galbeedi Posted November 5, 2016 While there are some technical issues that must be resolved in due course, the time has come to conclude this election on time in November 30,2016. The Hiiraan issue is resolved and that tough stubborn Ugaas Hassan was silenced and the loud microphone has been taken way from him, yet the biggest culprit to drag this election for months is no other than president Hassan Sheekh. In order to achieve his return, he even orchestrated a phony war in Gaalkacayo. Rather than build the Somali army, he expanded the Amisom forces to the peaceful regions of the country. Gaalkacayo, does not need Amisom, it needs Somali brothers and neighbors resolving their problems without foreign interference. Now, let us finish this long topic. For the last few weeks, the campaign scene has been very quite, other than few noisy pretenders , not much is happening in the open . That does not mean the campaigning is over. In these kind of indirect elections, every thing is done under the water. It is a lesson we all learned from Hassan Sheikh, who acted as under achieving school teacher , charming and smiling to everyone, while quietly signing binding financial contracts from the members of parliament and sending emissaries door to door. Cumar C. Sharmaarke. In October 15, 1969, after the murder of president C/rashiid Sharmaarke, Somalia changed forever politically and the nation lost the age of innocence and entered a new age of uncertainty. Before the assassins bullet took away the beloved president, no blood was shed in the Somalia of sixties for political reasons , other than for the defense of the country. . In the war of 1964, which was happening during the election period, then prime minister C/rashiid Sharmaarke said , " we will vote with one hand and will fight with the other". Unlike the Siilaanyo government of today, where elections are delayed regularly with no apparent reason, that election was concluded without delay, and that same prime minister was replaced by another after the election, when he lost a vote of confidence in the parliament. He did not complain , but regrouped and won the presidency in 1967. In that era of democracy and rule of law, Both presidents and prime ministers were changed peacefully and the country was progressing slowly. The end did not justify the means. Those who lost , regrouped and competed again. The 1969 revolution jump started the dormant Somali nationalism , introduced socialist ideas of nation building and revived the Somali culture. It built roads, the military and the education. Regardless of what good or bad the Somali military revolution did , they lacked good foundation, balance and democracy. Unlike the civilian government, they were always paranoid and had the fear of loosing power, and when they were challenged by the opposition groups , they could not handle the pressure, yet the most powerful government Somalis ever known was the military government of the seventies and eighties. A Somali playwright who feared the destruction of the system and the rule of law , composed a song in the late sixties, warning the consequences of the agitators. Abwaan Hassan Sheikh Muumin said: Dalaal nimada diintiyo Dastuurka iyo xeerka haddii dabool la saaro Dawo bukootay weeye He said , the medicine itself , who supposed to cure people, will become sick if you discard the rule of law and the faith of the nation. Discarding the rule of law was the beginning of the destruction, followed by the introduction of Wahabi ideology and extremism of today. For more than forty years, Somalis were trying to find their way back to that age of innocence were people debated , voted and co-existed peacefully. Faith in Allah and Islam was clear and simple, while beauty and the pride of Somalis were felt by both friends and strangers. If you do not believe me, just read the speech the late American president John F. Kennedy gave in November, 1962, at the reception of late Somali Prime minister C/rashiid C. Sharmaarke. Kennedy said: "Many years ago, Sir Richard Burton, the great explorer, described the people of Somalia as the Irish of Africa. He was speaking of their extraordinary beauty of person, vigor, intelligence, and general uniqueness among the surrounding people. We understand that, Prime Minister, and this has increased the warmth of our welcome to you". "We were very fortunate in the generosity of nature here. But in his country, lacking water, lacking a good many means for sustaining their population, the Prime Minister is building his country, maintaining its freedoms, its sovereignty, and attempting to make it possible for his people to enjoy a more fruitful life. This is an extraordinary adventure for any nation. We are particularly pleased to have one of the architects of this adventure, the Prime Minister, who played such an important part in its fight for independence, in the development of the constitution, in the maintenance of freedom, and now in the efforts to produce a more fruitful existence for his citizens". Yes , we are a unique people who have a distinct color, culture and language. The key word here is also "maintaining freedom and sovereignty". Somalis , that has been always the character of the Somalis whether they were in Hargeisa, Nugaal, Ceelbuur or Jubba. The free willing nomad rooming the peninsula without interference. The great poet Yam Yam said: The moving times The successive days Reflect over the seasons If you are a learned person Go back to the annals of history Who is Somali? I am on equal footing with equality Not allow a single soul to be superior to me I don’t employ deception and confer them as gifts I am Somali! That is why it is heart breaking to see Somali leaders competing who could give away more of the freedom and the sovereignty of the Somali nomad. Compare Hassan Sheikh Mohamuud to that long gone generation of proud Somalis. The current prime minister, Cumar Sharmaarke hails from that grand tradition of his father. He may not have the character of his father , but he should have the history and tradition to lift his people from division, anarchy and hopelessness. By becoming the president of the third republic ( 1960 was the first, 1969 second and 2017, the third republic) he could remind the Somali people about that long gone era of normalcy. Since he is a man of few words and moves , it is hard to judge about his character and intentions, at the same time , he does not appear to have warmth and energy. While addressing the media when he declared his candidacy, he said, " in this term , I was dealing with all the acrimonious issues of regional states, election and security issues". It seems he has done nothing to increase the security issues of the country. When you talk to the insiders who are well aware of the deep seated problems of Somalia , you would certainly prioritize your future outlook of the country differently. They would remind you the long way Somalia came from at this point in time and how it is important not only to find a decent leader, but one that could hold together the competing and rival tribes of Somalia. Cumar Sharmaarke may not be a tough president who could defeat the enemies of Somalia, but he could definitely be a leader who could symbolizes harmony , peace and unity. In this nation , every thing is measured by tribal rivalry and the fear of domination from the wrong tribe who controls the state power. If you are seen as the enemy of their tribe, you could be doomed before you even start to implement your national agenda. Mogadishu -- as the hot bed of insurgency, anarchy and criminal profiteering -- is the typical place any leaders agenda is undermined by different coalitions with competing interests( Waa meesha lagu fashiliyo dawladaha burburkii ka dib). Unlike many residents of Mogadishu --who would claim that the city belong to them because of some tribal lineage--Mr. Sharmaarke is born and raised in Mogadishu. In fact, his own father settled in the city as a boy and attended Quraanic schools in the city in the early thirties. If Somalis were non tribal society, he could have been considered a native son of that town since his family spend there over 80 years there. Even by judging in the Somali standred, he can claim both Puntland and Mogadishu. In southern Somalia, if you exclude the military coup of 1969, the political class came from those two regions of the country. Mr. Sharmaarke could bridge the gap between the competing tribes of the "D' block and the communities of USC. These two groups have undermined the national progression of any credible government institution. Some are louder then the others. This current prime minister is neither loud nor tribal. Both Somalis, and the international communities are looking a real change in Somalia. Insurgency is growing in the country side , towns are changing hands in every week and the Somali army is no where to be seen. The smiling president gave away every thing to the foreign forces including famous Somali bases that the Somali army needed badly for training and logistics. He gave away Hallane base, Balidoogle base and jaziira corridor. He was a yes man, yet those same guys he gave the shop, want to kick him out of Villaa-Somalia. It is the typical religious movements claiming to be pious while mixing corruption, power and tribal loyalties. Somalia needs a clean break from Al-shabaaab, Al-Itihaad, Ahlu Sunnah, and Al-islaah. I said in these pages many times that we Somalis are not sophisticated enough to navigate all these foreign centered Islamic movements and their agents. The old saying of the western business community, with the slogan of " you build , they will come", is true to the Wahabi movements and others. The American military does not mind chasing these wild dogs throughout the world. The former architects of the war on terrorism would like these global campaigns to continue regardless of the outcome. Of course , because of what happened in 911, security threat posed by extremists does exist, and the American nation want to confront them around the globe, but that threat could be defeated in intelligent and coordinated manner. On the other hand, the Wahabi wild dogs who defy logic and humanity could be found easily every where. In America , Those who profiteer from the war of terror are determined to keep their campaign as long as possible, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the process. Here in Canada, the third safest country in the world according to global ratings , was almost made fearful by the former conservative government in order to win elections. Rather showcase their economic achievements and other strengths to campaign , they chose to victimize the peaceful Muslim community of Canada and the Syrian refugees who were helpless. In the western hemisphere no current refugee was ever committed any terror, yet the public was made to be fearful. The African command center based in Djibouti has conducted over six hundred mission across the region in 2015. Drones, the best weapon of the Obama administration, is flying constantly to target these groups every day. While they were chasing Al-qaeda in Yemen from the skies through drones, The Huthies-- a sectarian militia tied with Iran-- took over Yemen without notice. . Rather than strengthen the nation state and build local armies, they are satisfied about the drone kill of a terrorist leader and his company. In Somalia , former president Shariif Ahmed-- one of the leaders of the Alla Sheikh Islamic movements--could neither suck the air out of the insurgency nor resolve the problem of Al-shabaab after he was made a president of Somalia. His presence only emboldened the terrorists. This kind of actors would never have a chance in peaceful Somali politics. So, the time has come to throw all these ideologies from the Somali political discourse. By eliminating these groups , you will also keep out the enterprising foreign armies from around the globe. Do you believe a Sawahili Kenyan from central Kenya or a poor Djiboutins who hides in their bases will pacify Somalia?, I do not think so. Bring together those gun tooting Somalis, from Mudug, Hiiraan, Bay and Gedo , who parade their useless technicals against their own brothers, while avoiding Al-shabaab and their cohorts. Pay the Somali army to do the job. Otherwise, Just like the egg and the chicken, first the Wahabi shows up , and then the foreign army follows. For the last ten years, people around the world became familiar with the whistle blowing cite called Wikileaks, who publish classified secrets of the nations and their leaders around the world. What almost every Somali and many people around the world missed is that one of the first secret cables of Wikileaks was the interception of foreign governments about the order former leader of Al-shabaab and AliIthaad Sheekh Hassan Dahir Aweys made in 2006. He ordered his movement to use criminals and other anarchists to use for the killing and assassinations of the government leaders. As you can see because of the Wahabi presence of our country, we became the eye of the storm. The prime minister is not a member of these movement as far as I am concerned, and will represent the original moderate, benevolent, merciful, and traditional Islam that we all grew up. When their was a calamity we all went to the Imams to sooth and reassure the people, and the pious people who were the custodians of the religion were always respected. They neither took part or fought the tribal wars or political ones. Everyone wished his daughter to be married to a religious man even if he were the poorest among the people. It could be difficult to turn the clock back , but we want to get rid of today's movements for the sake of our own survival. It was almost close to fifthy years that our country changed after the assassination of the dully and legally elected government. As I said , his election will remind all of us that era of peace and harmony is in our sight. In order to hold on to power, president Hassan started a tribal campaigns that incites and revives all wounds of tribal conflicts. Also some useless websites , run by warlords, are crying foul by pitting tribes against one another. They are even claiming that foreign nations like Turkey---who has done a lot for Somalia--- or UAE have their favorite tribes. One thing is a fact, that every Somali, regardless of his tribe, has a right to run and rule this country( Reer hebel Xukunka ha laga Illaliyo ma shaqaynayso). in the late nineties, I was cab driver in one of the big American cities in the south west, and in that scene met hundreds of Somalis from different part of the country. We spent hours sitting in a huge airport parking lot waiting for fares. Everyone had his own ways to kill time, and in those days, there were no smart phones or advanced electronic equipment to spend time with other than reading books. For me, I approuched the Somalis whom I thought to be intelligent, educated and politically oriented. I did not spent much time with Awdalites or those from Hargeisa, because , I was seeking someone who could tell me something I do not know or had a different perspective of Somalia. That was when I met the "Reer Mudug, Baidoa, Burco, Boosaaso , central Somalia and Mogadishu". I remember the Reer Mudug from Puntland and Galmudug were always at the same table debating, and liked each others company regardless of their disagreements. I met guys from Baidoa who were insisting talking " Af Maay" language. I told them for trade reasons , progress and cohesiveness of the people , it is our best interest to speak one language, having seen the power of the English language in America. On that contest , I met many Puntlanders who opposed the Carta conference of Djibouti and the whole project of establishing a Somali state in Mogadishu. Way back in early 1999, they were campaigning for decentralized federal state and always feared a strong state led by someone from south central Somalia. I was a fervent supporter of the Carta conference and the TNG led by C/qasim Salaad. When I confronted these Puntlanders seriously about their antagonism of the TNG, and what I assumed to be their anti Somali agenda, they explained with conviction about their reluctance to join the bandwagon. One of them, his own father died in the liberation movements of NFD in Kenya in late sixties , and he was raised by family members. Another one told me that his own brother was executed in Hargeisa in 1978, by political reasons, while others had abandoned their homes and businesses after the collapse of the state in Mogadishu. One older gentleman who was not interested in politics, but understood the consequences of power and Somali politics said , " you know what , my only goal in a peaceful Somalia is , to open my own small business, have some tea with my friends, and after the Maqrib prayers , go home without the fear of the security forces coming after me in the middle of the night, because of what i said or did". When I listened to these stories, my holier than yours attitude of Somali nationalist talk was subdued. The same thing could be said about the people of the SNM community who were rounded up in Jaziira beech and murdered because of which tribe they belonged. Some were even belonged to other tribes but, spoke a northern accent. It is one of those issues a united Somalia must address during the union negotiations. After that conversations, I confided with one of my friends who came from a prominent family from the Jubba area. He was from "Reer Raffle Guuled", whose uncle was a very prominent minister of the Somali government in the hey days of the Kacaan. I told him that these Puntlanders should be accommodated and should not be pushed out since we already have the Somalilanders mulling for separation( Waar nimakan waa in la soo dhaweeya, waa dad macquula oo raba in dood laga galo mustaqbalka Soomaalida). He laughed and as we walked around the yard, we approached Some others sitting in a table and as we sat , he said, " Did you guys heard what Signor Galbeedi said today? ( Waar ninkii galbeedi ahaa waxa uu maanta la shir yimid ma maqsheen?, waxuu socdaba nimankii Dhabayaco ee in la soo qabqabto la rabay ayuu yidhi ha la soo dhaweeysto). Most of them not only disagreed with my statement, but others mocked me as naive and out of touch by welcoming the Puntlanders. Somalis always like to be negative. If I framed the question in the opposite direction and said , " why don't we round up these trouble makers from Puntland, many could have agreed with me, even though most of them don't mean what they were saying". Just a few months ago in this town , we hosted the first Somali Canadian to become a member of parliament . Mr. ahmed Husein was a well versed and qualified Somali who spoke well about all the necessary issues Canadian Somalis were facing in terms of jobs, security and foreign aid to Somalia. Rather than share their needs, many of the attendants went out of the topic and made the meting awkward. Some fast talking Sheikh even claimed that Mr. Husein did not get any vote from the Somalis for one reason or other, but Mr, Ahmed himself contradicted them by telling them that without the Somali vote , he could not have won the primaries. Other so called community members said, " if we Somalis voted for those us running for the last municipal elections , we could had at-least elected one city counsel". I was amazed how these people were not only out of touch, but were ignorant of their surrounding environments. In the municipal election the city is divided by wards or zones. To win , you must get the prularity of the votes. There were two Somalis running for counsel seats. One was a 22 years old running in our ward. Somalis are less than 5% of the people who reside the ward, and to win you need almost 15,000. He got only 1,500 votes including all most all the Somalis. Before he ran for office, he never had any prior job ecpereince . He was a young man who just finished school. It was a good experiment not a race. The other one moved from Winnipeg just three years before the election. He did not even live in the city for five years, never had any history , house or business in the city. Neither of them could not get even 10%, yet we have been bamed for their loss. To make the story short, one man even rejected the idea of lobbying foreign aid to Somalia and add the list of specific countries Canada want to help. Waxa uu yidhi Roob hadaan ahaan lahaa Somalia kuma da'een. Sorry for the long winding road I traveled to make the case and let us go back to the story. As the talk progressed, one of the Puntlanders who were a former intelligence officer of Somalia jokingly said, " Since the military government dethroned us from power and made as a pariah that should be hunted, Somalis were still suffering just like us , and these suffering will continue just like the children of Israel who wondered in the desert for many decades" , he continued, " for the stability and peace, we should be put back where we belong and be in charge again"( Waxa uu yidhi Ehlul baytkii ayaanu, nahee Ragoow meeshii Nagu soo celiya, si aad nabad iyo barwaaqo u heshaan). On that note , I believe this son of Mogadishu and Puntland must be made the gate keeper of Somalia. The time has come for Somalis to put aside the tribal pride and the jealousy and welcome back these Puntlanders to be in charge again . As I stated , Mr. Cumar Sharmaarke does not need to be tough or loud. He needs a tough prime minister to kick things and manage the daily business of the government. The president needs to be confident, calm and patriotic. He must build a system of government that meant to last for years to come. As I was chatting a local businessman last week, I mentioned the need for a strong leader in Somalia, and he said , " brother, we need a strong system". He need to reassure the Somali people and the world while avoiding corrupt practices that destroy the credibility of the nation . Mr. cumar also must abandon the illegal tribal alliance the Puntlanders made with Mogadishu area community of Ali Mahdi and company , and find new strategy of pacifying the south central Somalia. The Community of president Hassan and Shariif has ruled enough both as presidents and prime miniters , and the time has come for a change. The Galmudug community of south and central Somalia must be part of the solutions for the future stability and leadership of Somalia. They have been in the opposition long enough, and they should not be kept out anymore. Not only they reside in central Somalia, but have a large presece in Hiiraan, Mogadishu and Lower Shabeelle. They are probably the main forces fueling the insurgency to undermine the Mogadishu leadership. Bring them in . They are tough and they could probably act differently as insiders than outsiders. I do belive C/rahman C.shakur Warsame , Yusuf Garaad or Mohamuud M. Culusow--former central bank governor of Somalia---could be appointed as the next prime minister who could make the new team with president Cumar Sharmaarke. Before we all agree for change of leadership and the campaign of Cumar Sharmaarke, , there are few hurdles that must be crossed. As we speak, the most shrewd and gifted Somali politician of our era, Shariif Hassan Sheekh Aadan, just declared his intention to run for president. This announcement must shake everyone's strategy, as Mr Shariif Hassan controls the largest block of parliament in the country. He must sign the nomination papers of at least 69 members of parliament from South West, that means he is controlling a third of the parliament before he even starts the campaign. My sources tells me that he does not want the parliament speaker position for his region any more, a post held by Baidoa politicians since the formation of Carta government in 2000. He want someone from the "D" block or USC community to take that position in order for him to be president. The fact is no one could become a president or prime minister without the support of Shariif Hassan. Shariif Hassan was a former Khat trader who knows how to gamble , and he is known to be very generous. Any way, this candidacy of Shariif Hassan could change every thing we have been saying for the last few months, including this peace that I just wrote about the prime minister. Finally , I would have loved to finish this topic, but it is only fair to discuss the prospect of Mohamed C. Farmaajo before we conclude. Last week, his party , The Rajo Party, held a well attended meeting in Toronto, Canada. The notables in that conference were some star powers like Amiin Camir and Usur Abraar. The talented cartoonist and the anti corruption crusader and former central bank governor stole the show. We all love Amin Camir and Usur because they are talented and self made Somalis, but the question is, Can they win? Be patent , will try to conclude the next segment and Farmaajo. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Holac Posted November 12, 2016 Galbeedi, this is overshadowed by Trump's win. What is your opinion on racist Trump and his stunning win? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
