TFG Minister Recognises Somaliland By Osman Hassan

[Knight of Wisdom]

TFG Minister Recognises Somaliland By:-Osman Hassan

 

 

I was listening on Sunday evening to Mr. Abdisamad Maalin Mohamoud Sheikh Hassan, TFG’s Minister of the Interior, who was a host on VOA Somali Programme answering questions from listeners. Most of the questions were on Kenya’s invasion of Somalia, its legitimacy, the role of the TFG and the humanitarian consequences of this invasion. As a typical representative of a TFG office holder, the minister’s responses provided a valuable case study and insight into what they stand for. What amazed me is the blasé way that he viewed Kenya’s invasion- justifying and legitimising it as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, and even portraying it as a favour it was doing the Somali people to the extent it was fighting al Shabaab.

 

Tragically, the palpable qualms expressed by the listeners about Kenya’s violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, or its predatory territorial designs on Somalia was something not shared by the honourable Minister, or for that matters by the rest of his colleagues in the TFG. That includes among others, the Prime Minister and the Minister of defence both shamelessly acting as advocates for Kenya’s invasion.

 

But the blame for our national humiliation ultimately had to be put on the shoulder of the head of State, namely Sheikh Shariff. His off-on, flip-flopping stand on the invasion – first agreeing to it, then trying to wriggle out of it, and subsequently toeing the line dictated by Kenya – has done nothing to redeem his already tattered credibility. In a wider context, the frequent squabbles among the top echelons of the TFG, leading to predictable turnovers of Prime Ministers and governments, are rarely about disputes about national interest but clashes to defend what each sees as his turf or personal interest. If they are indifferent to the disrepute they brought upon their offices and themselves, they care even less about making Somalia a laughing stock among the international community.

 

Outsiders looking at Somalia’s tier government structure, encompassing the President, the Speaker of Parliament, the cabinet and parliament, would expect failure by one part of the system to be corrected by the other competent parts, for example the president or Parliament. But this is the case where these office holders are first and foremost men and women with exemplary integrity who put national interest above everything else, and/or have been elected and are accountable to their electorate. The lot we have are neither of this. The whole gamut of the TFG establishment have been imposed on Somalia by outsiders and it is to the outsiders that the leaders of the establishment owe their allegiance, are accountable to and seek support and legitimacy from. Hence their frequent trips to Addis Ababa, Kampala and Nairobi. This is the setting against which the minister’s answers about the invasion has to be seen.

 

Returning to the Minister and his answers, one listener from Hargeisa demanded whether the TFG would be ready to recognise Somaliland since southern Somalia is a failed State and Somaliland by contrast is a functioning democratic and peaceful entity? The Minister did not hesitate but was forthright and unambiguous in his answer: he said he would be happy, as far as he was concerned, to recognise Somaliland but added that it was a matter for the TFG as a government to recognise Somaliland. At least, the Minister is frank and consistent, for his support for Somalia’s dismemberment, entailing the recognition of Somaliland, is in line with his support for Kenya’s invasion of Somalia and its possible dismemberment of southern Somalia.

 

If the Minister’s outburst was shocking and incomprehensible to me, bordering as it is on treason, what made it even worse was that there was no negative reaction to the best of my knowledge to his statement from any source : whether from the TFG, TFP or the media. It is as if everyone shares the Minister’s position, or, to be more precise, southerners do not simply care anymore about Somalia’s unity.

 

The terrible thing about the endless bad news from Somalia for all these donkey years since the overthrow of President Mohamed Siyad Barreh in 1991 is that in the end one becomes inured to hearing or witnessing such bad things about our country that nothing seems to shock us anymore. In despair, those of us old enough look back with nostalgia to Somalia’s golden era from independence till the collapse of the Somali State in 1991, when the Somalis were redoubtable proud patriots, their government and leaders respected throughout Africa and the world, and its mighty army was the most feared in the region. It is an incredulous story for my children and the present day generation who have known nothing else but only downtrodden Somalia that is synonymous in the eyes of the world with failure, famine, lawlessness and a play ground for intervention by every Tom and Harry.

 

There was a time in 1967 when Mogadishu was shaken by the unbelievable discovery that a former foreign minister was after all an agent for Ethiopia. For weeks , people would talk about nothing else finding it incomprehensible that any Somali would betray his country for Ethiopia of all countries. And now, 44 years later, Somaliland, Puntland, other lands, and the TFG are in varying degrees agents of foreign governments. If there was shock in 1967 about one former Minister turned traitor, there is hardly a murmur in 2011 as the Minister’s pronouncements on Kenya’s invasion and Somaliland’s recognition symbolise.

When we had the warlords, we could at least comfort ourselves by envisioning a time when they would be replaced by educated principled leaders. Well, we did replace them with degree and PhD holders, professors, Sheikhs, you name them, and yet they all turn out to be no less venal, rapacious and puppets for neighbouring governments. As the Somali saying goes: ” Xeradayadu waa wada ul miidhan hadana mid la qaato ma leh”. (faced with equally bad lot, there is little or no room for choice)

 

An Ethiopian Amhara who used to harbour pathological hatred for Meles Zenewi and his Tigrians for overthrowing Mengestu Haile Marian and thereby ending the Amhara domination of Ethiopia has now confessed to me his admiration for him, not so much for his economic transformation of Ethiopia and its status in the world but above all for ending the menace of Somalia and fragmenting it into mini Bantustans under Ethiopia’s hegemony. There is much parallel between the year 1884 when colonisers carved up the Somali homeland into five parts and 2011 when Ethiopia has partitioned it into disparate parts all under its dominion.

 

And now Kenya wants to have a bit of the spoils and establish its own client regions if not grab Jubaland altogether. Sheikh Sheriif and company only hold fancy titles and make money on the sidelines but otherwise they wield no power, control no country, enjoy no public support or legitimacy. Just as other European colonisations in the 20th Century were forced to end, similarly Ethiopia’s de facto hegemony over Somalia in the 21 Century is unsustainable and is bound to end sooner or later, although what kind of Somalia will in the end emerge is open to conjecture.

 

Somaliland’s secessionist supporters never miss an opportunity to remind us unionists from the north that the notion of union is a dead in southern Somalia and that it is only “bone-headed, out of touch” people from the north, notably from the SSC regions, who are still blindly hooked to united Somalia if not Greater Somalia. There is much truth in what they say but it is a psychological war on us, in addition to their occupation of our regions, to give up on Somalia and succumb to the secession. That will never work.

 

The support for Somali unity may have withered in southern Somalia but the SSC people -and also those in other unionist regions in the north, such as Awdal region- are presently the remaining fountain of Somali nationalism and by default the standard defenders of Somali unity. Unlike other region in Somalia, the SSC is the only one that is on the one hand part of former British Somaliland but more importantly is the bridge that binds northern and Southern Somalia. The goal of Somaliland’s occupation of parts of the SSC regions is to de-link it from the rest of Somalia if it is to gain recognition. The SSC for their part are fighting, with no help from the rest of Somalia or the TFG, to remain part of Somalia and maintain Somalia’s unity. They are bound to succeed. The problem facing Somalia’s unity is not so much Somaliland’s secession as the failure of southerners to put their house in order. Once they do that, Somalia’s unity, including the current secessionist enclave, is assured.

 

By Osman Hassan

Email: osman.hassan2@gmail.com

Source SSCpress

www.sscpress.com

Daalacday:83

Short URL: http://boocameonline.com/?p=21687

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

He knows somaliland could help somalia more as an independent republic instead of being unrecognized it also would open up some dialogue and good new relations between the two countries. It would take away all hostilities between the two countries side by side mutual interest but this has a long way to go. Since both sides don't agree on key issues this will only create deeper holes between them.

[Knight of Wisdom]

Xaaji Xunjuf;759149 wrote:

He knows somaliland could help somalia more as an independent republic

instead of being unrecognized it also would open up some dialogue and good new relations between the two countries. It would take away all hostilities between the two countries side by side mutual interest but this has a long way to go. Since both sides don't agree on key issues this will only create deeper holes between them.

So, let me get your rationale. The Administration of the Triangle in North-Western Somalia would provide more help to Somalia if they are separated from Somalia, than they would if they were to stay as part of Somalia? *Scratches his head*

[Shinbir Majabe]

one listener from Hargeisa demanded whether the TFG would be ready to recognise Somaliland since southern Somalia is a failed State and Somaliland by contrast is a functioning democratic and peaceful entity? The Minister did not hesitate but was forthright and unambiguous in his answer: he said he would be happy, as far as he was concerned, to recognise Somaliland but added that it was a matter for the TFG as a government to recognise Somaliland. At least, the Minister is frank and consistent, for his support for Somalia’s dismemberment, entailing the recognition of Somaliland, is in line with his support for Kenya’s invasion of Somalia and its possible dismemberment of southern Somalia.

Been badanaa! here is the full interview.

[Knight of Wisdom]

Gaacuur;759159 wrote:

Been badanaa!

here is the full interview.

Can you please elaborate on that. Is the TFG minister being accused wrongfully? Is he Anti-Somaliland?

[Shinbir Majabe]

He never said he is ready to recognize SL, he said it's not up to him but personally he is happy for them for what they did (nabadda iyo maamulkooda)..

[Knight of Wisdom]

Gaacuur;759161 wrote:

He never said he is ready to recognize SL, he said it's not up to him but personally he is happy for them for what they did (nabadda iyo maamulkooda)..

Oh okay. So, let's be honest here. When we are talking about "Somaliland", which area are we talking about?

 

We know Sool, Sanaag and Cayn is a hostile zone. Not part of Somaliland nor Puntland. So, why can't we be specific and say that the only areas that are "peace" are the one-clan dominated regions of Togdheer, Waqooyi Galbeed iyo Berbera.

 

Am I correct?

[Shinbir Majabe]

Am I correct?

of course, you're correct! i think the Minister didn't talk about this issue deeply, whether Sool, Sanaag and Cayn are part of Somaliland or Somalia.. the whole interview was about the current Kenyan invasion.

[Knight of Wisdom]

Gaacuur;759164 wrote:

of course, you're correct!

i think the Minister didn't talk about this issue deeply, whether Sool, Sanaag and Cayn are part of Somaliland or Somalia.. the whole interview was about the current Kenyan invasion.

Gaacuur, do you think Somaliland or SNM has the right to separate from Somalia and along with them take not only their clan-territory, but with3 other major clans that are Non-SNM affiliate and Anti-Secession?

[Jacaylbaro]

Bacaaaaaaaaaaaaac at its best

[ToughGong.]

Knight of Wisdom;759167 wrote:

Gaacuur, do you think Somaliland or SNM has the right to separate from Somalia and along with them take not only their clan-territory, but with3 other major clans that are Non-SNM affiliate and Anti-Secession?

 

Lol

[Shinbir Majabe]

I think anyone has the right to do anything unless it conflicts with the Law.. they have to deal with Somalia if they want separation.

 

I'm not familiar with "reer Wokhooyi;)" but if there is 3 major clans that are anti-secession it will be impossible for them to even dream about it..

[Knight of Wisdom]

Gaacuur;759185 wrote:

I think anyone has the right to do anything unless it conflicts with the Law.. they have to deal with Somalia if they want separation.

 

I'm not familiar with "reer Wokhooyi;)" but

if there is 3 major clans that are anti-secession it will be impossible for them to even dream about it

..

Lol, exactly !

[Carafaat]

Knight of Wisdom;759142 wrote:

TFG Minister Recognises Somaliland By:-Osman Hassan

 

 

If the Minister’s outburst was shocking and incomprehensible to me, bordering as it is on treason, what made it even worse was that there was no negative reaction to the best of my knowledge to his statement from any source : whether from the TFG, TFP or the media. It is as if everyone shares the Minister’s position, or, to be more precise,

southerners do not simply care anymore about Somalia’s unity.

 

 

By Osman Hassan

Email:

osman.hassan2@gmail.com

Source

SSC

press

www.sscpress.com

Daalacday:83

Short URL:

http://boocameonline.com/?p=21687

Quite shocking that everyone cares only about their own situation and interest.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Looool@ carafaat nin waliba tiisa u cad