Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Somaliland People: The Victim of Bad Choice

John Locke, a British Oxford Scholar in the 17th
century and the father of contemporary democratic
theory, wrote: “...he that will not give just occasion
to think that all government in the world is the
product only of force and violence, and that men live
together by no other rules but that of beasts, where
the strongest carries it...must of necessity find
another rise of government, another original political
power...”

Somaliland people, living in the beginning of the 21st
century when dictatorships and totalitarian regimes
are soon becoming vestiges of the past, do not believe
in government of force and violence but, in the
current situation, they are only victims of their own
bad choice for leadership in the last presidential
election though many believe it was fraudulent
election and may not be blamed for all. History has
no value if a nation easily forgets its painful past
and, likewise, there is no hope in future if the same
past is frequently repeated. Within 10 years only,
Somaliland people have apparently forgotten the
injustices and the subsequent atrocities by Siad`s
regime (1982-1990). The memories of the recent brutal
targeting of certain clans (!988-1990) or the vicious,
divisive tactics that turned all Somaliland people
against each other might have been virtually erased
from their brains- If that is true, it is unfortunate.
They forgot to remind themselves of the reality that,
throughout history, traitors, betrayers, promise
breakers, and oppressors exist and always looking for
a chance to surprise their victims and drag them
mercilessly into their holes with their fangs deeply
buried into their throat to suffocate to death.

Somaliland nation should blame itself for the current
worrisome situation of the country and the growing
uncertainties of its future. They should know that
they fell to a clique of beasts in the last
presidential election held on April 14, 2003 and now
suffer from the consequences of their bad choice on
that day. They chose Siad`s loyalist, Mr. Dahir
Riyale Kahin, over heroes and politicians with tested
integrity, patriotism and nationalism of whom many
spent many years in the woods for their own salvation
and failed to elect the right leader as the people of
Somalia failed to rise up unitedly against the brutal
warlords that denied them of peace and government in
the last 15 years. It is the peoples`s discretionary
duty not to elect controversial figure that could
embark the nation on a disastrous route of political
turmoil and civil strife that endangers the lives and
properties of Somaliland citizens as well as
threatening their hard-won sovereignty or that could
establish tribal or regional dictatorship which would
plunge the country into civil wars where no one
escapes. If tribalism and regionalism are involved in
the leadership and government of a nation, the results
are always disastrous. The major two goals of
Somaliland democracy was intended to prevent
dictatorship and promote uninterrupted, smooth
progress in the country that could promise peace,
stability and prosperity for all citizens.
Somaliland inter-clan amnesty was confused with
national leadership. It was wrong to put suspected
war criminal at the helm of the nation if graciously
given amnesty. Knowing his past history, it was big
mistake for electing Dahir Riyale Kahin president for
five years without testing him for one year as an
interim president- That test itself would be wrong
because of his past history.

When the French Revolution, which was a political
upheaval of world importance, took place in France in
1789, the king of France, king Louise xiv and his wife
Marie Antoinette failed to understand why France
needed political change while the two and their
children were living extravagantly and luxuriously in
great palace at the expenses of the toiling poor
people of France who even could not afford to buy a
piece of bread. When the popular uprising surrounded
their royal residence, shouting and protesting with
slogans, DOWN WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY!!! Marie
Antoinette, looking down from beautiful balcony and
relaxing, said to the protesters, “If you do not have
bread, why don`t you eat cake.” That statement caused
firestorm and explosive anger in France and the
intensified popular up rising brought down the French
Monarchy. The French people successfully led the
political change they rose up for from which the
modern French State emerged.

In the current fuel crisis in Somaliland, president
Riyale`s wife, Mrs. Huda, likewise may treat
Somaliland people the same way and say,”If you do not
have fuel, don`t you have legs to walk from city to
city or from town to town!” Recently, president
Riyale sent his wife to Cairo carrying millions of
dollars stolen from the orphans, the handicapped, the
sick, the blind, the poor, the hungry, the weak, the
homeless, the disaffected, and the elderly to buy one
million dollar home in the rich neighborhoods of Cairo
to have pleasant learning-environment for their
children- Most of the First Family`s children already
moved into the new paradise (home) in Cairo. This is
the kind of money, the poison, with which President
Riyale and his henchmen in the abused power are
raising their families and feeding their loved ones.
It is the most immoral, disgraceful and corrupt regime
for continuously stealing millions of dollars from
public funds for personal enrichment and interests,
for rigging elections, and for creating inter-clan
civil strife to bring Somaliland down; funds intended
originally to develop the country and alleviate or
subsidize soaring prices of food and fuel.

On the day president Riyale took over the office of
the presidency, he started appointing and gathering
unionists, mostly remnants of Siad`s regime, and
reactionary puppets in his administration. That was
when everything went wrong in the country. He
repeatedly expels ministers, officials, and commanders
who are committed to the cause of Somaliland Republic
because they oppose his subversive policies and
replaces them with loyalists who are either unionists
or reactionary puppets. He is not expected to expel
unionists and reactionary puppets who are responsible
for the daily crisis of the country because they
fulfill his plotted goals to destroy Somaliland for
the defacto union with Somalia. The worst of these
hired reactionary elements include: Aden Ismael Osman
(Chief promoter of civil wars), Minister of Interior,
Hussein Ali Duale (Awil, chief of public funds
mismanagement) Minister of Finance, Abdullahi Mohamed
Duale (Chief promoter of subversive propaganda)
Minister of Information, Mohamed Egeh (Chief of human
rights abuses) Commander of National Police Force, and
Ahmed Ali Adami (Chief of elections interfering) The
Chairman of National Election Commission.

Studying the actions and behavior of President Riyale
since he assumed the presidency, it is clear that he
is not fool, he is not weak and he is not coward under
pressure, he is betrayer, faithless, selfish and
persona non grata, who is committed to bring
Somaliland and its people down through the ongoing
destructive policies. Since he came to power, he has
been plotting anti-Somaliland plan with his close
associates, unionists and remnants of Siad`s regime,
that he gathered in the administration, parliament,
UDUB Party, National Election Commission, and others.
He is embarked on a process of destruction against
Somaliland independence and statehood through the
following three steps or phases:
First Phase: This phase is intended to ruin all
aspects of governance and statehood of Somaliland
Republic. President Riyale succeeded in dismantling
the three major branches or pillars of Somaliland
Government namely: Executive power, legislative, and
judiciary, then he compromised territorial integrity
and national unity, created constitutional crisis,
eliminated democratic process, crippled economy,
weakened defense, disabled local government functions,
undercut social services, abused human rights etc. He
has established treasonous dictatorship instead that
created the current crises in the country. President
Riyale has also showed no respect for the celebrations
of May 18 and June 26 which are important dates in
Somaliland history. Somaliland State exists only in
name to day, and what the people achieved before the
current regime has been greatly hurt by his
undermining policies.
Second Phase: In this phase, president Riyale
deliberately encouraged Puntland Administration to
invade and conquer Sool and Sanaag as the easiest way
to damage Somaliland statehood and its long-awaited
diplomatic recognition. The successful invasion of
Puntland on Las Anod, capital of Sool, on December 31,
2003 and the subsequent advance of Puntland
Administration into Eastern Sanaag marked the
beginning, not the end, of this phase. Worst is to
come if president Riyale remains in office. Col.
Abdullahi Yusuf receives shipments of arms, armored
vehicles, artillery, and ammunition regularly through
Bosaso Seaport and Airport to invade Mogadisho and the
rest of Sool and Sanaag or even Somaliland; and there
is no long time conflict preparation on the side of
Somaliland. The weapons piled up in Bosaso in the
hands of a tribe and the nature of the man in charge
should be sending chilling message to both sides. In
my article, Puntland`s Growing Threat Against
Somaliland, posted on Somaliland Web sites in August
2003, I warned of the impending invasion of Puntland
but it was ignored and the invasion took place 4
months later.
Third Phase: This is the ongoing phase intended to
create inter-clan civil strife in Central and Eastern
Regions of the country to turn Somaliland into
lawless, failed state like Somalia with the objective
of justifying another unwelcome, humiliating merger
with Somalia. The country is passing now through this
final phase which could trigger the end of Somaliland
Republic unless saved by its people.
During this process of destruction, president Riyale`s
policy is to keep Awdal in low profile and silently
displace the original inhabitants of Lug-hayo and
Zeila.

Some deviated traditional leaders wrongfully jumped
into the political bandwagon of Somaliland where they
do not belong to and departed from their traditional
roles of peace-making and safeguarding the Republic of
Somaliland. This is one of Riyale`s destructive
policies to turn the constitutional state into tribal
state run by tribal chiefs to create chaos as part of
his anti-Somaliland plots. These traditional
leaders, who are exclusively hired by the repressive,
conspiratorial government to defend its indefensible
reactionary policy, share the blame for participating
in the destruction of Somaliland Republic with the
members of the ruling clique. Those who defend
president Riyale and attack his critics do so because
they either support his anti-Somaliland subversive
policies or they are sold out double-faced reactionary
elements who are committed to their personal
interests. National interests are greater than
personal or tribal interests. Those who committed
crimes against Somaliland Republic and its people
believe that they will not be able to live in
Somaliland in future when their regime collapses
because of what they did and they are destined to
flee, so they have to destroy as much as they could in
their losing game for survival. The situation of
Riyale`s government today is “O God! Bring hail down
freely, we have nothing to spare.” (Waxba dhawran
maynee Allow dhagaxyo soo daadi).

Somaliland is in dire need of urgent political change
to rescue from destruction. With the parliamentary
elections almost upon Somaliland, the people may face
another disappointing situation in the hands of the
regime. There is slim chance that the coming
parliamentary elections will be clean and fraud-free
if held and not suspended by the regime. If the
elections are stolen or suspended, the nation should
face the reality that the consequences of letting
president Riyale and his henchmen in power will be far
graver for the nation than removing them now.

President Riyale has refused to step down and blocked
to be impeached which is an unavoidable constitutional
process if a democratically elected president betrays
his nation as happened before in many countries of the
world. President Riyale must step down now. If he
insists not to step down or respect the impeachment
process, the only remaining last option is forceful
removal from power- God forbid, that scenario seems
inevitable unless president Riyale and his henchmen
change their minds for the common good of all and step
down. Impeaching or removing president Riyale will
not affect Somaliland diplomatic recognition as the
scare tactics of the regime tell the nation but will
hasten it and will unite again the people and the
country. Somaliland people should not resign their
responsibility of expelling president Riyale from
power for the sake of recognition as the country is
already on runaway train which is on collision course.
If the last option becomes necessary, which is
disappointing but unavoidable, the offices and
residential buildings of the tyrannical
anti-Somaliland regime should not remain safe hideouts
or havens any longer and Hargeisa, the capital of
Somaliland, should lead the charge of the salvation of
the nation as these hideouts are located in its heart
and the destructive process of Somaliland independence
is taking place in its center. Always the people, the
masses, rise up to bring down reactionary or
treasonous regimes when their existence are threatened
and bring favorable political change and relief to
all. Because Somaliland independence, peace and
future are at stake, people must find another rise of
government led by carefully elected progressive leader
that restores unity, stability, and democratic process
which promises peace and prosperity for all. Long
Live Somaliland.

Written by: Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
Email: Ibrahim_hg@yahoo.com

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