by Ali Osman Samatar
Last week, the president of the self declared Republic in North Somalia his Excellency Dahir Riyale Kahin was ordered to Addis where he met the Prime Minster of Ethiopia, ex-comrade Meles Zenawi. Little is known about the out come or issues discussed in that meeting between the ex-Somalia intelligence officer and the Ethiopian ex-stone age communist. However, Mr. Riyale told journalists in Addis that his secessionist ghetto in Hargeisa applauds sincerely for the Ethiopian Military intervention in South Somalia but he unprofessionally demented that statement after his arrival in Hargeisa. Nevertheless, more interesting and strange enough is the fact that the whole secessionist political elite in the second city of Somalia agreed this time to organise all of sudden demonstrations against what they call Mbagath government in Mogadishu. At this point, one can say in Hargeisa the time is obviously standing still. The TFG is not in Mbagath but in Mogadishu more than two years after Mbagath.
The demonstrations which have been propagated in Hargeisa soon after Mr. Riyale returned from Addis calls for many questions. What exactly did the Ethiopians told Mr. Riyale so that the secessionist clique started to manipulate the people and brought them to demonstrate in the streets of Hargeisa or San Diego? What caused this panic demonstration in Hargeisa? Are the Ethiopians playing a double game with the amateur politicians in North Somalia? The demonstration in Hargeisa was orchestrated by Mr. Mohamed Selah Nor (Fagare), Festal Ali Warabe, Ahmed Yusuf Yasin, who are members of the opposition and the Governing party, respectively. However, the most remarkable statement during the demonstration was made by Mr. Fagare from the Kulmiye opposition party.
In his speech, Mr. Fagare particularly addressed the Somali youth in Hargeisa and he told them not to believe that Ethiopians are their enemy. The professional opposition justified his statement to his audience mostly women and children by saying that Ethiopians supported his people (what ever he means with that) while they were struggling against the later Said Barre Dictatorial regime. At this point, Mr. Fagare missed to admit the fact that the Ethiopia of today is not the Ethiopia of the tyrant Mengistu Haile Mariam who supported Fagade people. At that time, the Tigrayan Liberation Front (TLF) lead by Meles Zenawi was exactly struggling against the tyrannical despot Mr. Mengistu. However, Mr. Fagare was literally telling the young Somalis in Hargeisa that his people were supported by an Ethiopian tyrant. What a shame and I doubt that Meles Zenawi will be happy about the glorification of the Mengistu bloody era. However, the winners of the political struggle in Ethiopia (TLF) are living today in peace and harmony with their brothers and sisters in such a huge multi-ethical country after 30 years of arm struggle. In contrary to that, the winners of the Somalia political struggle in Hargeisa, the Somali National Movement (SNM) have nothing else to do rather then to organise primitive clan based demonstration against South Somalia. Let us call a spade a spade, these days demonstrations in Hargeisa manifests only the political interest of a short sighted political revengists in the region and they are only struggling for a nothing more than clan dominated Republic in North Somalia.
During the 16 bloody years in South Somalia, present political actors in Hargeisa believed with out any scruple that a continuous bombing, killing and chaos in South Somalia will bring them every day closer to their virtual Republic. During the long tragic agony in south Somalia and the brutal warlordism, politicians in Hargeisa never organised a single humanitarian demonstration from their peaceful homes against the genocide in South Somalia. In the contrary, day in day out, political demagogies in Hargeisa were telling the people in North Somalia that the whole Somalia people in the South where responsible for the brutal killings of thousands of innocent people in Hargeisa by the Military regime in Somalia . More worst, is the fact that Hargeisa amateur politician and opportunists, irresponsibly mistranslated the heroic Somali national struggle in Hargeisa against Barre regime into a backward clan struggle or even into anti-South Somali political movement (ASSPM). That irresponsible altitude damaged undisputable the historical national respect and recognition for those who lost their lives for the liberation of Somalia against the Military dictatorship.
As we all know, our people in South Somalia are in a very serious and critical situation but the corrupted and fake Mujahiden in Hargeisa has nothing else to do as to launch propaganda campaign against TFG and all hopes and dreams for a long lasting peace solution in Mogadishu and Somalia. However, can we say that that kind of political behaviour in Hargeisa justifies to say North Somalia’s secessionist movements are missing the old bloody days in Mogadishu because they are afraid of a peaceful and successful Government operations in the South which might minimize their chance to get an independent Republic in North Somalia?. Following that and if that is the case, will it be fair or unfair to categorize the political actors in Hargeisa as sadists? In case the TFG manages to disarm all the clan Militia and take peacefully control over the whole South Somalia , the rebuilding of our country needs all brilliant men and women technocrats from the North who are now vegetating unemployed in the streets of Borama, Hargeisa Burao, Lasanood, Berbera etc..
Having said that, the secessionist propaganda against the weak and at the mean time very busy TFG shows the fear of the coming mass exodus from the Ghettoes in the North to the wider and big part of our country. No doubt, a peaceful South Somalia will attract many Somalis from the North who would like to visit again where they used to work, where their children were born, friends and relatives. Perhaps the politicians in Hargeisa are really feeling that fantastic scenario and it created a horrifying panic within the secessionists establishment. Therefore, the new panic propaganda and demonstrations in Hargeisa are literally the last kicks of dieing horse.
Finally, The TFG politicians are known for their brilliant political strategy but it will not wise to provoke more political panic in North Somalia.
Ali Osman Samatar
E-mail: [email protected]