Somalis Have an Attitude Problem

[ugo]

Al Shabaab continues to survive because their appeal to Somali nationalism, and the idea that Somalis are superior to all their neighbors (which is one reason Somalis have been preying on their neighbors for centuries) appeals to enough young men to provide new recruits. Aligning itself with al Qaeda brings in foreign recruits and cash donations. This is not unique in Somali history, mainly because Somalis have something of an attitude problem. This is a combination of an attitude of superiority (simply by being Somali) and an ethical code that tends towards “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.” Thus Somali migrants tend to get into trouble with the law a lot wherever they end up and are among the most unpopular migrants. Somalis denounce this as discrimination, racism, jealousy or whatever they can get away with. In short, Somalis do not play well with others or each other.

 

The Somali pirates have been beaten but are still out there. The Somali pirates captured no ships in 2013. Compare that to 2012 when 14 were taken, 2011 when 28 were, 2010 saw 47 grabbed and 2009 had 46 hijacked. Each of these ships yielded, on average, several million dollars in ransom. That kind of money attracted a lot more people to the business. Most of those eager seagoing brigands have sought other work. Meanwhile the “Pirate Coast” (where pirates are most active) is now off West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. Most of the pirates in the Gulf of Guinea are Nigerians and they attacked 31 ships and briefly hijacked nine of them in 2013. The Nigerian pirates have no safe place to keep captured ships while a large ransom is negotiated. Instead they rob ships they attack and quickly leave. In some cases they arrange to hijack much of the cargo, usually at sea, by transferring to another ship at night and then scampering away before the navy or police show up. Sometimes a few of the ships’ officers are kidnapped for ransom. Off Somalia the pirate threat continues to cost shipping companies several billion dollars a year in additional costs. This is passed on to their customers and boosts shipping expenses less than one percent overall (but several percent for some East African customers).

 

In the south, along the Kenyan border the 3,400 Kenyan peacekeepers and their clan militia allies have brought a sense of peace and security largely absent from the area for twenty years. The effectiveness of these efforts can be measured by the growing number of Somali refugees returning from a huge (over 500,000 people) refugee camp just across the border in Kenya. Despite that success not enough of those refugees are leaving and Kenya is at odds with the UN over what to do. Kenya fears a lot of the refugees want to settle permanently in Kenya and given problems with Al Shabaab terror attacks in Kenya over the last few years there has been a popular backlash against Somalis in Kenya (and elsewhere in Africa). There is growing tension between Kenyan Christians and Somalis. About ten percent (4 million) of Kenyans, mostly along the coast, are Moslem and most of these are ethnic Somalis. There has always been some Islamic radical activity among Kenyan Moslems, but the police have been particularly attentive to it after Kenyan Moslems were found to be involved in terrorist operations in the 1990s.

 

To the north of the border region Somali government forces and foreign peacekeepers struggle to control bandits and al Shabaab. Sometimes it is difficult to tell these two groups apart. Both establish illegal roadblocks and rob those who come along. The government has promised to eliminate these illegal roadblocks but that is proving to be a hard promise to keep. The best thing the security forces have going for them is the growing unpopularity of al Shabaab. The Islamic terrorist groups used to have a lot of popular support because of the security the group imposed and their religious demeanor. That all went away when al Shabaab sought to impose strict (and very unpopular) lifestyle rules and many of the al Shabaab gunmen became as troublesome as the bandits (who have always been a problem in Somalia, where many feel it is OK to steal from others as long as they belong to a different clan.)

 

 

A few exaggerations but mainly on the point. i have been repeating the same message for some time. This deadbeat nation will have to sort out its attitude before it makes any headway. somalis and south sudanese share many characteristics.

[thefuturenow]

^ Is this your diary?

[Hawdian]

UGO waad isnacdey ilen , tago is ass , waayo aduunka nacas woo ka buxa. On the point let me know when you act upon this .

[Qunyar Socod]

You sound stressed bro. Go hang yourself

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Rubish. Qof wareersan waxaan qoray.

[Alpha Blondy]

<cite>

@ugo

said:</cite> somalis and south sudanese share many characteristics.

 

oh yeah?

 

that's funny. it is said the Dinka are lazy, petty and malevolent in their ways. i can see what you mean, here.

[Coofle]

that is not attitude its called being uncivilized and barbaric....the paragraph in bold could be easily summarized in uncivilized and barbaric...as much as I like Somalis and as much as I am proud that I am somali, as much as I have that awkward feeling of being to superior to Indhayarta (asians),Jar.eerta(Africans),cimaamadlayda (arabs), Cadaanka (Whites simply) and similar racist words...it boils down to the fact that I am an uncivilized barbaric brute..... in every civilization that existed living harmoniously was a condition although peace was not.