Somaliland: Boqor Buur-madow Arrested in Hargeisa

[Archdemos]

I feel a bit lost, i'm in uncharted territory in the politics section lol, surrounded by sharks such as Dr Osman and The Hermit. Two fellas who represent two sides of the same coin.

[Carafaat]

Archdemos, waad ka sii dartay. Free speech does exist. Under Kulmiye I have more freedom of speech then with UDUB. UDUB arrested all the Unionist, Kulmiye throws welcome back parties for them.

[Archdemos]

I'm talking about the right to offend this SL admin, not just general free speech. I have a general disdain for these Somali leaders who use the figment of an imaginary future to keep the masses from recognising and rebelling against their state of squalor. Panopticism at its finest. For crying out loud, put recognition on the backburner. The fact that we had to wait years for a measly $28 million water ‘infrastructure’ programme to be divvied up between 4 cities is a slap in the face. With a little organisation and an attitude of self-help the government could’ve done much better. Go about your business quietly, by all means have friends internationally but stop pushing the recognition agenda. RECOGNISE yourselves and try to meet the needs of everyday people the best you can. Having said all that this government is starting to take the right steps towards attracting foreign investment, at least they are starting to diversify their manifesto away from the singular cause of recognition.

 

Additionally the issues in the east are of serious concern and this admin will be judged largely on how it deals with this issue. Its a failure of politics and diplomacy that the eastern provinces want out of the SL 'experience'. We also have to be sympathetic to their will and decision. Can no carrots be extended to bring them back into the fold, were they ever an enthusiastic member? Either way SL has to be sympathetic to their cause otherwise it reeks of sheer hypocrisy given the history. what is the solution? i don't know but war is never an answer. Maybe SL could invite one of the many friendly INGO's to carry out a referendum in these areas with international observers to find out once and for all. I hear the admin in SL will be moving towards a federal approach to governance within SL with significant devolved powers going out from the centre in the near future. It will be interesting to note these developments and how they will be received in the east.

[Carafaat]

I am speechless. I thought Archdemos was a Unionist.

 

Archdemos, you are talking about bringing little sub-clans in to the fold, aniguna waxaan ku leeyahay Somali oo dhan aan isku keeno.

[Archdemos]

I am a realist my friend and a fair one at that. However i am all for development and good governance and home grown initiatives. Somalis destinies are inextricably linked, that much i can recognise. When people rebel noting can stop them. I am reminded of an Howard Zinn quote;

 

There is a tendency to think that what we see in the present moment will continue. We forget how often we have been astonished by the sudden crumbling of institutions, by extraordinary changes in people's thoughts, by unexpected eruptions of rebellion against tyrannies, by the quick collapse of systems of power that seemed invincible.’ (Zinn, A Power That Governments Can’t Suppress, City Lights, 2007, p.267)

[Taleexi]

Siilaanyo wax cusub ma samayn ee daaya odayga... nin sii liicaya falceliskan noocan ah waa lagu yaqaan.

[Archdemos]

Today we may be bickering about phantom clan borders but tomorrow our children may inhabit a very different space. Things can change very quickly and so does public opinion, but we also have to work with what we have in the current. There are certain constants in this dynamic landscape that serve to keep us united in spirit.