What if...

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

I sometimes think, would Soomaaliya of today been any way different if there wasn't a coup, and most of all, if marxuum C/rashiid weren't assassinated?

 

It is a fruitless and hopeless thinking, I know. But would it have been any different? Would have Soomaaliya taken another untwisted course?

 

C/rashiid was touring on Waqooyi provinces, particularly Togdheer, because there were considerable discontent by the masses in those provinces. The discontent wasn't the result of qabiil, but regional discontent, experienced by the whole region that joined the union, including reer Sanaag and Sool, which the latter was part of Togdheer province at that time.

 

To dissuade this inevitable dissatisfaction becoming a boiling issue and widespread, C/rashiid and some other high officials from the South decided to tour that region, promising, in campaign-style, in his nascent administration things will change, and must change. The appointment of Cigaal as a prime minister was a beginning, he promised. Development would have been next.

 

Then, events abruptly turned into an unexpected direction. He was assassinated upon landing in Laas Caanood.

 

There were six crucial days between marxuum's assassination and the coup. The first few days were devoted to his funeral, such bringing the body to Xamar and waiting Cigaal's return from abroad. The later days was what made the coup possible.

 

The short nine years of democratic birth of the Republic had a perceived perception of qabyaalad becoming a fact of political life. Everything from a multitude of qabiil-based parties to members of parliament openly criss-crossing the parliament floor to governing Party and then to their oppositional parties if it didn't help their political aspirations. Seeing this, the military and some members of the police didn't like it.

 

It was obvious, the military brass advocated silently, change must be made or the country would turn into worse way. It got worse, the perception goes, in mid '60s.

 

Now many folks, particularly ciyaalka qurba ku qaan gaaray, think the coup in that fateful October day of 1969 was a one-man planned and executed afgambi. It wasn't. For the reasons above, the assassination just expedited the military's chance of "saving" the country; that was military's reasoning.

 

Another cause that accelerated the coup, and also persuaded some sceptical members of military's higher officials, who were against the coup per se, was the events that was taking place in the Parliament. There was a deadlock in the parliament for a few days.

 

The deadlock was about the presidency, and who has the right to be next. The ruling party broke into their expected rival camps. One camp advocated the prime minister would be the next president. Another wanted the speaker of the parliament, who was already an interim president, and the third wanted the next president should hail from C/rashiid's constituency (read: from marxuum's qabiil).

 

The third group led by Muuse Boqor, who openly didn't hide his ambition to be a president, and to get that he advocated a constituency reasoning as a way to achieve that. It was so heated that a famous member of parliament, alleged to have been abukaato Ismaaciil Jimcaale, was heard as saying to Muuse Boqor, "If you think the presidency of Soomaali Republic is inherited like a clan leader, then we should call for his offspring for C/rashiid had children the last time we knew."

 

 

Once again seeing that, some top ranking generals and colonels of the military approached their top ranking police officers to collaborate a planned afgambi. They thought they had a secret agreement. However, instantly, the American ambassador to Soomaaliya somehow acquired that knowledge and came to the interim president, warning him the apparent coup. The interim president seeing upon the fiery, deadlocked parliament, had conflicting thoughts. On one side, he thought a coup at this particular time might be a blessing afterall. And on another side, it was undemocratic and might turn to be worse. Nevertheless, he didn't believe or take seriously the American ambassador's forewarning.

 

Well, it happened. And suddenly adversaries of parliament members saw themselves la kala diro, some facing house arrests, and others jailed indefinite jail terms.

 

The men mastermind behind the coup were nationalist men like Caynaanshe, Gabayre, Faadil, Qorsheel, Max'ed Sheekh Cismaan and Muuse Rabiile Good. Some say Max'ed Siyaad Barre, a collaborate of the coup, was immediately chosen as a leader because a safeguard of not dissatifying both sides, who, for example, if they saw men like Qorsheel might have thought he was installed because of qabiil. They didn't want to also displease Muuse Boqor's camp, so Siyaad Barre was the safest choice, and he also happened to be the top military leader since Generaal Daa'uud's passing away.

[Xoogsade]

Saaxiib, nice history. In my uneducated mind(about the history), I thought all these troubles started recently. I thought somalis were better in those early days. Anyhow, to answer your question, waxaan waa qornaayeen. If some somalis were unhappy with the way government seats were shared back then, events would have turned progressively worse. Lama waayeen wax dagaal sameeyo iyagoo ku andacoonaayo in wax xaq ay u lahaayeen loo diidey. Isn't this how armed rebellion started anyway after a while?

[Sophist]

Thanks for sharing this history. Those days were indeed a vital in the making of contemporary history—one that is seldom written hence what you have written are sourced from the Oral history which of course you will know a lot (no need to mentioned ht reasons).

 

You must be well aware of Dabka party which was headed by premiere AbdiRisak Haji Hussien; main players Alahunaxariisto Mohamed Ahmed Abdule (Sakhraan) et all. These guys were radical lot and were not happy with the Wadaad’s leadership (C/rashiid was known as Wadaad those days); they thought he was weak and will be manipulated by then “insincere†incumbent premiere that who was “known†to be very westernised by those standards-- the Oggaden and NFD was an important political issues for them and they thought. This camp was accused of having a Qabiil leaning-incidently the two main players of course hailing from what is now known as Puntland; Galkacayo and Ceerigaabo respectively.

 

According to several prominent politicians (I lived among two of them for more than a year) the tribalism had become the norm from the get go.

 

From that backdrop one correction is needed.

 

“The discontent wasn't the result of qabiil, but regional discontent, experienced by the whole region that joined the union, including reer Sanaag and Sool, which the latter was part of Togdheer province at that time.â€

 

Before Britain left and the Union Jack was the flag of the region; there was two prominent political parties in the North; USP (Awdal, Sool and Sanaag) and SNL (Togdheer and Waqooyi Galbeed). These were organized around the tribal lineages.

 

Thusly, when the Somali become an state; USP was dissolved and it’s leaders become prominent leaders within the SYL government thusly becoming part and parcel of the state. Ali Garad who was a heavyweight Cabinet minister and had a huge following in Sool, Sanaag and Awdal was instrumental for the nomination of Rashid to be head of the partly.

 

Consequently, the discontent you speak of was indeed confined to Burco and Hargeisa; hence a Qabill orientated disgruntlement.

 

Anyhow, better get back to work.

[NGONGE]

^^^ Great post.

[SOO MAAL]

Originally posted by Sophist:

Thanks for sharing this history. Those days were indeed a vital in the making of contemporary history—one that is seldom written hence what you have written are sourced from the Oral history which of course you will know a lot (no need to mentioned ht reasons).

 

You must be well aware of Dabka party which was headed by premiere AbdiRisak Haji Hussien; main players Alahunaxariisto Mohamed Ahmed Abdule (Sakhraan) et all. These guys were radical lot and were not happy with the Wadaad’s leadership (C/rashiid was known as Wadaad those days); they thought he was weak and will be manipulated by then “insincere†incumbent premiere that who was “known†to be very westernised by those standards-- the Oggaden and NFD was an important political issues for them and they thought. This camp was accused of having a Qabiil leaning-incidently the two main players of course hailing from what is now known as Puntland; Galkacayo and Ceerigaabo respectively.

 

According to several prominent politicians (I lived among two of them for more than a year) the tribalism had become the norm from the get go.

 

From that backdrop one correction is needed.

 

“The discontent wasn't the result of qabiil, but regional discontent, experienced by the whole region that joined the union, including reer Sanaag and Sool, which the latter was part of Togdheer province at that time.â€

 

Before Britain left and the Union Jack was the flag of the region; there was two prominent political parties in the North; USP (Awdal, Sool and Sanaag) and SNL (Togdheer and Waqooyi Galbeed). These were organized around the tribal lineages.

 

Thusly, when the Somali become an state; USP was dissolved and it’s leaders become prominent leaders within the SYL government thusly becoming part and parcel of the state. Ali Garad who was a heavyweight Cabinet minister and had a huge following in Sool, Sanaag and Awdal was instrumental for the nomination of Rashid to be head of the partly.

 

Consequently, the discontent you speak of was indeed confined to Burco and Hargeisa; hence a Qabill orientated disgruntlement.

 

Anyhow, better get back to work.

Thank you sophist for providing some crucial historical facts

 

Thank you mma as well for your post, but bro your post has incorrect facts about sool sanaag and cayn regoins

C/rashiid was touring on Waqooyi provinces, particularly Togdheer, because there were considerable discontent by the masses in those provinces. The discontent wasn't the result of qabiil, but regional discontent, experienced by the whole region that joined the union, including reer Sanaag and Sool, which the latter was part of Togdheer province at that time.

wrong , you should not include sool sanaag and cayn because these provinces had different political parties than northwest (hergaysa burco barbara), it is history that is going back to colonial era. there is no such thing as north Somalia which includes former British colony, because there is big division between northwest and ssc regoins , even we see today how somaliland is very divided in secession issue between northwest and ssc regoins along clan lines,

 

Northwest (hergeysa, burco and barbara) and ssc(sool sanaag and cayn) ara traditional rivals,

 

Before colnial era, somali penusula didnot had central adminstration or even regoinal adminstration, so it was vast land inhabited by rival somali clans where they peace and occasional mini wars in anarchic land of somalia (nomansland)

 

During the colonial era, somali people were divided in wrong and random way by european colonials without looking into socioeconmic, native peoplele's wishes, or any other logic way.

 

some territories of somalia became whats known as british somaliland composing three major regoins awdal, northwest (Hergeysa, burco, barbara) and SSC (sool sanaag and cayn)

 

northwest became very loyal to british colonial, northwest became the most developed regoin in the colony and recieved economic benefits from Britian, Everything political adminstration of the colony was dominated by northwest regoins

 

SSC (Sool sanaag and cayn) rejected british rule, and started first national liberation movement in somalia soil and the strongest in african continent, an armed stuggle started that lasted more 30 years, many war took place between british colonials, north loyalists against daraawiish liberation movement, counless british soldiers lost their lives, and ssc regoins lost more than third of its population.

 

When Britian realized the strength of daraawiish liberation movement, and fact that britian could not defeat the daraawiish in-land wars, in 1921 Britian decided to wage an ariel bombardment agianst SSC regoins particularly the capital of ssc laascaanood and taleex, with warplanes fresh from WWI, becaause of this tragic event Laascaanood the first city in whole african continent.

 

Because of colonial exprience northwest and ssc became traditional rivals

 

 

Post independence

 

Civilian government

 

Fresh from colonial expierence, and because of clan nature of somali politics, Although Somalia was democratic republic in first 9 years, supposed political parties were divided along clan lines and platform or ideology, therefore Northwest had their political party SNL, and SSC regoins had their political party USP

 

so these two were never happy or unhappy about somalia political situation at the same time, unlike the false information that mma suggested

 

 

During Military rula of Siyaad

 

In early northwest regoins became dissatisfies with siyaad barre rule because of tribalism and not of north or any other good reason.

 

in 1988 Northwest declared a war against somali government of siyaad, and northwest war started

 

SSC regoins didnot participated the northwest war, because they were suspicous the motives behind the war, tribalilism and seccesion

 

 

During Civil war

 

Northwest uniterally declered self-declered republic of Somaliland, and SSC regoins quickly became strongly against secession and snm plans.

 

 

Today

 

After 15 years of civil war, still northwest and ssc are extremely divided on everything

 

 

therefore northwest and ssc never shared unified political view about somalia's politics, never shared a ideology, and today they donot share a common destiny or aspirations

 

He was assassinated upon landing in Laas Caanood.

 

true President cabdurashiid was killed in laascaanood, BUT reer laascoonood were staunch supporters of his adminstration,President was killed by soldier from qardho for nonpolitical reasons

 

 

Initially, although President Siyaad he was coup leader and took the power illegitimately, he became very popular and received huge support from all Somali regions including northwest (burco and hargeysa), because of promise to end to clan-politics that made the country unstable particularly the bloody elections seasons.

 

I heard that there were 88 supposed political parties (clan or subclan parties) some of them had only one member and some of them had funny names like nirig

 

The problem of any Somali democratic experience like the first 9 years of the civilian government in somalia is the clan nature of supposed political parties, where each region (or clan) had their own party (and there was no national party except syl).

 

The same we can see today in Somaliland’s democratic experience, where they have 3 clan-parties (supposed political parties) representing 3 different sub clan of the same clan (hargeysa, barbara and burca regoins)

 

Although Somalia had the first democratic government in all Africa, however the civilian government that lasted 9 years had tough time and failed because of clan nature of Somali politics

 

 

The first 5 years of the civilian government (1960-1965)

 

These 5 years were very promising and bright years, Somalia became the first democratic government in whole african continent, all somali people were happy

 

no somali person wanted to enter politics and take national responsibility because they didnot know anything about government and corruption

 

odayaasha waa la baryi jirey si ey u matalaan degmadooda

 

The last 4 years years of civilian government

(1965-1969)

 

Somalia became unstable during this period, elections became bloody seasons were violence civil disobienence is common

 

waayo waxaa la arkay odyaashii parlamaanka iyo wasiirada oo buubuurnaday oo gaariyaal wata ileen reer miye waxba kama yaqaan xadaarad iyo dowlidnimo

 

Therefore when president Abdurashiid was assasinated already somalia was extremely unstable, to say the assasination of president abdurashiid changed somalia's political course is fallacy and unconvincing argument because there is no evidence, because there is other nations had their presidents assasinated and didnot exprience regime change or political crisis like kennedy of united states or anwar asadaat of egypt etc

 

 

The first 8 years of Siyaads rule (1969-1977)the period before western somalia liberation war

 

 

These period were also became very promisinf and bright , people from all regoeins again became happy and thought Siyaad was savour of somali nation.

 

Many major developments took place in somalia, somali language became written language, many schools hospitals and factories were build.

 

people wanted an alternative to the bloody elections and tribalism of supposed political parties.

 

Somali people became genuine patriotics and wanted to free their brotherly people of Djabouti, western somalia and nfd

 

The fruits were the independence of djabouti, liberating western somalia although later soveit redraw the border lines, somalia became the most developing african nation with the stongest army in all africa

 

The last years of siyaad era (1977-1991) the period after western somalia war

 

 

The siyaad became very weak in every aspect economically because of the war expenses, and militirally because of the soveit defeat of somali army

 

Tribal factions organized by angry former army colonels and officers became a common in somalia financed and armed by Ethoipia

 

In 1991 somalia became worse and entered full scale civil war

 

2005, after 15 years of destruction, anarchy there is no hope

[Gabbal]

Since these kinds of discussions are replete with opinions and historical revisions, I find it rather endearing to rely on outside sources.

 

Somalia

Coup d'Etat

The stage was set for a coup d'état, but the event that precipitated the coup was unplanned. On October 15, 1969, a bodyguard killed president Shermaarke while prime minister Igaal was out of the country. (The assassin, a member of a lineage said to have been badly treated by the president, was subsequently tried and executed by the revolutionary government.) Igaal returned to Mogadishu to arrange for the selection of a new president by the National Assembly. His choice was, like Shermaarke, a member of the ******* clan-family (Igaal was an ***** ). Government critics, particularly a group of army officers, saw no hope for improving the country's situation by this means. On October 21, 1969, when it became apparent that the assembly would support Igaal's choice, army units took over strategic points in Mogadishu and rounded up government officials and other prominent political figures. The police cooperated with the army.

 

Although not regarded as the author of the military takeover, army commander Major General Mahammad Siad Barre assumed leadership of the officers who deposed the civilian government. The new governing body, the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC), installed Siad Barre as its president. The SRC arrested and detained at the presidential palace leading members of the democratic regime, including Igaal. The SRC banned political parties, abolished the National Assembly, and suspended the constitution. The new regime's goals included an end to "tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and misrule." Existing treaties were to be honored, but national liberation movements and Somali unification were to be supported. The country was renamed the Somali Democratic Republic.

Library of Congress-Coup d'Etat

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by Tolstoy:

Consequently, once you realised as to who those folks were in those days, then see to it, to find out, who are the proponents of this

federal system

based on some fictious number called

4.5

that will not take account of the democratic concept of

One-Vote-One-Man

as the basis of electing the

MPs

to that federal parliament; given that their argument is that, we should stick with

Tribal Qoutas

; then lastly, perhaps, you could find out, whether the

Rejectionist Group

of those early sixties and the present group who are advocating this

4.5

formula have anything in common(read that again, through clannish eye-glasses); and after that, there you'll know many things of Somali's tribally-determined disfugured polity....

 

Of course, given that Siyaad Barre, had created many regions(essentially out of clannish consideration of the first order) then, if you were to say, lets based representation on the original regions(i.e., the

8

regions of 1960s, or the ones Siyad barre left behind(i.e., the

18

regions, presuming Somaliland is part of equation), as yardstick that will determine the number of seats of parliament; you would still have to do a proper

National Census

(in-order to determine how many citizen each region has).

 

Which means let us say, for example,

Region A

has more people than

Region B

; then in that case, the

region A

, will have more seats of parliament at the federal level than

region B

; consequently, that means,

certain regions

are not too keen on the idea of

National Census

to begun with even if a federal system is established; and even if you consider that Siyad Barre, did a great deal of favour, by creating more regions for those folks in question, which was in demographical sense, strictly

not required

....

Excellent point Mr. Tolska. Looks like Somalis are sleep-walking into another major mistake.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

First, little clarification: What I wrote earlier was based on my personal (and remember, it is personal and nothing more) analysis was about these six fateful days. Not '60s as a whole.

 

Xoogsade, sax, wax dagaal Soomaalida ka dhaliyo mala weynaayo, laakiin dad badan Soomaalida horboode u eh, had iyo jeer jecel inay dalka u taliyaan hadee ka joogi lahayeen taliska wadanka mise lexjecelnimada, Soomaaliya kistoo waa roonaan lahayd.

 

Before Britain left and the Union Jack was the flag of the region; there was two prominent political parties in the North; USP (Awdal, Sool and Sanaag) and SNL (Togdheer and Waqooyi Galbeed). These were organized around the tribal lineages.

 

Thusly, when the Somali become an state; USP was dissolved and it’s leaders become prominent leaders within the SYL government thusly becoming part and parcel of the state. Ali Garad who was a heavyweight Cabinet minister and had a huge following in Sool, Sanaag and Awdal was instrumental for the nomination of Rashid to be head of the partly.

Sophist, regional discontent was there in Waqooyi, the majority, obviously, might have been Reer Waqooyi Galbeed; nevertheless, it was there. If we broaden, this discontentment wasn’t itself confined to Waqooyi people for there was an equal discontent in reer Arlaadi provinces. Read below about C/qaadir Soobe.

 

you can hold as a political truth, the assertion that says the intervention of the army to save the nation from the horror of the corrupt politician was required urgently; which is what the revisionist historians of Siyadiste's appologist school of the Somali past, had effectively made it as the Accepted Collective Wisdom, across the Somali's political spsche.

Tolstoy, that was some of the top officials of the military’s reasoning, not a plausible fact believed by some Soomaalis, including me. But a considerable section of the masses believed and bought, and they were those who welcomed the coup, thinking it might be a new beginning day. Indeed, it was a beginning day, but God knows the U-turn it took. You also answered your own question, by stating this:

 

...also one can say that men like, Qorshel and Caynaanshe, were merely men, who thought, the elected politician's in the parliament were leading the country to ruin, and they therefore, were duty-bound to safe it; which meant all Siyad Barre has to do, was to talk a good game of Nationalism to them, and make them listern a few times

As I wrote above, there were some sceptical about the coup in the top military leadership.

 

Of course, that means, a great deal of hardball politics would be required between the Tribal power-brokers; but finally I believe, some formula if not out right National Census, would be introduced, in-order to reduced the existing Anomoly of parliamentary arithmetic of those time

There was a man by the name C/qaadir Soobe, who always, in those days, used to argue there must be a national census, to counterpoint his perceived biased of seeing the non-pastoral tribes power isku koobay. He believed those power isku koobay were, in fact, minority. He also openly advocated in order the new Soomaali republic to be a success story on the widen Africa, it should be federalized. He believed his people were marginalized politically and economincally by other non-pastoral tribes. He thus reconstructed a political party, which was the official opposition in that time, mainly to advocate these issues he passionately cared. He believed that his people were marginalized.

 

...therefore the question, is how do move from there(bare facts) to universally accepted historical truth(which itself, is a mere subjective view of those facts, not withstanding how many times you call your version of history as that Universally Accepted One)

There is no such thing called "universal truth," save the Divine Truths. All else is a play, and each has his or her version of what is perceived to be truth, even if the odds of such situations are overwhelming; men will always believe what they want to believe.

 

By the way also, I believe, that Your Late Father (alah-yarxamu) would of eventually been forced to declare his hand, politically, as to which group he will bless them, in return of his seat at the Speakership).

My old man is still alive and breathing. Thank you.

 

...there is no such thing as north Somalia which includes former British colony, because there is big division within the past colony along clan lines, because northwest and ssc are bitter rivals, even we see today how somaliland is very divided in secession issue

Soomaal, there is a such thing called Waqooyi. Yes. Don't confuse with Waqooyi Galbeed, the province, which I assume you meant. Waqooyi is a region term, and covers both Waqooyi Galbeed and Waqooyi Bari.

 

true President cabdurashiid was killed in laascaanood, BUT wasnot because reer laascaanood were unhappy about his administration because reer laascoonood were staunch supporters of him

I never wrote a local Laas Caanood native killed Cabdirashiid Cali Sharmaarke. Nor did I suggest he was murdered as a result of region discontent. But the accepted truth in that time was C/rashiid, Eebe ha u naxariitee, was a staunch Soomaali nationalist, who cared equally all Soomaalis, regardless where they hailed from, thus he thought Sool likewise wasn't developed too, same like other Waqooyi provinces. He was also wadaad (not the seef labood and surwaalgaab kind of wadaado of today), which further made him deal Soomaalis fairly.

 

Although Somalia had the first democratic government in all Africa, however the civilian government that lasted 9 years had tough time and failed because of clan nature of Somali politics

Any government or regime Soomaaliya is going to have will fail again and again if we never learn. Only fools never learn. We need a complete overhaul of how things we do in government. I never understood why we stick this "president" and "prime minister" sorta of government, as though this particular kind of government is sacred. We need to come up something else, a radical new ideas to govern. We also need to eradicate qabyaalad, or all-together qabiil as we know. We need a political as well as cultural revolution. We will never progress as long as regions are synonymous with particular qabiilo.

[wind.talker]

^^

 

Hmm...Your "opinions" on the Forum have slightly increased since you assumed power, a noticable change as compared to your pre-power days. Coincidence...? Frankly, I don't believe in them.

 

Nonetheless, nice history. The dude that assassinated C/rashid Ali Shermake really f****d up contemporary Somali history. A single bullet fashioning history.

[Alpha-Geeljire]

The dude that assassinated C/rashid Ali Shermake really

f****d

up contemporary Somali history. .

:eek: It's ramadan, and I think cursing isn't part of fasting