Somalia can’t afford another 15 years of misery

[OLOL]

MORTAL WOUNDS AND UNDYING DREAMS

 

By Rashid Ali

 

The approaching 45th anniversary of our nation’s birth is laden with bloodshed, destitution and misery not seen before in its nascent history. Never has such a tumultuous period of uncertainty, disorder, and chaos affected the lives of our people so deeply. As blessed as we are with a unique ethnic homogeneity, cultural richness, one strong Islamic faith, and a vast beautiful land teeming with natural resources, we are on each others throat, maiming, murdering and starving our people, driving our weak and the unprotected into foreign lands, subjecting our daughters and women to the lowest levels of humanity and uprooting the young and the unborn, turning them to strangers onto their mother land. We are on the verge of complete and irreversible self-destruction. The nation is on the brink of dismemberment. The anguish and the deprivations are unparalleled, and there is no end at sight. The enormity of the pain inflicted and the brutality of the civil war could only be glimpsed from Hadrawi’s powerful and moving prose, the Secrets of Life1:

 

Somali --- English

Raqda solan lafaa soogan - The corpses and the dry scattered bones

Bal su'aal u celi meydkan - Ask the fallen innocents again

Sababtuu u go'ay raadi - The reasons killed seek and enquire

Bal dhegeyso saylaanka - Pain and grief stricken, listen to the shrieks

Iyo salowga beer-qaadka - And the mournful wailing

Iyo sebiga yeedhiisa - And the infant’s screams

 

Nevertheless, it is the resolve and faith in my people which gives me hope that this nation will overcome these seemingly insurmountable difficulties and rise to the occasion to rescue itself from the depths of despair and gloom. As deep as the divisions amongst our people may seem and as hopeless as the situation may look, the fundamental fuel rod that feeds the flames of our strife, when closely examined, is really nothing more than a race to the top among individual tribal leaders, their utter failure to peacefully resolve their petty disputes in a civilized manner and our misguided allegiance and unwavering loyalty to one or the other, notwithstanding the legitimacy of their call.

 

The fundamental question that every sane Somali citizen must face is whether the ascendance to power by a fellow clansman worth the blood and sacrifice of hundreds and thousands of innocent lives? Is your fellow clansman flawless even if the blood of the innocent is still wet and dripping from his hands? Do I have the right to constructively criticize one whose decisions will affect my daily life and the future of my children, or because he is your blood lineage, I must follow blindly? Can one tribe alone live in an oasis of wealth, peace and power when surrounded by abject poverty, fear and insecurity? Verily! No.

 

Thanks to the perseverance of our people, with these inescapable facts of doom and gloom, our nation defies death and our people refuse to loose hope. Our dreams are undying and our hopes and expectations are high. We are surely, but slowly stepping back from the suicidal mad march into a state of apocalyptic proportions to never again shed the blood of the innocent. To never again allow a tyrant regime. To never again let the defenseless starve. To never again destroy our cities. To never again let our children flee home and be swallowed up by the seas. We are examining and searching ways to establish a rock-solid-foundation for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous society for today and for posterity.

The road ahead is strewn with difficulties and many stumbling blocks. The fear has not subsided. Hostilities are still pervasive. The distrust has not been overcome yet. The suspicions continue to grow. The weapons are still pouring into the land. The young are still armed, restless and jumpy. The economy is in shambles, the ubiquity of poverty is disheartening, authority is nonexistent and the grievances have not been fully addressed. Sliding back to anarchy and chaos is just one wrongful death or a gun shot away. It is said that “half of all countries emerging from civil conflicts relapse into violence within 5 yearsâ€2.

 

Somalia can’t afford another 15 years of misery. We have already taken bold steps, on paper at least, to create the conditions for a stable and lasting peace by adopting federal parliamentary system of government in the transitional charter of the newly formed administration. Article 11 of the charter calls for a decentralized system of government based on federalism. Here is clause 4 of article 11:

 

4. (a) The Transitional Federal Government shall promote and develop the State Governments, Regional and District Administrations subject to legislation and guidelines of the Federal Constitution Commission on the formation of Transitional Federal Government.

 

(b) The State Governments, Regional and District Administrations shall comprise all regions of Somalia.

 

The charter continues in clauses 8 and 9 respectively to require that the federalization program be completed with in two to two and half years effective 90 days from the establishment of a constitutional commission. If the TNG fails in its mandate, the charter calls for a vote of confidence and if it fails the formation of a new TNG. This article alone significantly contributes to building a solid footing for an equitable, transparent and a democratic government, if implemented accordingly.

 

Federalism is a covenant between equals. It is a voluntary self rule within a nationally shared rule. It is contract of partnership where free and autonomous different political communities unite, on their free will, under constitutional agreements based on the principle of division of powers. These member states in the federation have sufficient local responsibilities and powers to carry out their obligations on behalf of their own people in concert with the whole people of the federal polity3.

 

The empowerment of the regions ensures the decentralization of the administration and enhances the opportunity for democracy to take root and be nurtured. It also enhances the pride of the locals and strengthens the cohesion of the people to take their fate into their own hands. An all powerful man sitting in Mogadishu is not best suited to address or solve problems in communities thousands of kilometers away. Only the locals are best informed to deal with their problems and should and must be empowered to do so. Furthermore, Local authority is indispensable to the efficient delivery of public services in health, education, security, and other local needs. Every state must be allowed to chart its own constitution in conformity with the national charter. It must be allowed to freely conduct its local elections, establish its judicial system, and any other social institutions as they deem fit. This will not only lead to a lasting peace and progress but it will also ensure the prevention of unforeseen disruptions, chaos and military coup d’etats, the curse of Africa.

 

Therefore, based on these facts and the charter of the TNG, the ongoing pacification and peace-building process in Mogadishu, the capital city, is positive development which should be supported and encouraged. Imperfect and incomplete as it may seem, if Mogadishu succeeds in implementing a self rule and keeps at bay the incessant onslaught from certain quarters, sincere as they may be, which advocate the abdication of its legitimate autonomous rights, there is a good chance that other regions will follow suite and as such the seeds of democratization and stability will have a chance to flourish. Anything else will be a clear violation of the transitional charter and worse the beginning of the end of our national aspirations to once and for all secure peace, justice and democracy for our homeland. Because of the traumatic oppression of the last tyrannical regime and the subsequent nihilistic assault of the civil war, the people are understandably reluctant to entrust their freedoms to a centralized authority. To guard against the re-emergence of an authoritarian system, to preserve freedom of choice and individual liberty, to promote justice, equality and accountability, it is absolutely imperative to let them freely determine their fate. Only then, when every region of the country realizes its full autonomy will Somalia truly embark on the road to recovery and lasting peace.

 

In deed, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to bring about an effective social and political system which best serves the interests of our people and nation. We also don’t have to merely adapt the pseudo-democracy which of late is so common in many parts of Africa. One needs not look far to see the sham titular freedoms in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and D’jibouti and so on and so forth. Definitely, that is not the model we should be pursuing. We have spilled too much blood and lost too many lives to be lullabied to sleep with false promises and fake freedoms under corrupt authoritarianism. Anything less than full freedom will render vain all the sacrifices we paid in blood and tears. We deserve the best and so we demand it.

 

Evidently, many nations in Europe, Asia and America have successfully built democratic institutions with proven track record of social progress and prosperity. Guided by our rich cultural heredity, our noble and righteous Islamic faith and experience, there is no reason why Somalia shouldn’t emulate the best of these systems. What a nation has done another can do. We can successfully build a nation of laws where individual liberty and human rights are sacrosanct. A nation where justice is guaranteed to every human being and not bought with bribery. We can certainly turn our land a place where individual rights are not borrowed rights but birthrights, inviolable and Allah given. We can develop and maintain a system founded on transparency, accountability, freedom of speech, assembly and worship. These are non-negotiable civil rights which can not be taken away even under the guise of protecting national security.

 

Practically, unless it is of sheer stu.pi.di.ty , from an economic point of view, there is no earthly reason why we should even quarrel, let alone annihilate each other. Here are few math numbers to ponder. If the land mass of our country were to be distributed equitably, every citizen would be entitled to 40 plots of land the size of which each is 40 m x 40 m lots. That is not all. We have proven mineral wealth from uranium, iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt and undetermined amounts of iron ore, and oil reserves. I am not done yet. This alone is enough to clear our foreign debt. Oh! Crisp and terrestrial paradise of unpolluted coast line in excess of 3000 km long. (Unfortunately, we must tackle the dumping problem)

 

So! Can any one please tell me a reason why one child in this surely blessed land goes hungry even one night? Why would any, even one citizen flee this rich land? Why would our leaders not see the potential of this country?

 

References:

 

1. Aftahan.com; A Somali web page with a collection of valuable Somali literature and poems. See Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame"Hadraawi"

 

2. At War's End; Building Peace after Civil Conflict; Roland Paris; University of Colorado, Boulder

 

3. Forum of Federations, Tel: +1 (613) 244-3360 / Fax: +1 (613) 244-3372,

 

Rashid Ali

Baltimore, MD

E-mail: Rashid_Ali_66@hotmail.com

[Camel Mlik]

Who is Behind Somalia's Problems? - The Warlords Hard Facts brought to light

 

•The warlords do not want any Somali government to function in Somalia.

•They led to the demise of four Somali governments.

•They are a pack of illiterate and uneducated men with no vision and no foresight.

•They are men without purpose or plans for the future of Somalia.

•They do not want to let things to cool off or change in Somalia.

•They are determined to hold the country and its people in captivity forever.

•They have gunned down tens of thousands of innocent Somali citizens during the period from 1990s to the present-day.

 

•They are guilty of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in Somalia.

•The crimes and atrocious acts they have committed are too horrible to believe.

•They are behind the long list of problems which Somalia has today.

•They are responsible for almost all the evils that took place in Somalia..

•The country is right in the middle of the chaos they have created.

•They got rich from robbing the properties of the country and the people.

•They are under the influence of foreign powers opposed to the vital interests of the Somali people. The devil is bushing them from behind to doom the country.

 

•They pump the Somali people with hatred and fanaticism thereby poisoning their minds and hearts.

•They are launching a campaign of besmear and disinformation on purpose against the new Somali federal government in which they are cabinet members.

 

•They are plotting against the federal government in a bid to nip it in the bud.

•Laying traps and plotting against the Somali governments is what they live for.

•It is time we say stop to these criminal warmongers.

•Now is the time for all true Somali patriots, citizens and countrymen to take part in every possible way in the rescue of the Somali nation from total disintegration and ruination at the hands of these extremely wicked warlords.

 

•Somalia can no more afford to remain in shackles and hand-cuffs.

•The Somali people can no longer remain passive spectators and onlookers while their motherland is headed for a fall.

 

•The country must be liberated from the domination of the warlords.

•A sure way to save Somalia is to stand in single file behind the federal government led by President AbdulahiYusuf Ahmed and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi. The Somali people must utilize this rare opportunity..

“Our Lord! Have Mercy on us from Yourself and guide us out of our ordeal.â€.

(Surat Al Kahf, verse 10)

[OLOL]

everything above was right to the point except the last point.

 

ninkii boqolka soomay ee baqtiga ku afuray baa noqotay - M.I.L.K......

 

Ina-Yeey is part and parcel of this warlordism. He is no exception. Actually, he is the progenitor, the orignitor, and the perpetuator. he is a short-sighted clannish hard-headed dictator and his policies are diabolically destructive and could ignite another disastrous civil war. He is consumed by hate and arrogance.

 

Let us not distinguish one warlord from the other. let us get rid all of them. the new Somali "FDERAL" transitional government is for the warlords, by the warlords. the whole charade was done to bring these warlords togather. they are all crooked hypocrites and anyone who supports one is another hypocrite.

 

 

this propping up campaighn ( by yeey's clansmen) of Ina-Yeey and demonization of his equals/colleagues/partners in crime is a sign of hypocrisy and creates suspicion and mistrust among other Somalis. as long we turn a blind eye one one warlord and support him becouse he is from our clan- we will remain doomed forever.

 

Hate all warlords. fight with them and get rid all of them. if you can't beat them, don't join them but work around them. use them as means to end...a better end than this status quo...

[rudy-Diiriye]

olol! homie! u shot it on the head!! i likes it!! bravo bro!! u laid it out it like its!!

 

now the q's is, what is it gonna take to make the clan cheerleaders to understand that they aint fooling nobody but themselves!!

 

aint this site of full of clan cheerleaders who think they can fool ppl!! but u can smell them a mile away!! holly smoke!! lol.... what a punch of hypcrites!! :confused:

[hot-ifrah]

that is true we can't afford another 15 yrs of bloodshed.

people need to stop this bulsh*t. qapil and move toward to democracy.