Is federalism a solution in Southern Somalia ?,

[Khadafi]

I good old friend of mine came to my house for Iftar. After some 19 hours hours of fasting and a dreadful nicotine addiction that we both have, our eyes were on the clock, the 14 minutes to the fast felt as year. The old friend mine hails from Galgadud those who took the lands of southern isolated Somali communities in the south by force, , nevertheless he was my good friend. We broke the fast and feasted upon food that probably took hours for my wife to make.

 

I dont need to say the qaylo and nagging I I got from her when ever when I want to invite some friends of mine for breaking the fast with me.

 

As we smoked our delightful cigarette and drank our coffee as we begun to talk about currents events in Somalia. My friendhas always been an optimist, If you asked him if Somalis would be able to go to the moon in 40 years he was one to say yes and then come with good arguments for it. If he resembles someone in his opportunism in Sol it would probably Chimera. Thats maybe why I consider him a good friend of him. We talked about our nation and our people but what we asked ourselves was is federalism as a political system viable for Somalia?. In northern Somalia were have nomadic-pastorlists with clear boundaries (Puntland, Somali-land) It could work but what about for Southern Somalia?.

 

In order to answer the question we need to define the inhabitants of southern Somalia. The tuuloyiinka of the shabelle region and the costal cities have never had the culture of geeljireyaal (nomads). They were beereleey and in the coastal citiesof Baraawa and Muqdisho Marka they were fishermen. The communities were mixed and had their own mosaic culture based upon distinct ancient kingdoms. My friend of-course objected to this and said that this was historical revisionism but

then I said to him who defined the "official Somali history"?. For 21 years the official ideology was soomaliweyn. The above mentioned isolated communities were forced to learn the history of the Sayidka and other historical events that they had little intrestr in or had relevance in their lively hood.

 

Siyaad Barre Ilaahay ha u naxariisto did a lot great things but of one of his greatest mistakes was of course that he defined the state official history to how he (pastroralism) understood it. Real issues without romanticizing the events in Somalia is very bleak. For a start, what defines the federalism or should I say clan-federalism? What is the relationship or the obligations upon the central government and the federal clan-states? Who has the final say in regarding taxation?

 

Most importantly who defines the clan-boundaries in the mosaic cultural mixed southern Somali shabelle states?. Will it be that the clan with most guns takes it all as in winners takes everything?. Baraawe and Marka has always been inhabited by certain somali-ethnic groups that lived in symbiosis with each other, after the 1991 war everything changed. We have my old good friend whom I had a delightful iftar with ruling the city with force and confiscating fertile lands that does not belong him.

 

People need to discuss these things before rushing into ill-defined political concepts that I fear will further put flames to the war rather then finding a long lasting political solution.

[Haatu]

People have always lived in the South and I'm sure the people from those regions know who comes from where. What's occurring currently is dulmi which has no bearing on federalism. It's simple boob.

[Khadafi]

Haatu;970719 wrote:

People have always lived in the South and I'm sure the people from those regions know who comes from where. What's occurring currently is dulmi which has no bearing on federalism. It's simple boob.

People have always lived in the south, but the power structure have sxb changed without a doubt after the civil war, My points raised in the thread were:

 

A) What is the definition of the federalism (aka clan-states)

B) What obligations does the clan state has towards the central government.

C) Most importantly who defines the clan-state borders.

 

We saw the jubba frenzy where the outcome was the one with most guns and most foreign support gains everything, meaning winners take it al. And of course because of the segmentary line of the clanship how will it succeed in towns like Baraawe and Baladwayn and Marka. These questions needs to be answered.

 

Nothing lasts for ever, some day the Amisom forcers will retreat from Somalia ( when the dollars end the ugandans will certainty go home just like the Ethiopians did.

 

Moonlight posted a thread about indigenous clans taking up arms against certain clans that took large fertile areas by force in 1991. Is this and grabbing clan-state federalist experiment a factor for another inter-clan Somali civil war. just as professor Mukhtar put forward in his essay. Haatu, I love your optimism but we have a long way to go. ,

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

in Somalia if u have guns you take what you can take if you dont than you will be a loser this is the truth.

Thats why the Habr gangster and the watermaliyans are fighting for the owner ship of the lower shabelle. The same with the lower juba although in the lower juba the kenyans were supporting a clan.

[Johnny B]

Federalism is a solution for all Somalia.

[Carafaat]

Khadafi;970773 wrote:

People have always lived in the south, but the power structure have sxb changed without a doubt after the civil war, My points raised in the thread were:

 

A) What is the definition of the federalism (aka clan-states)

B) What obligations does the clan state has towards the central government.

C) Most importantly who defines the clan-state borders.

Very important questions. The very suggestion of 'federalism' to be implemented could lead to a new civil war. From Kismayo, to Marka, Beletweyn, all the way to Mudug, folks are busy fighting eachother in order to establish rivaling clan states.

[Cambuulo iyo bun]

Khadafi habar Aji of dhusamareeb and nim'aale of galmudug lived in the shabelles for hundred years so they are natives of shabelle hoose

[Khadafi]

Carafaat;970820 wrote:

Very important questions. The very suggestion of 'federalism' to be implemented could lead to a new civil war. From Kismayo, to Marka, Beletweyn, all the way to Mudug, folks are busy fighting eachother in order to establish rivaling clan states.

Thats what I am saying carafaat, This whole clan-state federalism project might lead to new conflicts. When nomands with no clear boundaries start to fence their land for the sake of clanstatehood we might have conflicts. I think that professor Said S Samatar posed these questions in the mid 90-ties when some were thing pf federelism as a solution for Somalia. It simply doesn't work in southern Somalia. It seems that everyone is sticking their heads into ground and pretending that these important questions will be answered in the future.

 

Johnny B, Could you explain way you think federalism is the solution? (Känner att du **** så på grund av det inte finns något alternativ)

 

People have always lived in the south, but the power structure have sxb changed without a doubt after the civil war, My points raised in the thread were:

 

A) What is the definition of the federalism (aka clan-states)

B) What obligations does the clan state has towards the central government.

C) Most importantly who defines the clan-state borders.

 

[N.O.R.F]

^Its a case of sorting out the details post constitution and post new government. The difficulty is in trying to appease every clan. To date, I haven't seen a definition of federalism in the Somalia context but clan states was always innevitable. There is nothing wrong with this per say and when the dust settles it will hopefully bring about a lasting peace. No one can complain about another clan imposing themselves in their region. Things like education, health and defence should be run at federal level but everything can be run by the local govnts (development, tax etc). Win win in theory.

 

But can Somalis see and understand this?