The chief ( cabinet) was in town , aka Hirsi Gaab.

galbeedi · May 30, 2014

Last weekend , the the state minister for Palace and the man behind the Siilaanyo Throne Hirsi Xaaji Hassan was in town. He arrived that same day and has to leave early the next morning. I started enquiring about his itinerary and where abouts few days before his arrival. The usual Landers kept asking me why am I interested in Hirsi since I wrote some unflattering things about him?. I told them that Hirsi might be just a minister for you guys but in my book he is the king maker who knows a lot.

Mu plan was to sit down him privately and ask him few pointed questions about the affairs of many things. I contacted some Awdalites who are close to the group, but was rebuffed. They kept changing the time and the conditions. Rather than state that the time is short, they kept telling me stupid excuses. Finally I decided to use the usual Somali tribal card, and said " waar ninbka reer ahaan baan kula kulmaynaa oo su'aalo ayeynu wayduiin". Of course i would have asked about the donor money they are holding for development, Kulmiye saga, and finally my favorite , the Somaliland -Somalia negotiations.

Anyway , it didn't happen and I wasn't invited for the private launch although other Awdalites were present. Some how, I thought that odious Buuraha and his company, may have sent some messages to the local boys to keep Galbeedi out , since he is a persona non grata. I thought so. Another major problem was also the " hangers on" crowd , that surrounds leaders and others in order to get something from them. In Somaliland , they call them " macaan jecel".

The ceremony for his reception which was mostly for fund raising started late at 9pm. Since I am a self described commentator here in Somaliaonline, I thought to get there and and find out about this man who is in the news almost on weekly basis. I tried to sneak in at back and sit quietly in an obscure chair.

The reer " Bari" are different from those of us in the west. For west I mean , west of Hargeisa, Gabiley and Awdal. We say " reer galbeedku way guuxaan". Since we consider ourselves little bit sophisticated, we don't speak our mind openly. Nowadays , things are different and everybody is loud. Anyway, what I like about the " reer bari" is they do not beat the bush, they speak clearly. One of them, which I have known him since the days of " Hiil Qaran", came to me directly and said " Waar ma Xirsi baad isku soo dhiibaysaa mise shido iyo wax kale ayaad u timid?". I said I did not came to surrender nor I came to cause any trouble. I am here to gage and listen the acting president of Somaliland. Than I said jokingly " ninkan Aad nagu wareerisan ayaan rabaa in aan qiyaaso". he said " waar ninkani waa madaxweynaha mustaqbalka". I said not a chance.

I wanted like George Bush said " to meet him and look him in the eye and read his soul", since that did not happen I have to describe the little things that I saw from a distance. n It was late, I had another engagement. I had to pick up my son from work so I left. here is how I could describe hirsi.

First, Hirsi is really a very short man. In the Somali tradition of sayings we say " nin dheeri wuu dhoohan yahay, nin gaabanina inta uu leeg yahay in leeg baa u aasan". Which roughly means tall men lack certain intelligence or they are not bright. When it comes to short men it says " he has the same height under the ground equal to the actual height. while they are smarter than the tall ones, here the emphasis is mischievousness and ruthlessness. We say " nin gaaban ka cabso" or be careful of the revenge of the nerd (short guy).

Second, he is very eloquent and when he speaks , he really speaks with sense of confidence. Like somebody who is in charge. Why wouldn't he confident. He is not even forty years old, never elected to any office , and he is running the office of the president like he is in charge. Maybe he is even in charge. That is why he kept smiling a lot. He also confronts questions directly without any fear or reluctance. He is prepared.

Third, if you are a follower of politics like me, you will admire his willingness to exercise power. He fires ministers without hesitation, regardless of which tribe or region they came from if they do not follow the party line.

The " reer bari" say he will be a leader in the future . I doubt that. The problem is who ever tastes the power thinks it is infinite. Ask that our esteemed Dr. Osman of Puntland, since the family dominated the Somali politics in the sixties, they can't sleep without it. ask also the "unaka", after Shariif Ahmed and Hassan Culusow , they think it is theirs. Even us, Awdalites , when we were agitating few years back, some said " Siduu Rayaalaa Madaxweyne U noqday qof kasta oo Boorama joogta waa la celin laayahay". Well it goes with territory.

Correct me if I am wrong, but, the Togdheer guys five or eight years ago, or even in 2006, they were looked like people who were not interested in Somaliland. The Somali shilling was there, and there were a lot of support for Mxakamadaha and others in mogadishu. Some were even suggesting that if Siilaanyo lost that election , they will leave. Now things are changed. Maybe we should wait for few years how things work out.

Any way to be fair, I did not witness much more than that about that brief night.

Tillamook · May 30, 2014

Good old Galbeedi...never say in four words what can be said in a hundred, eh!

You make me look forward to little Adnan's short and terse one-word posts

Xaaji Xunjuf · May 31, 2014

Galbeedi long story i have met Xirsi and he is a very humble guy , he is confident he was a bit nervous in the First year when he was the chief of cabinet. But when his office tittle was down graded. The People of Somaliland just love to talk about characters and not about policies i believe we share this mentality with the Koonfurians. Xirsi has done a good job so far in the fund raising for the road construction of the ceerigaabo road that should be applauded. I see a future leader in Him he need allot more of experiences but he is learning fast he is also a good speaker he can talk very well a good orator and some times he likes to do some poetry.

The only problem is he is by passing the vice president and it seems like he is a hidden prime minister, but this is due to President siilanyo aging , he acts as an assistant, but the funny part is when i was in Hargeysa 2 years ago at the ministry of Nuur caraale duur the than SL interior minister xirsi was calling every 15 minutes its like he is maintaining the cycle and connections between the Ministries.

CidanSultan · May 31, 2014

I always ask myself after reading galbeedis posts what he is after and I still have not put my finger on it.

He's a unionist even though I don't understand why. Awdalians don't have anything waiting for them in mugdisho. Mugdisho has nothing for them countless men have been there and nothing, the most anti somaliland awdalite professor samatar is a somaliland patriot today he has been and seen everything and his words are the same as Everyone else.

Then I ask myself has he drunk the somaliyay tooso koolaide then I say to myself galbeedi is to smart for that.

The very people who wrote the song somaliayay tooso sing somaliland songs today

There is a reason why reer galbeed are known as midi chiftaa because you never know.

The conclusion I have reached is this...like any society you have those that support and oppose. Galbeedi is if those who oppose. On what grounds ???

Borama and awdal are developing along par with every city in somaliland. Roads, private business's local council control, regional control. Peace and security. Representation at its highest after more then 2 terms an Awdalians has been president of Somaliland voted in by an over welming majority of duriayada voters clearly showing maturity and non clan based democracy.

So what is galbeedis reasons. Logically examining his reasons... Their is no actual reason to be anti somaliland.

Therefore his position is the same as salaaxs. Lack of absolute power and scared of the center.

Hirsi gab is not somaliland. I think the man is a no body, Silanyo is not somaliland. Somaliland is an idea that transcends the individual. We eat of its Benefits and sleep well at night because of it. It maintains peace between a people who once killed one another.

I see no reason for galbeedis bull!.£; to be honoust. And he has not given us one logical argument to persuade us to his view.

He grabs one thing after another: holds te middle ground with a pinch of unionism.

Ding dong presto...

Galbeedi there is nothin such thing as absolute power. Only God has absolute power All these men will leave, the population will become more intelligent and we shall inshallah perfect a young democracy as the years go by.

Furthermore no need to fear the centre they voted and backed an awdalite for president and this method of policy voting is what we have to get back to.

Xaaji Xunjuf · May 31, 2014

Leave galbeedi alone he is an idealist not a politician and he is a man who is very neutral and very indifferent about Somaliland and Somalia. Though he supports the peace the stability the development and the co existence of Somaliland and its people he also always supports the unity of the people of Somaliland and recognizes the close kinship between reer SL. But he wants a far more wider engagement and broader Somali initiative which also includes the Koonfurians, He is a very reasonable man if you ask me.

I believe Somalia and Somaliland can share allot allot of economic ties and other sort of partnership , heck even Military partnership, we could even chase the short legged Yemenis from Socotra in the future but it will take time even decades for the trust to return. Dont confuse Galbeedi with the defeated lot and their rants on Wardheernews, galbeedi wa nin reer Somaliland ah who cares also for the well being of the Koonfurians its almost he wants to rescue them and i say the Koonfurans can be rescued by Somaliland once they respect the wishes of the people of SL.

You misunderstood Galbeedi he is not Awdal centric he does not care for if Awdal is given 70% of SL representation. But he is a man who loves the big Somali territory map there are many Somalilanders who suffer from that illness i have that cure for that and that is to coexist and to build a wider neo functional entity an organization for the Somali countries in the horn of Africa the Sovereign countries (Somalia Djibouti and Somaliland) In order to promote somali solidarity coexistence respect between the countries and Economic partnership we start with that trade and to support each other where needed.

This can be done only though if the countries respect each other closer engagement even in years time political integration we could create a Somali parliament with legislators from Somalia Somaliland and DJibouti, We can have our own IGAD we have the land mass Somali population will be 60 million in the year 2050. Somalis need to learn that we dont need one big tent thats not sustainable we need to give Somalis their tents, and closely these tents will move closer to each other. All of that can happen but Somaliland needs to fully be separated from Somalia with full international recognition and the chance to breath alone, instead of being forced to be part of Mogadishu unwillingly, because the longer there are no relations between hargeysa and Mogadishu or Somalia and Somaliland, the longer it takes to build a viable and strong union between the Somali republics.

CidanSultan · May 31, 2014

Waar xaji I like galbeedi don't forget we have a twin in borama if you get my drift. Personally speakin i go to borama every time I am in somaliland and I know it very well and its people.

Don't forget borama played a central role in somaliland from the beginning to today and even I myself am not happy entirely about all the people in government today. And therefore I wanted to express that and break it down for the Brother.

If galbeedi is a humanitarian that wants to help a people who kill themselves using their own hands he is more then welcome. I never assumed he was a humanitarian.

I wise man learns from the mistake of others I don't know what better example then somaliland a nation that developed the concept of greater Somalism and united unconditionally with what they thought was a brother state only to find out the opposite.

40 years of unity and nothing to show for it the port, the one main road somalilanders had to fight for those they were not even suppose to be built. Instead what we got was division and death.

Even till this day the same bull/£;

I think that's all I need to know about these people. It's halarious xaji wants to be friendly naibours with them.

I would build the tallest, widest barrier on the border between us and shot down a crow if it passed the border.

galbeedi · May 31, 2014

Ciidansuldaan, you raised some valid points on the issue of Awdal and her progress. I may raise hell for Awdal share of the pie and so on, but I have never ever hated or wished the demise of my neighbors. I know we have a same destiny. If Hargeisa blows up, it will effect us immediately. I disagree with you on the issue of the Center Community, I really do not fear their power. I may even say that Somaliland may not be even possible without us Awdalite. We belong together and we share a destiny of peace and progress.

Another valid point is Awdal, and what did it gain from Koonfur?, Nothing. Every thing that is their is built by the people or through Somali land system. The police station, the hospital, the amoud secondary and all public offices are those left by the British. I could not find one single functioning building built by the Somali state.

The people are larger than the politician as you said. I respect your love and care you have for Somaliland and it's people. Your principle is admired by many.

As our friend Xaaji said, I am those who dream that greatness which slipped away from us. That blue flag and the concept of a free independent Somalia in the horn is ingrained in my blood. I tried many times, just like Prof. Samater and others to forget Somalia and pack my bags. It is an age old idea can't erased by war, dictatorship or the dysfunction of the southern politician. It was the taxes fro the lady selling fruit in Arabsiyo , Hiiraan and afgooye that made me a productive citizen. I want to give back both to Somaliland which is my roots and the larger Somali in the horn.

I asked once a well respected author, nationalist and philosopher Dr Omar Raabe , May Allah have mercy in his soul, why the world especially the neighboring countries do not recognize Somaliland ?. He said, they won't. I said why?, he said " Soomaalidu fadhiid ma ahan, Soomaaliland taa hadii la aqoonsado, beri waxaad arki iyada lafteeda ayaa libaax weyn noqon ooo toban jeer ka awood badnaan Djibouti iyo kuwan deriska ah". He said, Somaliland may even help and lift other Somalis and build greater Somalia. That is why they will not allow a stable Somali territory.

So while we nurture what we have we must no for get what we could be if we are united and strong. I live in continental country with three time zones. I share the country with jews, christens , Hindus, black , white and yellow, and others, yet I am doing okay.

I can't abandon that great Somalia which includes Somaliland , which is in my mind. The Awdal and local tribal issue are almost nothing in my mind. yet I want to contribute positively and encourage the peace and the progress of Somaliland.

Some times I even think " Soomaalida la sheegayoba in ay Somaliland thay ". Look at the traditional songs, history and culture. I can't leave the nation and the identity t of the Somali people to corrupt southerners politicians, . I will take the country back from them. We will take the power and restore that great dream of powerful Somalia, feared by it's enemies and admired by it's friends. It is tough call, but they " geesigu wuu raacda dheer yahay, marka uu baaduda luntay doono, ama neefkii oo dhintay ayuu keenaa oo raqda ayuu soo kor joogsadaa ama ma soo noqdo.

In order to reach that goal maybe i Should comment less these " isjiid jiid issue of the local politics and concentrate the big picture.

Thanks for your concern.

Dalmar1 · May 31, 2014

Galbeed sxb, your words wallahi touched my hearts!

If only we had leaders like you.

Barwaaqo · May 31, 2014

Ka quuso ha quudareyn, qaranka dad baa dhistay.

Galbeedi, canshuurtii la guray ee wax kaa digtay,badankayagu saamigii aan ku lahayn waan ka qadnay, waliba tacadi ayaa naloogu daray. Hadaba hadii aynu dhinaca iskaga tolonahay oo aynu meel wada marayno siday suurto gal u tahay Riyadadu.

Barwaaqo · May 31, 2014

Galbeedi canshuurta aad wax ku baratay deeq laguguma siin ee jamhuuriyadda qaybtii aad ku lahayd baad ku heshay.

burahadeer · May 31, 2014

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@CidanSultan

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