A journey to my tribal homeland.

[burahadeer]

<cite>

@Tallaabo

said:</cite>

I look forward to reading the anti-Somaliland part of this

story.

 

 

that's his gist.

He want us believe that streets r sold, may be in Borama!

Anyone who goes to major towns will see how many roads being built inside, apart from town to town,besides mayors r elected by voters since 2004.

In terms of corruption,won't say it won't exist but this admin has done much in terms of development and most of the ministers are either highly educated or competent.Fact is its well liked by majority of populace and anyone who fair enough will tell you so.

[galbeedi]

The good, the bad and the ugly.

 

 

The ugly: We all have extended families. Some are doing very well economically, others are average and some are poor. You do your best to help as much as you can. Some research done by Amoud University found that up 71% of the local households in Borama receive money from their families in the diaspora. That shows the Somali diaspora has more contribution than anyone else. contribution. Some families need more than other, and some men do take care for the well being of their dependent Families, but others, do not care other than their daily khat. They will not ask you a gallon of oil or a kilo of rice for their families. all they ask you is " qaadka Noo qaad". I went to one of the food stores ( Bakhaarka), and gave the shopkeeper the list of the families that I would like to help. I told him, give these twenty families each, a bag of rice, sugar and a can of canola oil. It does cost about $80 dollars each. It was the best sadaqa one can do. When the khat chewing guy comes, " waar qaadkayga maad na siisid" , I tell him a gave the khat to your wife. The ugly men of khat are selfish. At the same time you must give as much khat as possible for the first few days. While giving some khat is okay both as gift and some economic uplifting for the lady selling the thing, it was also self interest on my part. Since generosity is a great aspect of Somaliland culture, I don't want to be labeled as "Gacantii Go'day ".

 

The Good ( nololi waa haween)

 

Although they care the extended family , and neglected by the " qaad cun", The Somali women, the gatekeepers of Somali society will not dare to ask you for help. They treat you with honor when you visit the home, with the original tea " sanjibil iyo hayl lagu daray" and expect you to do the right thing. Even in the Diaspora, it is the somali women who bends the families together. Imagine, a country whose middle class, business class and everyone who had any form of education become refugees in a total collapse. In 1990, " shantii Soomaaliyeed" Mogadishu ayey iskugu yimaadeen. Hargeisa was in ruins in 1990, and after one year, somalis were scattered around the globe. Despite these calamities, the Somali family unit is intact. Most of these are attributed by the tenacity and patience of the Somali women. Imagine carrying an average of five to six kids in The Diaspora were the average family is one or two kids. They are good of Somali society.

 

While the majority of those who are involved in the government are incompetent, the private sector is totally different. Money transfer companies like, Dahabshiil, Amal and others are not only professionals but contribute a lot to the local economy. Unlike Djibouti were electric, water and telephone are controlled by a government monopoly, here it is really free enterprise. my family pays about $20 dollars for twenty four hour electricity a month, water is Ten dollars a month and telephone is ten dollars/month. The business community is leading the changes, not the government. Tree enterprise is is thriving. Even if you travel to the coastal area or any other region, the cell phone tower antenna is everywhere. It is one of the cheapest in the world. I did put in $20 dollar worth of airtime and I even called Canada and around the world why I was in small towns. Even People in Djibouti go to the outskirt of the city to access the Telesome Network antenna in Lowyacado. THe business class do not chew khat expect " Jimcaha". They are even open in the evenings. I say they are the Good of the society. All major transactions are done with American dollars. Since the Somaliland Shilling is created out of thin air, it is inflationary and unstable. While the Land gained some ground against the dollar last year it is basically a currensy for small transactions. If you want to exchange 200 dollars for the Land shilling, you must carry a grocery bag to carry it. Even for one hundred, you will get five bundles which can't be put in any pocket. When you see $1000 dollar worth of money carried in " kaariyoone" you feel this Somaliland project " waa arrin dani ku baday oo ku meel Gaadh ah".

 

Although Some paranoid members of the regime arrest journalists in Hargeisa and other places, there is a sense of freedom. Unlike Djibouti and Ethiopia, no one worries about the long arm of the state. I believe , if you remove the threat of Al-shabaab, Somalis everywhere will not accept any system which denies them freedom of speech and other democratic rights. In that sense Somaliland is not different. People here in general do not like aggressive authority either from police or any other entity.

 

In this picture the bad is the government. The only people among the government who are working hard are the district judges and the police. The judges are mostly religious scholars who both work for their communities and for hereafter. The Governor arrests people for petty reasons like, the insulted him or somebody said something bad in the media. Finally Siilaanyo came to his senses and fired him. Since then there were two more good governors, but the current one from Burco is different. While those who originated from Awdal were arresting people to keep Hirsi and the Palace happy, this guy did the opposite. I actually I was one of those who criticised these idea of swabbing governors which flies in the face of self rule.Under this governor, People can hold press conferences and denounce Siilaanyo or his government or any thing they dislike and he lets them bark as much as they like. in fact it is the freedom speech at it's best. Last year, there was a guy who was one of the leaders of Awdal state, well known in the media, who visited Borama and nothing happened to him. After he came back there were rumors that he was probably made some deal. We live in the same city and when he came back as I asked him jokingly " Waar bal ii waran, Waxaan maqlay in aad Madaxtooyada ku soo qayishay Xirsina ku soo Amababixiyee" He said " walaahi" I wanted to be arrested, but the governor did not want to raise any publicity or create the impression he is prosecuting people. He said that the governor sent me a an interlocutor who informed me that as long as you don't cause any instability, this is your home. HE also said, while I was having a tea at Rays hotel, he said hello and Joked and we exchanged few words. When I heard the story I said, well, the foxy community of Burco are finally learning the art of politics.

 

Education is thriving. It is mostly private. The freshmen in Amoud were around 900 students. 55% of those came from outside Awdal region. Over three thousand students who are attending Amoud, 1800 of them came from outside Awdal. the Faculty of education produses teachers both in Awdal and around all Somali territories. In fact they told us that there are Awdal teachers in puntland, Sool, Jawhar and as far as beled Xawwo. There are families who are relocated from other parts of Somalia to stay here and watch their children finish school. Another thing about Borama is no one will ask you which clan you belong or any uncivilized questions. I am not exaggerating but you will feel home. I remember during THe Carta government, I was an arch supported of the that government and I was involved with a lot of debate some of detractors. THere were three guys , one from Duriyada, From SSDf and USC. When things heat up , the Somaliland guy would say " Waar nimankaan iskaga dhex bax, Meeshan balaayadu ka socoto oo Soomaaliland taada ka hadal". When I challenge the other two for their failures and the price the Somalis were paying , they got mad and tell me " waar idinku Awalba Macalimiin Baad ahaydeen , Tamaashiirtiina waan idiin dhiibi doonaaye buuqa Yaree" . It looks in Tamaashiirtii naloo Dhiibay". That year the first Five students graduated from the medical school which covers the badly needed doctors. As I was walking in the downtown around 10:00pm at night I saw five dozen of people walking with books. When I enquired, they told me that Amoud university has a campus in downtown where business people, shopkeepers and other adults who work during the day take some courses. While Eelo University is a technical school, which is producing students for many field like electrician and auto mechanics, Technical know how is almost not existent.

 

The state within the state.

 

The Non Governmental Organization or NGO's as they are known, really are their own governments. They have their own rules, pay their employees ten times the government, and everyone from the government minister to the local health administration, are trying to land one of their projects. In hargeisa alone there are 121 NGO's who operate and have offices. One day I saw people in a guest house hall being distributes five dollar each. Since no crowd will participate these so called awareness issues of the NGO, they must sweeten the pot. While most of those who finance these projects are western, now the local directors are either Kenyan, or Ugandan. A government ministry that doesn't have direct financing from NGO's for their pet projects are officially dead. No one goes there including the minister. While traveling in Zaylac I saw about a dozen land cruisers in the villages and between. THey said these are the health NGO vaccinating people . It really seems there is no business activity or life without them. 65% of Somaliland budget is spent on security, so somebody have to cover all these projects. I could could be wrong , but I believe without them the State institutions may not survive. Other than the business community, every thing is financed by them. All these educational institutions and other functions projects are only possible through them. I can confirm this State called NGO is bigger than Somaliland itself, and without them, there will not be stability.

 

Next the issue of session . The public opinion and the political class. Please bear with me i have a lot more to tell.

 

 

 

[Safferz]

I enjoyed reading, galbeedi. Keep it coming.

[OdaySomali]

Thanks Galbeedi, interesting insights. Like Safferz said, keep em coming.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

Galbeedi, sxb thanks for your frank account of your travels. Much appreciated.

 

” waar idinku Awalba Macalimiin Baad ahaydeen , Tamaashiirtiina waan idiin dhiibi doonaaye buuqa Yaree” . It looks in Tamaashiirtii naloo Dhiibay”. This made me laugh. There is certain truth to it. Beri samaadkii, most of the teachers were from Awdal.

 

You could say they are the the nation's teachers.

[galbeedi]

It is upside down, or the beginning of the upheaval.

 

Before I talk about the the current situation, some thirty years ago as a teenage boy of 14 old , I witnessed one of darkest political events of my early age, right here in this town. It did happen long time ago, but , I remember like it happened yesterday.

 

It was the school year 1979/80, I was attending Sheekh Ali Jowhar high, I was in junior high or what we you used to call Form 1. About around nine in the morning, first, there were commotions, and next, the people of the city were running around frightened. WE all gathered around the police station. Like some kind of civil defence, some of locals brought their pickup trucks and guns. I remember an old man ( Ahn), by the name of Hussein Hadi riding his landrover and encourage people to assemble and get ready for the defence of the city. While we were all asleep four in the morning, one of the military bases in Goroyocawl, five miles north of Borama was taken over. Not by the ethiopian army, but by our own brothers . A group of rebels, belonging to the SSDF movement took over the base at down.

 

Geograph, may decide your destiny.

 

Most of the residents, including me, never heard of the rebels. Yes, some people were familiar about the unsuccessful coup in Mogadishu, which resulted not only the execution of the instigators, but also targeted large number of innocent people, who happen to be members of the clan who were leading the coup. The city is only thirty kilometers from the border. When you travel to the villages just outside the city limit, you may even hear the rumbling of the Ethiopian tank at night, which makes the people edgy. THe people who live in the border area, throughout Somaliland paid a high price during the war , both on life and material help. also in the school year of 1977/78, the Amoud boarding high school was closed to make way for for a makeshift hospital to nurse the wounded soldiers coming from the war zone. As you can imagine, the people's attention is what may come from that border. No one ever thought that the army was guarding the border from another Somali.

 

By eleven in the morning, enough forces was assembled in the city, and a contingent of national army came from a base west of the region called Halimaale. The counter offensive started immediately. By two in the afternoon the rebels were pushed back and the army took the base again. Around four thirty, in the afternoon, the bodies of the dead soldiers and rebels were brought to the cemetery in the west side of the city. If I could remember correctly, the total dead -may Allah have mercy on them - were 29. The national army soldiers were buried one by one in their own graves, and the rebels were buried in groups. When the burial was over, one of the local Sheikhs made duca. After the conclusion of the "salaatul Jinaasa' the prayers for the dead, the sheikh said " Today we lost about thirty men, both of them our own sons, he continues, " today Mengistu will be saying how many Somalis did I kill, for him what counts is the total". "they are both enemies for him, didn't we had just fought a battle of the ages against him two years ago?. " Waar hadda ma waxaad Na Leedihiin Cadawgii Dadka Soomaaliyeed Xamar buu joogo, Adeer taasi waa duni maqluubka loo rogay" indeed for many it was an upside down. With profound sadness, we all left the cemetery without saying a word. That experience shaped deeply, the antipathy I have for inter Somali clan wars.

 

At that same day, when the battle was raging around two in the afternoon, they brought a prisoner of the war. We all raised to the police station to see the Ethiopian prisoner that was captured. To the surprise of all, he was a young Somali fighter from the rebel group. In fact in the nineteen eighties, I met him in a small coffee shop in the intersection of Cassa poopalare, owned by a family member. He was released after clemency was offered among the members of SSDF in 1984. He was training as intermediate school teacher when he left and joined the rebels. Just before he set his shop in Ethiopia, (ahn) c/laahi yusuf was asked, " how can you join forces with Mengistu while the wounded of the last war were still bleeding" ?, he said " Siyaad Barre Shaydaana Waan Uso Kaxaysan" . I think we were collecting the grape fruit of the Shaydaan for a long time. To be fair, when C/laahi Yusuf was asked in 2004, while he was running for president , about his long battle as a rebel, he said " Hadaan Ogahay in soomali ay sidan oo Kale u qariban tahay, Qori iyo will gaadhi masaareen , duurkana ma galeen.

 

This events, remind me that those who want to rule this country must have a profound understanding that the nation is bigger than Mogadishu or the desire of those quarrelling for power. At the same time those who want to rule should have great insights about Hargeisa, Jigjiiga and beyond. Also we must never push our brothers to the hand of the enemy for comfort.

 

Another, journey just before this one.

 

Since I am looking back for the past in this latest thread, let me go back another two years after that one in 1981. I went for vacation in Djibouti at the summer of 1981. after spending there two months, I did get a call from one of my uncles who was in Mogadishu. He was member of "Gudiga Nabadgalyada Gobolka Benadir". he was a Police captain. I was excited for the journey to go to the nation's capital. In Djibouti, where the buses and trucks stand to wait for freight and people, it was busy. At the border crossing in Lawyacado, there were huge lineup of trucks, most of them were headed in Hargeisa. After staying few days in Borama, I proceeded with my travel. When I entered Hargeisa, it was different. At that year a boom of a lifetime was happening in the city. Money was pouring from the gulf to hargeisa, export and import businesses were everywhere. While Somalia itself was under "xisbiga Hantiwadaaga" and free enterprise was restricted, it seemed the people of Woqooyi Galbeed were given amble opportunity for free trade and enterprise. The city was growing as a enormous rate. Japanese and other import cars dominated the street, the somali shilling was losing power as inflation was so high. In the Hargeisa market you could barely find any thing less than one shilling. the lower denomination of the shilling were disappearing. Unlike the rest of the country, this was a capitalist and trade heaven. Just like Lowyacado, hundreds of trucks were ready to travel to Berbera, Burco and Mogadishu. I did stop in burco for a while.

 

Burco, like Hargeisa was booming. it was a gateway to the livestock export to Berbera. Even in the outskirt of the city, trucks have been loaded with goats and sheep. You could see trucks hauling livestock from as far as Dhuusamareeb and Hiiraan. After Burco, I left for final travel to Mogadishu. As soon as you reach Groowe, there was a fear among the traveling public. The insurgency was growing and the life of the people were becoming difficult. The cities were dead. THere were no any business activity in that part of the country. Not only the government purged, and arrested almost all of the civil servants, army officers and others in any position of influence , by claiming them to be " Mahbar", but it also targeted the rural population. Water wells were bombed and the nomads disappeared. In 1981, central Somalia towns were deserted and looked like ghost towns.

 

The tale of two cities.

 

Finally we reached Mogadishu. Mogadishu of 1981 was cheap and good. Inflation was law. not only shillings but pennies were still in circulation. most of the business was government connected. There were few privately owned Hotels. major hotels were run by government. Unlike Hargeisa, open trade was restricted. In the north, a system called Fraco fluto was in place. Everyone can go to Dubai and pick a car or truck and bring to Berbera. Rather than few government sanctioned people, every one had the opportunity to import goods. You do not need a licence or permit to do so. In mogadishu, it was different . The government instituted an LC system. on this system only those who have these permits were able to import thinks. THe mogadishu LC creates very few rich people to control the market. While Hargeisa was booming with Asian import cars Mogadishu was riding with old style Fiat. In Hargeisa the Taxis were mostly latest models of toyota Cressida, in the capital it was old 124 fiat. While in 1981, a lot of political moves that will eventually affected the future of the country was happening, mogadishu and south were normal. The more you travel south to Afgooye, marka, and Kismaayo, the better the life was. In the deep south of the inter river, life was cheap, and there were no inflation. Most of the food consumed were locally produced. Personally I thought Mogadishu as a government town, possibilities were measured, and limited, while Hargeisa was the land where everything was possible. literally, in those days, you could have come to Hargeisa and joined the melting pot of business.

 

In 1981, " kacaanku waxuu ku dhawaaqay Laba kaclayn". Siad Barre arrested some of the most influential friends of the revolution, both from the north and south. Some elders from Gedo visited Siad Barre soon after the " Laba Kaclayn" and told him " mar hadaad ragii kacaankan kula soo waday aad xabsi ku tuurtay, filo in aadan ka dambayn" . Soon after, the SNM was created in October/1981. Remember until that year THe Reer Woqooyi ( somalilanders) were the most powerful members of the October revolution. Among 23 Somali revolutionary counsel, nine of them were reer woqooyi. Unlike public perception, In the seventies, the most powerful men ,of the government were , Axmed Saleebaan Dafle, Cumar Carte Qaalib, Siilaanyo, Muuse Rabiile, Axmed xasan Muuse, Ismaaciil A. abokor and many more.

 

I hope some of the landers in the forum will clarify this or may even introduce contrary arguments, especially Xaaji Xujuf, but, when SNM was created in the Diaspora, in 1981, Hargeisa was the richest city in the Somali speaking world. Even the Somaliland elder statesman Xaaji Cabdi Waraabe said, "If were left alone, Hargeisa could have been London ", By traveling from Lawyacao to Mogadishu I just felt that same feeling. I saw economic growth and prosperity, while the central part was empty and mogadishu was socialist in it's approach of the business.

 

Well, lets fast forward to the 21st century, next the elite and the public opinion,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Tallaabo]

^ Mr Galbeedi, you were just a young excited traveller who passed through different cities on your way to your destination, so you really have got no experience of the life and economy of the land you were passing through. Your 1981 travel story is like that of a man catching a connecting flight on hub airport like Frankfort, London, and Dubai and then with the few hours of airport terminal experience gained starts to write a philosophical book on the moral degradation of the citizens of the cities he transited. I am sure you would not waste a dime of your money on such a book, would you?

[Hawdian]

@ Galbeedi I know you are a somaliweyn support and of those who believe in shaanta somalied dream . But your last piece is total unbelivable and incorrect what you are doing is history revisionism .The history of Somaliland and the treatment of its people under the Siyad Barre and Kacaan criminal regime is wellknown by both Somalilanders , somalis and the wider world we all know about the killings, destructions and seige Somaliland was under from the early years of 1969 undtil the colonial occupation of Somaliland from the 1977 by the Somaliya Goverment . For you to rewrit history and claim somaliland were treated fairly and part of the MOD goverment is total incorrect and false . Even international newspaper and organisations were reporting what was happend in North part of somali republic , " A goverment at war with its own people" by Amnesty international and reports of Africa watch published in january 1990 describing the toture kilings , and collective punishment on Hargeysa by Siyad Barre regime . I will encourage you and everybody to read these very well written and objective reports of the killings and war Siyad Barre regimne commited on Somaliland and its people.

[Tallaabo]

^ I think his next chapter will be about how Hargeisa was not bombed by Siyaad but by Israeli jets looking for PLO fighters.

[galbeedi]

Hawdian, saaxiib ha degdegina. I was writing in 1981. Yes, there were underlying issues or under the current problems, but in 1980 and 1981, the inside problems did not explode yet. I think Tallabo is probably wasn't even born then. The Somali Airline flight to Hargeisa was always full. When I came back to Hargeisa in 1982, that was when the big flares " dhagax tuurkii" and other things started. Any way I wish you could wait. Yes there were issues of settlements and refugees in Hargeisa were people felt dispossessed and others. But the fact was Hargeisa was booming in 1981.

 

Tallbo, we all know the bombing of the city, the destruction of Hargeisa, the refugees who settled in Ethiopia and all the calamities that flowed.

[galbeedi]

Hawdian the MOD became the power of the throne, after 1982. After the war of 1977 the pressure was to eliminate the coup plotters.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

^Should stick to telling the story of your travels, leave the past politics aside.

 

 

[galbeedi]

Dhagax-tuur, I am taking that advice. thanks.

[Safferz]

<cite>

@galbeedi

said:</cite>

Dhagax-tuur, I am taking that advice. thanks.

 

Please don't, this is your story and you can tell it however you wish.

[Barwaaqo]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

Please don't, this is your story and you can tell it however you wish.

 

<cite>

@galbeedi

said:</cite>

Dhagax-tuur, I am taking that advice. thanks.