Somaliland: The Myth of Clan-Based Statehood

[guraad]

This post was posted in togdheer forum by some sister called Mina , its great post sister Mina exposed what somaliland all about .Please read it .

 

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Somaliland: The Myth of Clan-Based Statehood

 

The campaign to legitimize the secession of Northwest Somalia, which was one-sidedly named as “Somaliland” by few self-interest groups belonging to one single clan, who cleverly manipulated and disorientated some sectors of their people, particular those with the least education in a bid to further their ambitions of becoming “big fish in a small bond” had puzzled the minds of Somali people and many experts and observers on Somali issues. The illusion of this divisive force is to create a clan-based state in the 21st century, where countries of mutual or economic interests are uniting and world is becoming a global village. The pity reasons of wanting secession as they allege are that:

(1) If Djibouti can stand alone as a state, why cannot we?

(2) They disgracefully claim that they are not ethnic Somalis, but migrants from Arabia and therefore, have to break away from Somalia. And

(3) they claim that they were marginalized by the southerns and Siyad Barre regime tried to destroyed their town and villages. These three simple reasons are all they have to back or justify of seceding from the union of the Somalia.

 

The claim if Djibouti can stand alone why cannot we, doesn’t fully justify secession. Their claim of been independent once and have brought the flag to Mogadishu alone is untrue and ignores the fact that there were two major political parties each belonging to one of the major clan alliances in the region. The SNL drew its support from the **** , while USP was an alliance of ***** clans of *********** and Warsengeli and Dir clans of Issa and Gadabursi. The consent and unity of these two parties along with the SYL in the south had created the union of the Somali Republic. Therefore, it was not only the SNL of the **** that had created the union between the south and north. On the other hand, the Djibouti case is different because of time, cold war effect and superpowers interests in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa area. The French and its Western allies forbid Djibouti to join with socialist Somalia, which was in the Communist block at the time. Djiboutians themselves cannot understand why the **** want to secede while they pursue to reunite with their motherland.

 

On the other hand, Somaliland consists of five regions of which three are populated by non-**** clans. For instance, Sool is purely a Dhulbahanta territory. The Dhulbahanta also occupy the district of Buhodle in the neighboring Togdher and southern plains of Sanag. Sanag itself is mainly a Warsengeli territory except the northern highlands were the **** sub-clans of Habar Yonis and Habar Jelo inhabit. Both Dulbahanta and Warsengeli belong to the Harti branch of the ***** clan family. Moreover, Sool and Sanag currently fall under the regional administration of Punland in the Northeast.

 

In the Awdal, the most western region, is occupied by the Gadabursi and Issa both belonging to the Dir clan family. In fact, there are forces in the Awdal who are campaigning for the break away of Awdal if Somaliland is recognized as a clan state. The name “Awdal Republic” is already in the circulation. The **** concentration is limited to Northwest and Togdher regions. In other words, more than two third of the land area of Somaliland is inhabited by non-**** clans.

 

The question is, where to draw the line of secession? Is it the former British Protectorate of Somaliland as the **** claim? Since their intention is to secede the whole territories under the British Protectorate, what about the rights of non-**** clans whose territories fall in this region? Was it their choice to be part of this Protectorate or the powerful Great Britain seized their lands forcefully and united them under its flag? Do these people have the right to say NO to the **** illusion of declaring the region as one of their own?

 

Ethnically, **** belongs to the Dir clan family. Of the four main Dir branches, **** belongs to Mohamed Maha Dir. Other Maha Dir sub-clans include Biyomal, Bajimal and Quranyob. The other Dir clan families in the north are the Gadabursi and Issa, who belong to Madaxweyne and Madobe Dir, respectively. The **** is divided into three main sub-clans namely: Garhajis (Habar Yonis, Ida Gale and Arap), Habar Awal and Habar Jelo. Garhajis who are the largest and most powerful sub-clan are against secession. Many Habar Jelo intellectuals I spoke with told me that majority of their peoples are not secessionists.

 

Hence, the **** claim that they aren’t ethnic Somalis or have been discriminated against by the south are pity fabrications and unfound hysteria engineered to incite hatred between the peoples of the south and north. In fact, it is in the records that the ****** and southern Dir sub-clans had greatly contributed to the formation and financing of the SNM in its very early stages. In his “The Cost of Dictatorship” book, Jama Ghalib (an **** ) witnesses the contributions paid by the Southern Dir clans and ****** to the SNM in early 1980s. If there were no blood ties, then why wouldn’t they pay the same contributions to the SSDF, which was ********* opposition faction?

 

The barbaric actions of the late dictator Siyad Barre against the **** people are regrettable and his living generals should hold liable to the heinous crimes committed against the civilian populations. However, Siyad Barre’s barbaric actions were not limited to the **** towns alone. He burned villages, destroyed water wells and massacred civilians in the Mudug, Lower Jubba, Hiran and Mogadishu. Moreover, what happened in Hargeisa and Burao may also be blamed on the SNM commanders, whose military blunders and miscalculations had caused the destruction of whole towns and massacre of innocent civilians. The SNM’s ferocious kamakazi style attack on Hargeisa and Burao gave the tyrant every excuse to hit back and hit hard. Should the SNM take a different military strategy, what happened to Hargeisa and Burao would have been averted. Therefore, the SNM commanders are equally liable and should be questions of what their intentions were. Were their intentions to overthrow Siyad Barre or give a ruthless tyrant a pretext to destroy their towns and people?

 

On the other hand, the reality of the so-called Somaliland administration is that it barely functions in Hargeisa and Berbera, the home turf of Mr. Egal’s Habal Awal sub-clan. In fact, Sool and Sanag are part of Northeast regional administration of Puntland. The administration is not popular in Awdal and Togdher either.

 

The currency, which Egal and his Habar Awal sub-clan introduced and used to rob the properties of the people, is not accepted outside Hargeisa and Berbera. The Somali Schilling is still used in Togdher, Sool, Sanag and Awdal. Moreover, the Habar Awal merchants who financed Egal’s administration practically control all trade and main port of Berbera. Non-Habar Awal merchants have difficulty exporting or importing anything at this major regional port. Many merchants from Togdher, Sool and Sanag are alternatively using the port of Bosaso, which offers them courteous services and far less duties. The Awdal merchants use the port of Djibouti.

 

The secessionists in Hargeisa have been very busy of buying or bribing the elders of the **** and non-**** sub-clan in the region to legitimize their claim. So far, they have been very unsuccessful. As mentioned before, Sool and Sanag joined the regional administration of Puntland. Awdal is planning to stand alone if Somaliland is granted recognition, which will trigger a bloody civil war. The secessionists have been also busy of destabilizing Mogadishu and the south believing that the longer Mogadishu stays in chaos and anarchy the better chance they have to get international recognition. Actually, Mr. Egal had been paying millions of dollars to sum warlords in Mogadishu to continue the chaos and tarnish the image of the country’s capital as one dangerous one.

 

The international community is warned of the dangers of accepting clan-based statehoods in this volatile region or continent. If these clan-based secessionists are granted statehood, it will set an unprecedented step towards the integration of the countries in the Horn and many others in Africa, Asia and even Europe. Multiethnic countries such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria may be immediately affected. It may lead to the declaration of independence by sub-clans and village states may be reintroduced, taking the world back into Aristotle’s time.

 

The consequences of springing clan states in today’s dangerous world also carry the danger of these poor clan states becoming safe havens to drug barons, international smugglers or even terrorists. A situation like this will be unable to be monitored or controlled as hundreds of clan based village states sell whatever they can cheaply in order to survive. Therefore, the international community has obligations to safeguard the interests of all the peoples and should not allow the birth of clan-state in Somalia or anywhere else in the world in order to prevent and unprecedented chaos and lost of world law and order. .

[Mystery]

Oodweyne, Angle_Dust, Mujaahid, Ayub Sheikh, Lander,

 

I would ask you all to refrain from responding to this article. I will highlight few of the sentences that show Mina’s lack of knowledge and research on this topic. Had she not made these grave mistakes I would have nominated her for the Noble Prize, for Historian or Military Expert or Anthropologist or... Read on and you will know.

 

First my comment followed by her quote.

 

So such a small qabil should not be any threat to nons. Or are they?

 

The **** concentration is limited to Northwest and Togdher regions. In other words, more than two third of the land area of Somaliland is inhabited by non-**** clans.

The below quote tells me that she’s definitely not **** . Take a wild guess of her qabil. Guraad you know her personally, or is Mina one of your aliases?

 

The **** is divided into three main sub-clans namely:

Garhajis (Habar Yonis, Ida Gale and Arap),

Habar Awal and Habar Jelo. Garhajis who are the largest and most powerful sub-clan are against secession. Many Habar Jelo intellectuals I spoke with told me that majority of their peoples are not secessionists.

Where did she live in the early 80s? Definitely not Hargeisa Nor Burco and even if she did we know who she would have belong to. To deny any wrongdoing to **** . The oppressor conveniently forgets the atrocities they commit, while the oppressed never forgets.

 

Hence, the **** claim that they aren’t ethnic Somalis or

have been discriminated against by the south are pity fabrications

and unfound hysteria engineered to incite hatred between the peoples of the south and north.

Yet she contradicts herself in the below quote.

 

…the destruction of whole towns and massacre of innocent civilians.

Now she reveals her reference, whom she regards as an SNM expert. By the way did I miss this part of the history of SNM and maybe Jama Yare was the 10th SNM Chairman, if there was such a number. Knowing very well how they can re-write history and fabricate facts it wouldn't be any surprise.

 

In fact, it is in the records that the ****** and southern Dir sub-clans had greatly contributed to the formation and financing of the SNM in its very early stages. In his “The Cost of Dictatorship” book,

Jama Ghalib (an **** ) witnesses the contributions paid by the Southern Dir clans and ****** to the SNM in early 1980s.

By the way she’s also a military expert. Sadly she didn’t offer the alternative military strategy that SNM should have taken, I would have love to have known.

 

The SNM’s ferocious kamakazi style attack on Hargeisa and Burao gave the tyrant every excuse to hit back and hit hard.

Should the SNM take a different military strategy, what happened to Hargeisa and Burao would have been averted.

As mentioned before,..

How many times, not once, not twice, but three times. We hear you, but not for long my dear, rest assured. Now ladies & gentlemen you do not have to guess any more, for she reveals her true colours (qabil).

 

.. Sool and Sanag joined the regional administration of Puntland.

In fact, Sool and Sanag are part of Northeast regional administration of Puntland.

Moreover, Sool and Sanag currently fall under the regional administration of Punland in the Northeast.

Egal (May Allah have mercy on your soul) you were one clever man. They fell for your trap I have to give it to you, what can I say simple (to use a polite word) people .

 

The secessionists have been also busy of destabilizing Mogadishu and the south believing that the longer Mogadishu stays in chaos and anarchy the better chance they have to get international recognition. Actually, Mr. Egal had been paying millions of dollars to sum warlords in Mogadishu to continue the chaos and tarnish the image of the country’s capital as one dangerous one.

She’s not only military expert, read on, but also world politics expert. Bush & Blair make sure you hear this girl's warning loud and clear. You’ll never know she might be teaching you a great lesson.

 

The international community is warned

of the dangers of accepting clan-based statehoods in this volatile region or continent.

If these clan-based secessionists are granted statehood, it will set an unprecedented step towards the integration of the countries in the Horn and many others in Africa, Asia and even Europe.

Ooooh did I miss to say she’s also historian.

 

It may lead to the declaration of independence by sub-clans and village states may be reintroduced, taking the world back into

Aristotle’s time.

She really spread herself wide and thin, had she concentrated on one topic, maybe she would have excelled in it. Best of luck Mina, continue doing a great job of making fool of yourself, it will only enhance our case.

 

Thank you

[Mystery]

Heay guraad, you didn’t produce the proof of signatories I asked you previously with regards to the “DECLARATION ON THE POLITICAL POSITION OF THE PEOPLE OF SS&H” you proudly posted or did you conveniently forgot. We know how well you forge documents in those regions, bank notes, passports, people etc.

 

“…the people of Sool, Southern and Eastern Sanaag regions and Buhoodle District…freely decided through series of consultative and constitutional public conferences, to join with their brethren in the North-East Somalia…”

I repeat,

Gulaad, can you name the place and date any of these public conferences please? Also can you scan and post the agreement to show the signatures?

So you agree with me in the following points I mentioned regarding the people in these regions:

 

1. They turn their face whichever way the wind is blowing.

2. They are sitting on the fence.

3. If they choose Puntland they will not be considered second, nor third, nor….but the lowest class in that state, compared to the ruling clan.

4. You are a minority in Somaliland and so will you be in Somalia.

[Saalixa]

lo @ mystery,

walahii all u said is true and who is this mina, and does she even have a surname?iam not waisting my energy talking bout this coz its not worth, anything but hargaisa being a clan based region.

 

iam getting sick and tired of ppl bad mouthin s/land. why are ppl so jealous? when would they leave my land alone?theres a democracy in s/land, and any person wit a brain wouldnt believe all the crap u posted gurad. get sumthin realistic or least believable. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[guraad]

mystery , if you go back to my prefuse post titled “DECLARATION ON THE POLITICAL POSITION OF THE PEOPLE OF SS&H” you would see in the end of the letter i produced the names and signators of the dhul.bahante garaads and olders of sool,sanaag and hawd.

 

mystery quite acting like you dont know whats going on ss&h , ss&h people are now part of puntland and there will be no turning back.

 

About you saying that ss&h will be treated as lowest of low , thats not your biz` , what will happen in puntland dont consider you . and picture this , ss&h is moving fast forward with their other brothers in puntland . ss&h people hold high positions in puntland government , like vice-president , external affair minstrey and puntland army (draawiish) are mosly from ss&h. we are happy in puntland so stop trying to devide us please.

 

peace.

[Mystery]

Guraad,

 

 

mystery , if you go back to my prefuse post titled “DECLARATION ON THE POLITICAL POSITION OF THE PEOPLE OF SS&H”

you would see in the end of the letter i produced the names and signators of the dhul.bahante garaads and olders of sool,sanaag and hawd

.

guraad I saw the names you typed, but no signatures, so don't beat around the bush and produce your evidence.

 

I repeat if your eyes failed you last time.

 

Gulaad, can you

name the place and date

any of these public conferences please? Also can you

scan and post the agreement to show the signatures

?

Why is that so hard for you to produce? Or was it written by the 5 people in this forum and typed the names of the elders? You know you don’t represent the majority so stop these forgeries.

[BN]

Guraad,

 

Thanks for the article. One tribeland will never be recognized.

 

Mystery,

 

So you believe that the Hargeisa mafia control SS&H? Please tell that to Col. Riyaale. Because when he actually went to Sool he nearly got killed and was allowed to flee with his tail between his legs. In fact the people of Lasanod remember how he pissed his pants as he ran back to hargeisaland

 

The hargeisa mafia's militia was easily beaten by the people of Sool and guess what....he has never gone back! Incompetant Riyaale embarrased himself and his hargeisaland. Ran away like the coward he is....and it was reported all over the world. "Self declared president escapes death..."

 

Please remember that Sool, Sanag, Hawd, Bari, Nugal, and Mudug people are from the same sub- sub-sub-sub-clan, and there is noway they would join the hargeisa government aka mafia. Period. No amount of bribing will change that. BTW, say thanks to Hargeisa government for all that tax money they are giving to SS&H

 

Your telling us we don't represent them?!?! Lol.

Learn the lessons of your leader col. kahiin...and stick to hargeisaland.

[Mystery]

Bari-Nomad & Guraad,

 

Keep on beating around the bush and not produce any evidence. What I'm asking is very clear, so let the people in the forum be WITNESSES to your FABRICATIONS and FORGERIES.

 

Till then.....

[India]

Mystery

 

Sis walahi one can not help feel but SORRY for our brother from the south. Thier whining and cries is none starter.

 

I think they are suffering from a complex issues. They try to project thier lack of confidence and self steem on us.

 

 

Man I feel for them.

 

Put it this way when one Somaliland sister can kick thier asses like this-|DAMN and this is just ONE sister_Shame .

 

D.

 

PS: Bari_Nomad "Sarka" kuhaya ee Somaliland will not go away until you put a red dira on--but if all your other mannersims is femmine ie whining, non stop chatter-spreading baseless gossip and remours I say what stops one from wearing the damn thing.