert us from discussing our mistake and hence hinder any dialogue.

 

these are my views. I am sure i didn't use an explanatory statement as most of you did. please forgive me for that.

 

wa alykum aslaam

[Waaq]

HornAfrique

 

I am well aware of the situation in Ethiopia and its history. Nor was I proposing to leave the Somalis of the Ogaden to there own devices. What I am arguing is that nothing can be accomplished in this region without first fighting the war within, as Matkey put it. I also argue that there are already mechanisms in place to fight the battle for sovereignty that you mention. For example, for the first time in a long time Somali language broadcasts are allowed in Ethiopia. I do not know the case of the schools, but the dominance of Amharic is being challenged. My main concerns for the Somali people in Ethiopia is not the question of which state they should belong, but rather their ability to maintain their Somali identity. I still believe you are focused on the wrong problem. The game of blame is essentially the desire to not take any responsibilty for one's actions. If this is the game you choose to play then so be it, but it is not the right game for a proud and strong people. We need to accept responsibility for our mistakes and work to fix them. We need get over our differences. Once this is done, than perhaps the "threats" you speak of can be tackled. However, I hope they will be tackled in ways much different from the past. The concept of a "Greater Somalia" has been a failure. It is time to discard the concept and start anew, with a new vision for Somali unity. A new vision to safeguard the rights of Somalis where ever they may be.

 

Perhaps you have that vision for Somalia, HornAfrique, but I haven't heard it.

[Gabbal]

Waaq you seem like a whole different person to me than your first post. You're intelligent, but you still see things different then I, so maybe I should explain myself so we can come to an understanding.

 

This is past blame and this is for our very survival. A bigger and a more powerful neighbor wants to destroy you and take over your household. While we are staking claim to all Somali lands (to which we rightfully have claim to), the ambitions of Ethiopia have always been and will always be centered on the dominance of the Habesh people in the horn of africa and on those who reside there.

 

While Amharic hegemony has come to an end, the Tigray is just starting. And these two are related because they are both Habeshes! One Habesh is not better than another Habesh!

 

As my first article starts out with:

The history of East Africa is a witness to religious transgressions by the Christian Ethiopians against the Muslim Somalis who seem to inherit these transgressions with every new generation.

Do you think that, that transgression would simply stop if we were to relinguish our claims to our lands?

 

As Emperor Haile Sellassie himself made his formal claim to our nation/state in his speech at Gabredare in the Ogaden on August 25, l956:

"The people of ex-Italian, British, French Somaliland are to achieve independence in the near future. We are confident that they will also remember that unity is strength, even as the Eritreans recognized that unity is strength. Not only they, but the whole world will recognize that we are united by race, color, economics, and that we all drink from the same great river. . .As to the rumors of a greater Somalia, we consider that all the Somali peoples are economically linked with all Ethiopia and, therefore, we do not believe that such a State can be viable standing alone separated from Ethiopia. We will speak of this more fully when the proper time comes.

So if some sort of illusion has not been cast over you eyes Waaq, I don't have anything to say but that you don't have the interest of the Somali nation at heart.

 

Habesh hegemony would not be a threat to us if we were a united people who had the interest of the whole Somali people at heart, whether they come from our region or not.

 

The reason I keep talking about Ethiopia is because logic tells us that it is better to know who your enemy is than to be blind to that enemy.

[AYOUB]

Hornafrique, let me start by congratulating you for being the person I have seen who quotes him/herself. As far as you are concerned, everyone who disagrees with you does not understand. The only thing your article inform us is 'the empire' is an enemy, even a 6 year old kid in Burco knows this is not 'breaking news', so please spare us part 6, 7 8 9...of this recycled theories.

 

The way you ignore the reality and repeatedly quote 'the emperor' makes you sound like the empire's Minister of Information. The claim by the author of one of your articles that we were once enslaved by the 'empire' is an outrageous lie and i find it hilarious that you believe that Ethiopian house-maids in Somalia are dangerous. I think its time you seek help.

 

Let me try to give you a dose of reality. Some people in the 'empire' believe 'the Somalis are comming' and are doing everything possible to prevent it. After all EPLF would never have gained independence for Eritrea without help from Somalis. The current leader's TPLF gained power through years of help from Somalis. This new 'emperor' is a despot in a rulling minority who understands this and is doing his best not to let history repeat itself.

 

The so called 'emperor' is one of many enemies, but he is not what I call the 'the problem'. We have to look closer than that to find 'the problem'. The 'empire' is one of many enemies exploiting the 'the problem'. Instead of shouting 'evil empire!' from rooftops, i suggest you come down and try to solve the problem.

 

This 'problem' has made us weak and killed more Somalis than the 'empire' has in 500 years. The 'empire' bombed Hargeisa for more than a decade with little damage, 'the problem' ruined it in weeks. Mengistu and Selassie fought against EPLF in and around Asmara and Masawa but they never destroyed these cities. TPLF took Addis after over 20 years of fighting, the next day people went back to their offices. The 'problem' is still killing, looting and raping 13 years after Siad.

 

Major part of the 'problem' is the bunch of thugs meeting in Kenya(the nearest safe place) to decide who will be the leader of Somalia. What sort of future does the a government formed by the heads of the 'problem' have?

 

As someone loyal to Somalilland (which is doing a good job of dealing with its problems and enemies) I'll leave it to the masses living in Somalia to decide what the solution is, the sooner the better. The've got my support and prayers.

 

Hornafrique, the so called 'empire' is a rulling minority without the help of Cuban or USSR troops doing what an enemy is supposed to do. You are like a woman who wants to fight her neighbour because she is ruining her marriage, my message to you is its between you and your husband. So please stop moaning and whining.

 

PEACE

[Gabbal]

Walee masaakiin baa tahay. It is sad to be blind when you can see, then you try to personally attack me? What I said to Waaq was he didn't understand where I was coming from so maybe I should explain myself so we can come to an understanding. I used to think that the seccession of "Somaliland" from the Somali Republic was debatable, but I have always held the notion that every Somali knew that Ethiopia was an enemy of our people, no matter what frontier in the horn they lived in. I guess I was wrong.

 

The only thing your article inform us is 'the empire' is an enemy, even a 6 year old kid in Burco knows this is not 'breaking news'

So what is so hard to understand Ayoub_Shiekh? Are you using the saying of my enemy's enemy is my friend, because that is really going to far. Are you saying that Ethiopia is not a enemy to the Somali nation, because it supports "Somaliland's" recognition? Meaning you are turning the other cheek to the horrors it commits in Gedo, Somali Galbeed, and elsewhere, because it supports your dreams brother?

Sorry to be your bubble buster, but Ethiopia has no intention of letting any Somali in the horn have some rest. (look for the bold in the article )

 

A marriage is between a man and a wife; while the Somali people's problems involve 8 (G8) powerful warlords just in the capital, 7 million people, 5 different regions each with a different border, 4 feuding clans either with themselves or with others, 3 very ambitious neighbors, 2 "united" former colonies, and 1 anarchic state. How is it possible to compare that with a marriage.

 

Since i'm shouting evil from the rooftops, I have a person who shouted evil from inside of the house.

 

code:

---

Ethiopia’s betrayal and

hidden agendas towards Somalia:

By Dr. Abdi Aden Mohamed

 

In early 1992, Meles Zenawi and his Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) came up with the idea of paying back Somalia. The TPLF government noted that Somalia provided to it millions of dollars during its long struggle against the regime of Mingistu Hailemarium and openly admitted that for over fifteen years it used to purchase arms in the official documents of Somalia’s defence ministry. It continued to say that most of its Executive committee members, including Meles have been provided with Somali Diplomatic passports that they used to travel a round the World as well as with special luxurious villas in Mogadishu and Meles used to stay in a villa just behind Towfiiq Hotel. Because of all the above cited, TPLF said that its intended to pay back Somalia by helping them to reconcile and thus create a government of national unity in Somalia, however, later on it become clear that such intentions weren’t true at all.

 

As the deputy minister of health of Ethiopia, I led a nine member Ethiopian delegation and participated in the first International meeting on Peace, and Rehabilitation of Somalia that has been organized by the United Nations in October 1992, in Geneva, Switzerland. Our main mission was to lobby for the continuation of successive meetings on Somalia to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Most of the countries that were represented in the conference voted in favour of our proposal on the second day of the meeting and that was a big achievement for Meles and his Foreign minister, both of whom warmly congratulated us on the successful mission while we were still in Geneva.

 

The first Meeting on Peace, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation of Somalia was organized by the UN in Addis Ababa on January 03-05, 1993. Besides the UN and Ethiopia, delegations from the Western nations, Africa, Arab countries and others participated actively in the first three meetings that were held in Addis Ababa in 1993 and I was the Deputy-Chief Delegate of the Ethiopian delegation to those meetings. The leaders of Somalia’s warring factions met face to face for the first time but nothing tangible come out of that first meeting. Several member of our delegation met with the warlords and their delegations at the Ghion hotel before they left and told them to include in their next delegations representatives of their communities, like elders, women’s groups, doctors and other with the intentions that the Somalis might interact more among themselves and the next meeting might be more productive, however, the foreign Minister was upset by our move and ordered us not to take further actions in the future without his consent and knowledge.

 

The second meeting was on 11-13 March 1993 and it started in more optimistic atmosphere since the warlords were shaking hands without our interventions and more than one thousand Somalis participated. However, I noticed policy changes in the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, which started to favour some of the warlords. The Ethiopian delegation was instructed for the first time to keep in mind Ethiopia’s interests as a priority during these meetings and the whole attitudes of the Ethiopian government changed to the opposite of its originally declared policies. Again, the foreign minister through the instructions of Meles informed our delegation that some of the warlords were hostile to Ethiopia while others were friendlier and hence the latter should be put in power in Somalia. At the same time the foreign ministry started to provide secretly large amounts of money to the pro-Ethiopian warlords so that they will not sign to the agreements at all unless it was in our interests and later on, the Minister of defence was order similarly to supply arms to the friendlier warlords. It was of utmost importance in keeping these manoeuvres secretly from the other Somali warlords, the UN and other international delegates, particularly those from the Western Nations and their Embassies in Addis Ababa.

 

At this point in time, I complained to Meles about our policy changes, but he told me that we will support the pro-Ethiopia warlords. Now, I came to realize the motives of why Ethiopia wanted in the first place the meetings to be held in Addis Ababa, which were to road block in the reconciliation of the warring factions and thus prevent the creation of a national government of unity in Somalia. The meeting in March ended with the Somali warring factions more divided than ever and the delegates headed home once more empty handed. Within a month the pro-Ethiopian warlords were invited back to Addis Ababa and as guests of the foreign ministry stayed in lavish hotels with all services available and more secret meetings were planned. I wasn’t invited to these secret meetings, but was still able to get information through some of the members of our delegation who weren’t TPLF.

 

The 3rd meeting was held in Addis Ababa on November 29-December 03, 1993. Meles refused my request to be excluded from the Ethiopian delegation saying that such a move will cause suspicions to the Somali factions. They knew my stand and excluded me from the briefings of our delegation with Meles as they continued to plan for the failure of the meeting. Again, the third meeting concluded in absolute chaos and with the Somali warring factions much further and further apart than they were in their first meeting of January 1993, but for the Ethiopian regime it ended with success in accordance to its hidden plans towards the peace process, reconciliation and rehabilitation of Somalia. Also it should be absolutely and without any doubt understood that Ethiopia wasn’t or isn’t opposing only to the creation of a national government in Somalia but does so against any Somali region that was or is peaceful and stable in line with its policy of divide and rule the Somalis and Somalia.

 

To that effect, towards the end of 1993, The Ethiopian regime become anxious about the peace, stability and unity of the Somalis in the self-declared republic of Somaliland and thus started planning for possible actions in order to alleviate its concerns. The Ethiopian government invited a group of politicians from some of the clans in Somaliland to Addis Ababa and successfully kept this event as secretly as possible. Abdulmajid Hussein Bare, who was the external economic cooperation minister of Ethiopia was appointed to be fully responsible for that secret operation, where he prepared all the necessary arrangements. For over a month the group met secretly at his residence and several times with Meles and his foreign minister at their residences and finally, the group unilaterally declared that they were against the succession of Somaliland and joined the warring factions in Mogadishu. It must be noted and clearly understand that at this point in time, Ethiopia wasn’t advocating at all for the unity of Somalia, but was rather concerned with the peace, unity and stability of Somaliland and was simply trying to weaken it. Those manoeuvres have led to the outbreak of the terrible civil war in Somaliland during 1994-1995, and the group hasn’t been allowed to return home since than and are an opposition to it. Again, look at what Ethiopia is currently doing to the Somalis in Puntland, a region that has been successfully peaceful and stable for the last decade!

 

The foreign ministry used to provide secretly money to the pro-Ethiopian Somali warlords mostly just the night before the reconciliation agreement signing day in Addis Ababa, and I am convinced that had the meetings were held in any other East African country or elsewhere in the World, Somalis would have reconciled and a viable central government could have been established during 1993-1994. Ethiopia has tried since early 1993 until today with its power, influences and efforts to prevent the formation of a national government of unity in Somalia. The Ethiopian Empire has been held together by force for centuries and now most of the nations and nationalities are opting for their right for self-determination and is not capable of conquering Somalia, but might use some warlords to occupy their regions on behalf of Ethiopia and thereby create mini-Somalia regions under it’s indirect rule!!

 

Meles is not concerned with the development of poverty ridden Ethiopia, but does so in staying power in line with his long believes in Marxist-Leninism ideology. I remember the night when Meles invited the late General Mohamed Farah Aidid at his residence in December, 1993. Upon our arrival, he greeted Aidid warmly and said with raised voice: “Aidid you are the Hero of Africa!” and congratulated him for fighting against the Americans in that terrible day of October the 3rd, 1993 in Mogadishu. Clearly, he was happy of that human tragedy, asked about the fighting and later on said: “Americans deserve what has happened to them and Africa needs more sons like you”. But now, he is showing one of his other faces as being pro-American. The fact is that he is a man of many words! Look at his friendly way of paying back the failed nation, Somalia? Who on earth is going to trust him? he can deceive some people sometimes but he can’t deceive all the people all the times!!!

 

Meles officially opened the first Somali meeting in Addis Ababa on January 03, 1993 and said repeatedly in his speech: “My Somali brothers and sisters, Ethiopia has no hidden agendas towards Somalia by hosting these meetings in Addis Ababa and we are willing to help you at any cost”. This was a dishonesty statement but the Somalis in the meeting honestly believed him and clapped their hands with joy and happiness and many of them instantly said: “May be he is a Somali, he is more of a Somali than us!!!” This man is a hypocrite and that is clearly shown by his destructive intentions towards Somalia, a nation that has practically brought him to power. Some confused Somalis might argue that Ethiopia has allowed the Somalis to live and stay in Ethiopia following the civil war in Somalia, but the Somalis were bringing millions of dollars to the impoverished economy of Ethiopia. Look at Ethiopia’s current actions: why doesn’t it allow the Somalis to reside in Ethiopia without the so called special ID cards for the Somalis only, even including the Ethiopian-Somalis? Meles told me in 1993: “Somali clans queue up for my office, each one claiming to be the largest and friendlier to us, however, we know that they are united in their long hate and enmity against Ethiopia”. Whether some warlords or clans like the Ethiopians or not, for them the bottom line is: A Somali is a Somali, period! May be you are living in illusions with the temporary ‘friendships’ that will be simply terminated any time the present Ethiopian regime loses its grip on power or while its still in power! This man has been using some Somali warlords to his advantages; just imagine the Somali generals, colonels and politicians destroying Somalia upon the command of young junior Ethiopian military officers? What more goals could Ethiopia have achieved so easily and cheaply in this historic period?

 

Tribalism which is the true opium of the Somalis has been practised early in the civilization of mankind; unfortunately, Somalis trust and worship it even now and usually close their eyes and turn a deaf ear to the truth if it compromises into their tribal oriented interests and ideological thinking. Most of the Somali politicians and intellectuals practise tribal-based politics, which is not compatible with the modern way of governing in the 21st century. Somali politicians and intellectuals must wake up now!, the ball has been at your corner for along time and it is time to re-evaluate fully your responsibility to the Somali society and act responsibly with positive attitudes for the future of the Somalis and Somalia in this World, keeping in mind that unless you decide to change the present history course of Somalia by yourselves, no body is going to do it for you! Hopefully the Somalis will come back to think rationally, use their sense of reasonable judgement and work to bring Somalia back to its feet as a nation. Somalis must forgive each other, lessen or stop practising tribalism and put national interest as a priority rather than self or the clan for the sake of reconciliation and nation building in Somalia.

 

Whatever happened to the qualities of the Somalis, for the time being they are living in low life and have buried their dignity, patriotism and nationalism for clan and selfish interests! Ethiopia is considered to be the poorest nation in the World by many experts, but has been supplying arms worthy millions of dollars to the pro-Ethiopian warlords for the last eight years. The truth is that these weapons will haunt back Ethiopia sooner or later; what goes around will come back to you! Ethiopia is a landlocked country but isn’t planning to use permanently even one of Somalia’s several seaports that have been lured to it freely by the pro-Ethiopian factions, but has signed an agreement with Sudan to use permanently it’s seaport at Port Sudan!!! Pro-Ethiopian factions, whether you like it or not the fact is that the over a century suspicions, mistrusts and enmity between the Ethiopians and the Somalis are still strong and alive and Ethiopia is using you for it’s short term interests only and doesn’t honestly trust you at all for a long ride!!!

 

The Western Nations and the UN should understand the basis of the over a century hostility between Ethiopia and Somalia. Ethiopian regime’s destabilizing policies against some of its neighbouring countries in East Africa must not be underestimated. Ethiopian soldiers frequently cross the border into Somalia and thereby loot and terrorise the suffering Somalis. Besides, this regime is terrorizing its own citizens, particularly the Somalis and the Oromo, and there are 4-5 million Ethiopian-Somalis who have been exposed to long hidden atrocities, gross human rights violations and are presently living in subhuman conditions in the Somali region of Ethiopia, under it’s illegal colonization against their will and consent. These Somalis will keep on pressing their long struggle of fighting injustice until they get back all their human dignities and rights, including their basic principle right of self-determination, all of which have been stolen and hidden from them as well as the World by successive brutal Ethiopian governments for over a century, the present one being the worst of all of them!!!

 

Finally, the World, and particularly the Western Nations, has turned its back to the plight of Somalia for the last eight years, while its hostile neighbouring Ethiopia has taken Somalia’s internal affairs into its own hands uncensored. Let us say as an example that Pakistan become like present Somalia! Would the Western Nations and the UN have requested India to assist and come up with solutions in establishing a government of national unity in Pakistan or vice versa? Personally, I don’t think so and the enmity between Ethiopia and Somalia is older and worse than theirs. Why is Ethiopia propagating massive propagandas against this failed nation, Somalia? The truth to this question is that Ethiopia is trying to deceive the Western Nations in order to get economic aid and arms that it will use against some of its neighbours in East Africa. Now, it is high time for the merciful, compassionate and peace loving Western Nations, the UN and the rest of the World to start to help and come up with viable solutions to the desperate situation in anarchized Somalia, brought on by the more than decade old civil war. Besides, Ethiopia should be told clearly once and for all to take off its brutal and destructive hands from the internal affairs of Somalia.

 

January 30, 2002

Prepared by Dr. Abdi Aden Mohamed

Orleans, Ontario, CANADA.

[Miriam1]

I hope not to sound rude..but wow do u guys have time on ur hands to be able to write all those long posts!.They are all so well written that i feel like iam reading well thought out essays.

On the plus side you all are very passionate about the politics of our country. THUMBS UP