Somalia might not come back in decades, but How late president Cigaal did It?

[galbeedi]

Somalia was stolen.

 

That was the words of A local teenage boy who visited Mogadishu with his father. From the street checkpoints manned by the Ugandan army, to airports and other government building, all he saw was foreign troops and private security firms running everything.

 

He is an observant teenager, but he is not alone. Two weeks ago I sat down with a local friend of mine who this spring got a contract financed by the USAID to help build capacity in one of the government ministries. He resides inside the Halane compound were expatriates, Amisom leaders, UN workers and private security firms reside. That compound swallows not millions but hundred of millions every year to support the unending efforts of the international community to help Somalia.

 

According to this fellow, they all came to rescue Somalia (Somalia Aduunyadii baa usoo gurmatay ayuu hadalkiisu isugu biyo shubtay). Before we talk about the so called rescue and private security contractors, I did ask him about his daily routine and life in Mogadishu. He said , " in the morning our convoy is escorted by two bullet proof armored vehicles , one in the front and one at the back, except the drivers, all the security guards are foreigners of different nationalities". Why not use well paid and trained somalis?, he said, " no way, Somalis can not be trusted".

 

Galbeedi: tell me about the so called rescue of Somalia ( Gurmadka).

 

The Contractor: He said, " people of different nationalities of the world had come to help Somalia, and even the Republic of Serbia is here, they are all trying to help build the capacity of the federal government including the rebuilding of the Somali army"

 

Galbeedi: Haven't they all here since 2011? , and since then how many Somali soldiers did they train?.

 

The contractor: They did train a lot and most of them belonged to the family clan of the president, and after few months without salary, they just abandoned their posts or became part time soldiers, but right now a professional multi clan soldiers will be recruited from the regions and Mogadishu. Somalia, at the moment do not have capacity to run government services or ministries, so they need help from the international community.

 

Galbeedi: Now former president Hassan Sheikh is to blame for everything that went wrong for the last four years, right?

 

The contractor: He was one of the most corrupt people Somalia have even seen. He sidelined every thing if does not get his interest.

 

Galbeedi: any way, according to your observation, Amisom, UN and private security contractors are keeping the system running?

 

The contractor: without the professional work of these groups Somalia will collapse immediately and will be taken over by Al-shabaab. THe Ugandan army is very professional, they control the gates of every entry, whether it's airport, Halane, ports or Villa Somalia. No matter who you are , even the president, they will check your vehicle thoroughly and follow the security protocols.

 

Galbeedi:Certainly this is a different Somalia. In 1972/73 tens of thousands of Somalis left their homes to teach people the new Somali alphabet with little resources. In Afghanistan, the most powerful army in the world is fighting the rag tag mountaineers of Taliban extremists, and so far hundred of billions were spent. Still the battle is raging. Don't you think a well trained Somali army and the people are the only ones who could defeat Al-shabaab?

 

The contractor: Somalis do not have the capacity to defeat anyone at this stage. Al-shabaab and other criminal elements are active in the city and some of these battles can only be won if the public cooperate with the government and weed out those who are hiding among them.

 

Galbeedi: Well, hundred of millions are poured in Somalia to rescue the country as you stated, and all that money goes to the 150 agencies residing in Halane and Jazeera compounds, yet Somalis are getting pennies to the dollar. Also, in our conversation you said that planes belonging to the UN, Amisom and others start landing in Mogadishu from dawn to dusk. What is going on in this town?.

 

The contractor: THese plains and others support the job of Amisom, UN, and many countries that are trying to help build the Somali capacity, as I said , without them Somalia will collapse quickly. Also, every country uses his aid money and resources through agencies that connected with hem. For example, I could only fly airlines that have been contracted by the Americans, or hotels and other logistics that are part of the resources allocated for the contract. It's a well known rule that some countries try to recuperate up 75% of aid they give through their agencies or affiliated contractors.

 

Galbeedi: So, all this countries are paying themselves hundred of millions of dollars in the name of Somalia , yet no one have $100 dollars for somali troops.

 

The contractor: The money is there , but it all depends how the Somali leaders take advantage of the international aid money and resources.

 

Galbeedi; final question, who protects the president of Somalia?

 

The contractor: Amisom or particularly the Ugandan army. They are professional army. The Kenyans are the most corrupt and worst soldiers, and the Ethiopians, as usual, play a game of chicken. They abandon towns for Alshabaab and then come back. The Ugandans protect Villa Somalia. Without official appointment or proper document, you can not enter and regardless of who you are , they will inspect your vehicle and yourself extensively.

 

Galbeedi: Folks, usually I interview people and leave the reader to make his mind about the responses of the guest, but this contractor really opened my eyes about what is really going on in Somalia. He tried to feed me the cool-aid of " the world want to save Somalia" , but somehow he was unable to convince me. This Mogadishu town is swallowing every year a billion dollar enterprise from around the world to finance Amisom, private security contractors, NGO's , foreign intelligence and armies from America, UK, Italy, Germany, China, Iran, The Gulf, Turkey, EU and more. Many more are claiming to protect the oceans from Somali pirates that disappeared from the scene many years ago.

 

Somali soldiers are not paid on time or paid $100 dollars compared to the $1200 paid by others in Amisom. According to this gentleman, Somalis in Mogadishu could not be trusted to do anything meaningful. Yet , there is a false hope of , or I should say, self deception among us that we have a president and government.

 

I do not know how any president could survive against all this entrenched and competing interests. Add that to the rich boys of the gulf who had done nothing to help Somalis for the last 25 years, who are now suddenly maneuvering to lead this poor people within their quagmire. Some corrupt politicians are already using the gulf crises as card to build political power.

 

Now let us compare how the late president of Somaliland Mohamed I. Cigaal did it.

 

May Allah bless his soul, Mohamed I. Cigaal has left a legacy to mulate for those who are trying to build government institutions from scratch. He used skill, wisdom, justice and integrity to build a working government institutions from zero. He created single handedly a parliament , a senate or the Elders Chamber and an executive branch accountable to the parliament.

 

 

In 1993, after two bloody years of internal civil war among the Somaliland tribes and the mess created by SNM leadership, the civil societies and elders agreed to hold a peaceful convention in Borama to create a broad system of government that could replace the fragmented SNM leadership. Just like USC and other Somali rebel groups, the SNM militia were organized along clan lines , and it's members were loyal to their tribal commanders. With proliferations of arms and clan militia, What followed was a two year bloody civil war that killed hundreds of people.

 

The elders and the those who were present elected him president. With no money and government budget, he embarked the huge task of organizing a government institution. He faced a civil war, and after the conclusion of the war , he immediately started a reconciliation effort that made those who fought him to forget and forgive. It was the current candidate Muuse Biixi who refused for reconciliation, but as soon as the war concluded Cigaal discarded all those who mistakenly thought that this was a tribal war rather than a small conflict that must not hinder his long term project of institution building.

 

During his tenure as President of Somaliland, Egal managed to disarm local rebel groups, stabilized the region's economy, and established informal trade ties with foreign countries. He also introduced the Somaliland shilling, in addition Egal helped create the Somaliland army, one of the more effective armed forces in Somalia today.

 

In his early years, his government budget was less than $10 million dollars. An elder man who knew Cigaal told me years ago that in 1994, he borrowed money from businessmen to pay the parliament and the police. In 1999, he organized a referendum for the constitution passed by the parliament. When ballot boxes were taken to Laascaanood, a gunmen loyal to Puntland, which was created in 1998 , shot the workers and chased them away. Cigaal did not push or force anyone. He said the ballot boxes must be brought only for those who want.

 

He was a democrat, and did not want to muzzle or control people. When Abdi Samatar, who was a vocal critic of Somaliland visited his home town of Gabiley, some Hargeisa operatives went to Cigaal and said, Mr. president, the trouble maker Abdi Samatar is in town , and since he wrote some unsavory things about Somalialnd, should we arrest him? (" Mudane wiilkii ina Samatar ee wax inaga qorij jiray ayaa joogee ma soo xidhnaa/" markaasuu Cigaal yidhi, " waar ninku ma qori buu soo qaatay oo wuu inala dagaalmay? , maya ayaey yidhaahdeen, haddaba hadaanu qori soo qaadan , Idinkuna sidiisoo kale wax qora oo iska difaaca). He laughed at them and and said, as long as he is not taking a gun and only writing with his pen, you should do the same. Unlike the elected dictators of today he knew the value of free speech .

 

In 2001, when he organized the multi party Somaliland political parties, the budget of Somaliland was $18 million dollars. In that same year, C/qasim Salaad Hasan who was selected in Carta, Djibouti , one year earlier, went to Saudi Arabia and got $17 million dollars. He supposed to use that fund to create small army and pacify the capital from the illiterate warlords like Muuse Suudi and others. Rather than build institutions , he used the money to make false currencies and build tribal militia. Folks it is all about perspective. One man has created a parliament, senate, police, military, national currency and working government institution with small meagre resources of less than ten million dollars from 1993-1998.

 

When he passed away and 2002, some people thought that the Somaliland system might collapse after his death, but the main reason it survived and continued was Cigaal was an administration and not a faction or tribe that rises or goes down with it's leader. He made sure that the system survives and not dependent on one single person. That system might be endanger today because a group of corrupt politicians, and tribal chauvinists who are not self serving, but also are greedy to the bone and outdated. Ahmed Siilaanyo could not dare to enter the game when Cigaal was there, and the old fox Saleebaan Gaal was defeated in late 1997 when he tried to agitate and create chaos.

 

Fast forward 2017.

 

Muuse Biixi--Another small time lieutenant who used to fetch tea and clean the tribal problems and the dirty games that leaders do not want to entangle themselves and diminish their prestige---is vying to finish off what Cigaal started. If this kind of people come to power , expect civil war and chaos.

 

With over $300 million budget, Somaliland is in the brink of starvation and hyperinflation. The currency is in free fall. There is no currency board or bank boards that could stabilize the economy. Yet, despite all the efforts of the corrupt politicians to saw hatred and clannish games, the people are proud and they are holding their head up. There will be always people like Sheikh aadan Siiro will speak truth to power and highlight the crimes of the oligarchs. ILast week , I hear a report about the Siilaanyo Family trying to jail the Sheikh by telling the truth.

 

 

Last week, the Somali finance minister C/raxman Beyle said that his ministries monthly income at the moment is $11 million dollars. He explained that this amount leaves a shortfall of six million dollars a month for government expenditures. Add that to the monthly budget aid Turkey gives to Somalia and you have enough money to pay the essential services of the government. Remember Folks , we are talking about a government that is serving only in one city. One big evil city of Mogadishu.

 

 

The moral story of the issue is, the answer is not all about money, but integrity, honesty, skill and wisdom. So far none of these people who are claiming to be presidents do not have these characters.

 

 

 

 

Let us wait for a year or two if these new leadership could clean the city from the constant bombs that are occurring daily and weekly in this crazy town before the Somalis embark a new revolution. Do not expect the change to come from the usual suspects and corrupt parliamentarians who are seeking to fill their coffers. If you hear " Mr. Xidig" or other Damujadiid stooges maneuvering , please stay away from them , because they were the root cause to transform Somalia as oligarch nation.

 

Any so called motion to undermine the prime minister will not fly or will not have any credibility. As I said many times, he is strong , competent and decisive. The big issue is the policy , and the direction of the administration. If they do not make the tough decisions early, in terms of security and sovereignty, time will run out and they will spend the remaining years how to keep power just like Hassan Sheikh did.

 

Folks it is not all about money. You need the right leaders to create independent system. I do not think that these Mogadishu boys could pull of what Cigaal did twenty years ago from scratch.

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Galbeedi, for the love of your own xaqiiq-raadin, baadigoobid, qalinka dhig and go to Xamar. Check it in your eyes, breathe in it, smell its sea-smelling fresh air and only then, only after that pick up qalinkaaga and write whatever you want to write - your observations, your own thoughts of what you have witnessed. In this, you cut all those middle men, boys, foreigners and whatnot ka soo noqday dalka and report to you what they want to report.

 

Saa u maleeyana dalkii waa hore kugu dambeysay, gaar ahaan Xamar. It is about time boorka iska jaftid and soo aragtid. I promise you whatever you had believed about it will be changed - whether negative or positive.