Leaked US diplomatic cables reveal why Azania will not materialize

[Gabbal]

Azania is a recent entity declared and headquartered in neighboring Kenya that seeks to unite the southern-most Somalia regions of Gedo, Middle Jubba, and Lower Jubba into a federal state part of the future federal system of Somalia. Reportedly it is supported by Kenya and vehemently opposed by Ethiopia and the US (according to leaked US diplomatic cables). The entity was formulated and is led by Professor Mohamed Abdi Ghandi, who once served as the Minister of Defense in the current TFG built through the Djibouti Process. He was part of the ARS-Djibouti group and was reportedly very close to President Sheikh Sharif which is how he came to find himself a member of the TFG. Originally he is a professor of anthropology at Sorbonne University in Paris.

 

Ideally, you would expect a man who was part of the alliance for the re-liberation of Somalia, and an educated professor no less, to be sincere in his dealings with regards to the attempts to find solutions to the intractable Somalia political quagmire. This seems not to be the case. The man who attempts to unite these regions having history in bitter and contested civil war tribal battles, particularly for the city of Kismaayo which is the principal city in the state, seems to be evincing a tribal warlord mentality with divisionary tactics as revealed by leaked US diplomatic cables.

 

For a man who has on the outset given himself the reputation of being an honest educated man intent on uniting Somalis in that state and is campaigning specifically within the Gedo community to be seen as a man they could trust and works for the interest of all the people in the state, according to diplomatic cables he is anything but that;

 

"Gandi" said the offensive must take place

before mid-October in order to take advantage of current

weather conditions that complicate al-Shabaab's efforts to

re-supply through the port of Kismayo. The force in Lower

Juba will consist of [Dhoobley] clan militia but will not

include [Gedo clan] militia from the Gedo region.

Gandi

said [Gedo clan] involvement in the effort to take Kismayo would

be

"horrible"

and stated firmly

"the [Gedo clan] can not go to

Kismayo."

 

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/08/09NAIROBI1732.html

The Juba Offensive described by "Gandi," despite

obvious differences in emphasis and motivation, appears to

have in common with Madobe's initiative

an understanding that

any push into Kismayo should be

predominantly

[Dhoobley clan]-led.

 

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/08/09NAIROBI1732.html

The good professor states these divisionary and very partisan tribal opinions (he is from the Dhoobley clan) concerning one of the most contested cities in civil war Somalia, which is at the heart of the 20 year tribal wars in the Jubba Valley, and which leaked US diplomatic cables reveal has a population with the "Gedo clan" as a majority;

 

(Comment: While President Yusuf is from the [Puntland]

sub-clan,

the [clan] presence in Kismaayo is

largely from the

[Gedo] sub-clan. End Comment.)

 

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/02/08ADDISABABA286.html

¶5. (SBU) Kismayo has been the locus of a long-standing conflict

between the region's [Greater D] sub-clans. The city has changed hands

several times in the recent past and some have estimated that it has

been controlled by 30 different regimes (mostly clan-based) since

¶1991.

The [Dhoobley clan], last week's winners,

have a power base

outside Kismayo, and are unlikely to be welcome for the long term by

Kismayo's citizenry, the majority of whom are [Gedo clan].

Our

contacts question how long this Kismayo coalition of convenience

between local clans, ICU remnants, and al-Shabaab can hold together,

given the city's past, its clan makeup, and likelihood of

disagreements over sharing power and port revenues.

 

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/08/08NAIROBI2032.html

Now if the professor took the position that his clan militias should be the only militia allowed to be in Dhoobley or Afmadoow, it is understandable. However, to take a position resembling one of the many Jubba Valley warlords with regards to the diverse and cosmopolitan city of Kismaayo (a place which according to the leaked diplomatic cables has a population in the majority consisting of the clan the professor explained would be "horrible" (for his clan interests) to be allowed to be part of Kismaayo's liberation from Al Shabaab) is a reflection of the kind of man he is, the greater objectives behind his "Azania" entity, ultimately why those objectives will not materialize, and why he risks destabilizing and dividing the population of Jubbaland even more.

[nuune]

Waxan maad naga deysaan, Buzaaniya iyo jinkaas, iyo meel hebel baa la leeyahay iyo qolodaa baa dadka, it doesn't make sense at all, in reality, qof ama meel gaar u leh ma jiro, in another reality, qof ama qabiil walba dhulka Soomaaliya wey wada leeyihiin laakinse gaar uma lahan, but another reality, in Somalia's maddess of goboleysi, my points doesn't make sense, and of course, I migt have dissapointed my friend Gabbal and the Buzaaniya crew.

 

 

 

Ps: For some strange reasons, I thought Gabbal was pro Buzaaqiya, only until the Fiilada-Fakatey(Cable Leaks) that Gandhi oo afka furtey waxaas aa professor lagaa dhahaa.

[Abtigiis]

I knew Azania is for my clan simply by looking at the happy face of the uncles I meet. They all seem to worship Gandhi and when I raise concerns, I am the uninitiated. Whoever rules Kismayo is not my conern. Just get rid of the barbarians and establish a city where all can go out and work. Whether the asthethically challenged professor gets a perch in my name is not a matter of concern to me.

 

Abolish all these clan entities Somaliland, Puntland, and the multitude others which only serve the interests of few men looking for posts and perchs. It is utopian, it is wishful thinking. But I have always said I rather embrace unachieveable beautiful dream than a stinking clan cause under the pretext of pragmatism. That is Xinnfanin and Faroole's philosophy. Not mine.

 

And I oppose Ethiopia because I oppose clonialism,occupation and injustice. Not because I have a problem with the Ethiopians as a people.

[Gabbal]

Nuune, I have not once supported "Azania." In fact, on the occasion of Ghandi's "election" as president of "Azania", I wrote this in this board;

 

Gabbal;707938 wrote:

I have known of the project before you had heard of it and privy to more of the details than Kismaayonews can glean off from official stationary. It is noble and seems to follow the skeleton of the general state, but it is not going anywhere adeer. Ghandi is an anthropologist; he is not a politician and nor really a leader. The construct form of Jubbaland is agreed upon by many in the region but many actors (including international backers) have competing attempts to monopolize the name and Ghandi, rather than being different and bringing a different context, seems to have joined the game of monopolization on behalf of a section of Kenya's foreign ministry. It is fine and dandy when you partake in the game from international hotels, but it is a different ballgame when you want to implement where it really matters.

 

He has fallen out with the TFG, he has fallen out with AMISOM, Ethiopia is highly suspicious of it, the Dollow armed movement considers it just another faction in competition, and all this while Shabaab is firmly in control of the land. You have made the name in paper, how will you carry it to Kismaayo?

 

http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/54595-Prof.-Gandi-First-Elected-President-of-Azania-State-of-Somalia?p=707938&viewfull=1#post707938

Abtigiis, Xiin is not really a pragmatist. That perception exists because he opines carefully. However, he always takes positions in a fairly predictable manner that revolve around personal interests concerning him and which might be rooted in reasons many will need to examine closely before noticing underlying motivations.

 

As for what you consider pragmatism; I will show you real pragmatism here. I think Shabaab's current hold on the city is a force stabilizer. The city is not in any clan's hands and no clan feels an immediate and blinding need to first engage militarily before anything else. They have removed that from the equation which has given every clan a timeout to cool heads and look at the situation closely. What should be the solution for the intractable problem in the Jubba Valley? How will these clans in the valley unite in a federal state (a design all the clans agree on) that is fair, just, and equitable between all? Will compromise be accepted with regards to the city of Kismaayo? Should this be achieved through war or peacefully? Is war in the interest of any since it is never ending and leads to perpetual instability?

 

These are all issues that must be discussed and reached a consensus on before you re-open the gates of Kismaayo to the wrath of clannish competition.

[Jacaylbaro]

^ ^ Says who ??? .....

[Dabrow]

Good post Abtigis, kismayo should be free for all somalis to go. Ghandi has killed this project called Azania, eitherway it was not even a somali solution.

[Carafaat]

The good people of Kismaayo dont need another Dhoobley or Gedo led clan militia. They have ousted these clan militia back in the 90's. The whole reason why Kismaayo is of the biggest strong holds of Al Shabaab, is that they are fed up with clan militia's and need justice and governance free of clan militia's.

 

Some people still dont get it.

[The Zack]

War baa ka dhacay! First of all not everything on Wikileaks is necessarily true, I take a lot of cables with qandhuufo cusbo ah but what is ironic is that Gabbal now believes that reer Gedo are now the majority of Kismaayo Loooooooool.

 

 

P.s. Odayaasha OG calaacalka baan ku nacay hadda eeg nuune iyo abtigiis. Dee orda puntland taageera waayahee haddaad Azania diideen. Alleylahe xiin iyo Ngonge baa idinka fiican, somalinimo dhimatay baad dabaordeysaan.

[yahya007]

well said carafaat, The so called proffessor is self elected , his main agenda has now been known and confirmed by the whistle blower. promotion of a clan who has a lesser say in the region ,a clan which mainly settles in Kenya .So he is promoting a warlordism system in a smarter way to oust the majority. better use other tactics Mr prof ?

[Carafaat]

Yahya the same goes for those militia's residing in Gedo who have captured the city multiple times and have been ousted everytime, even from their own region of Gedo due to bad governance, warlord mentality and clannism.

[Abtigiis]

Of all the Somali clans I interacted with, I find MY OWN clan the least clannish. Some say that is a curse, but I think it is a virtue. Maybe, it is because the one's I have seen from my clan happen to be pre-occupied with the hostility with Ethiopia. I don't believe they are biologically better than the rest. However, when it comes to Kismayo, they are equally if not more clannish.

 

Zack, don't compare us with Ngonge and Xiinfanin. For the former, it is like a religious duty. That particular clan is the Jewish of the Somalis. They can't live without clan identity. For the latter, it is politico-economic survival. Puntland elites simply believe they cannot survive without taking a big share in governments. If that is not granted, they prefer the bus to crash. I have observed this over the years.

 

And rooting for one's own clan is a disgrace not raganimo.

 

Gabbal, you are right. Xinn is not a pragmatist. He simulates pragmatism. He is what Faroole is. I am disappoined with him. A man of such calibre should not have allowed himself to be enveloped by the misfit Ilmo-adeers around. Have you observed how Xinn was perfuming the ugly political behind of the ultra clannish Faroole last week? I mean when Abdiwali's Somalia become more acceptable than a Shariif or Farmaajo Somalia?

[NGONGE]

Abtigiis;744973 wrote:

Of all the Somali clans I interacted with, I find MY OWN clan the least clannish. Some say that is a curse, but I think it is a virtue. Maybe, it is because the one's I have seen from my clan happen to be pre-occupied with the hostility with Ethiopia. I don't believe they are biologically better than the rest. However, when it comes to Kismayo, they are equally if not more clannish.

 

Zack, don't compare us with Ngonge and Xiinfanin. For the former, it is like a religious duty. That particular clan is the Jewish of the Somalis. They can't live without clan identity. For the latter, it is politico-economic survival. Puntland elites simply believe they cannot survive without taking a big share in governments. If that is not granted, they prefer the bus to crash. I have observed this over the years.

 

And rooting for one's own clan is a disgrace not raganimo.

 

Gabbal, you are right. Xinn is not a pragmatist. He simulates pragmatism. He is what Faroole is. I am disappoined with him. A man of such calibre should not have allowed himself to be enveloped by the misfit Ilmo-adeers around. Have you observed how Xinn was perfuming the ugly political behind of the ultra clannish Faroole last week? I mean when Abdiwali's Somalia become more acceptable than a Shariif or Farmaajo Somalia?

Hadaa waa ninkii mar dhaweeto laha "when I meet OG odayal...."

[The Zack]

ATT. :D dhulka hanagu jiidin dheh.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Maxaad tidhaahdeen cable baa azaaniya dIiday ah

[yahya007]

Abtigiis;744973 wrote:

I mean when Abdiwali's Somalia become more acceptable than a Shariif or Farmaajo Somalia?

off all those who are in the political field in Somalia ,the true leader who posses no clanish ideology is FARMAJO. He actually achieved what others could not achieve in 20 years.

secondly : who appointed Abdiweli gaas ? the generous Farmajo.

back to the topic : GEDO clan has actually graduated from Alshabab barbarism and co-exists with the TFG troops.

the cables also reveal that the Gedo clan are the majority. why so ? have you had of general Bara Hiraale ? come with facts abti