Fathers of independence forgotten in Somalia

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Fathers of independence forgotten in Somalia

 

 

The founding fathers of the Somali Independence

by Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

 

The subdivision of what was once called as ‘the great Somalia’ or SOOMAALI WEYN, which has now descended into small clan-based semiautonomous states, is mainly attributed to the loss of the memorial services that Somali people used to observe each year with the arrival of the Somali youth day the 15th May which was on Wednesday not remembered as used to be, although small congregations have been observed in some places, but that doesn’t really match how to commemorate such prestigious day.

 

To the record of my remembrance for the past 16 years I have been a mature, Somali people across the country or elsewhere around the world used to share ideas and suggestions on how to make pre-arrival preparations for the memorial services of the day which used to be held in and outside the country.

 

That was always taking place even at least two or three months, before the arrival of 15th May, the foundation day of Somali Youth council SYC in 143, which later changed into Somali Youth League SYL. But no colourful events have been seen this year, whilst no one can predict what has been wrong with the millions of Somalis around the globe.

 

Imagine, in the capital Mogadishu, or the provincial capital of the semiautonomous state of Puntland, as elsewhere in the country used to host huge celebrations which started a day before and continued through the night of the 15th May, whilst small luxury cars used to be seen travelling in streets with covered the flag of Somalia in big cities and small villages across the country, but that didn’t happen even through Wednesday night of the 15th May.

 

Instead of that, leaders of the federal government of Somalia have been sharing discussions and consultations on how to react to the outcome of the Kismayo conference that elected a regional state president which the federal government recognised as an illegal administration which didn’t come with the consent of the people living in the southern Jubba regions, where former Islamist warlord Ahmed Mohamed Islan (Madoobe) has been elected as the Jubba Land state president on Wednesday.

 

The city of Garowe which is the provincial capital of the semiautonomous Somali state of Puntland, was the same as any other big cities in Somalia, as no word of the 15th May day was even mentioned at the presidential palace or at any other governmental complex.

 

But, instead the president of Puntland Abdirahman Sheik Mohamed (Faroole) appeared in the news headlines around the country sending congratulations to the president elected of Jubba Land state Ahmed Madoobe, forgetting to say about the 15th of May.

 

“I am extremely happy to hear about the very positive news that has just emerged from the constitutional meeting which has been under way in Kismayo and elected Sheik Ahmed Madoobe as a president, we hope success for the president elected and his government” Punland state president Abdirahman faroole said at a press conference, while sitting at a small park in his presidential palace in Garowe, just few minutes after the announcement of the election.

 

“The outcome of Kismayo meeting is a great failure to all who were against it—I urge the federal government to support the outcome of the months-long Kismayo conference, like wise I call IGAD and the rest of the international community to support it” President Faroole toldthe media on Wednesday.

 

But in reaction, prime minister of the federal government of Somalia Abdi Farah Shirdoon has appointed a 16-member facilitation committee which he said will work on the process of reconciliation of the southern Jubba regions. In a press statement the prime minister said the duties of the committee include to work on how to form a future regional state in the regions, which means his government doesn’t accept the outcome of Kismayo meeting which the prime minister himself previously described as an unconstitutional’ which wasn’t compatible with the federal charter.

 

The same as the president of Puntland, did the prime minister of Somalia who hasn’t mentioned about the 15th May in his statement which was broadcasted in the state media on Wednesday, something that all Somalis are asking themselves about why the prime minister of a nation didn’t even say a single word on the fathers of independence.

 

“The 15th May was the sole day of our fathe4rs of independence in the whole year and I am really disappointed by the behaviour of our leaders who are messing around with something else and forgetting the importance of this day “former table tennis national team member Abdirahman Ali Mire told the media.

 

“It is really a great misfortune that even never happened in the era of warlords, Somali government and other regional states will be accounted for the loss of 15th May celebrations this year” Mire added.

 

However, the capital Mogadishu has seen a small congregation organized by a group of young boys and girls called ‘SYL II’ which was held in an open ground in the capital in the attendance of some low profile PMs, women and children. The president, the Prime minister, the speaker of parliament of their ministers have not event taken part in the youth-organized congregation of they failed to organize themselves.

 

However that was the end of how the 15th of May has passed us this year the 2013.