By Abdi-Noor Mohamed
Poverty, in Somalia , is a way of life. People have been adjusting themselves to a situation of depriviation. Living with severe shortages in terms of basic services has become an accepted norm of life.
I think a change must come from within ourselves rather than waiting it to come from outside. We should work hard to make a change in our life and not rely on mere textbook information which says Somalia has potential mineral endowments but not actually coming up with strategies to tap these resources.
Leadership failure in Somalia has caused our people to sit on a golden rock while starving to death. That has to change, no matter how long takes. And change does not come out of the blue. It has to start from somewhere, some point.
The political contest between the Islamic courts and the TFG must come to an end otherwsise we shall always be moving along the viscious cycle of war. The traditional systems of government must be replaced with new modalities of administration in which people are allowed to participate the leadership of their country. Previously a group of politicians or military junta hyjacked the political authority of the country thereby marginalizing the people and pushing them to corners of destitution.
The TFG is built upon the basis of tribe which is no different than what we used to see in the last fourty years. And they did not do much to rebuild the nation as it was a seatless government over the two or so years of its existence. It had spent most of its time unwisely in unnecessary travels to attend flag-showing conferences. On the other hand the Islamic courts are giving more emphasis to the political side of their struggle instead of thinking of a way to devise strategies to rebuild the nation and to make peace with the TFG. Somalis warn the UIC not to throw us in yet another war with the TFG or get absorbed in this expensive war on terror raging on between Bush and Bin Laden. They should know that while away in the war there are international mafia who suck all our natural heritage and resources while letting our people die from lack of food and medical attention. So in that case they should not go to war. I call the UIC to end this stalemate with the TFG and, together with the TFG, to put in place some sort of an administration and begin to reconstruct the nation. If not then the UIC are another interest group who emerged to milk chaos just like the warlords they had chased out.
UIC, please be always on the positive side, if things get out of hand let it not be your fault. Look at the Somali children who are everyday dying from hunger and disease, the poor mother who is bleeding in the camps of displaced populations etc. and don't look for the personal advantage you will gain if you insist on wearing a straight political jacket. Stretching your influence in new areas is nothing more than a power show if you are not actually coming up with viable strategies of security and development.
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Please share this poem with me |
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If I read the books
I see light of hope
Words are so juicy
So appetizing indeed
They have some weight
In them they have power
They speak of fortunes
Of large oil deposits
Of uranium and diamond
But between the lines
I see a fading light
The country is in war
Its people are dying
It is plaqued by diseases
Devastated by malnutrition
Shattered by despondency
Gang-raped by warlords
Never had it been ruled by its people
Never its people had ever owned it
It is Somalia in the Horn of Africa
Poor in reality, wealthy in textBooks |