Many countries in the world even the most developed ones have this problem. Us has north and south divide which they went to a nasty war about it. My adopted country Canada has a similar divide like east, central and west regions. The problem could be economic, political, religious or linguistics. We in Somaliland do not have religious or linguistics issue. We speak the language and have the same religion from coast to coast. Ours is economic and political.
In Canada they have coined a phrase which is the haves and the have-nots. For a long time, the center was the prosperous and still is and they devised a method they call equalization. The rich provinces subsidize the less fortunate and everybody is happy with that arrangement. In the eighties however, the resources of the west was developed with the investment of the center and other international parterres. Now the west is prosperous. They control their resources and reap the benefits, whether it is employment and the royalties they receive from oil. The center and the east also reap some benefits. The central government gets its cut and the equalization payments policy is still in place.
One thing I forgot to mention is the population of the center is much greater than both east and west combined. When there is a general election the party that wins the center vote always forms the government,\. Everybody knows that and accepts it as a fact of life. There was at one time noises coming from the west and they used to call it western alienation. We might have the similar situation in Somaliland. Where ever we discover natural resources to we have to develop it and share the benefits and dangers together with a fair and amicable way to everybody’s satisfaction.
I hear some rumblings and noises. The above mentioned may be the causes and what wrote above is the fair and just solution.
We are on this boat together and we are sailing on rough seas and there is storm brewing all around us. If we spring a leak and the is quite inevitable, let us plug the hole as soon as possible and bail out the water with all the hands on deck. And hopefully we make safely to the shore. If however we capsize, god forbid, we have enough life boats on board and trust me nobody will be left behind on that capsized boat. We will eventually reach the shore and we will regroup and plan the next step we have to take.
Let us endure and persevere and be patient and I am certain we shall overcome any obstacles on our path and reach the Promised Land which is ultimately the free, independent and prosperous Somaliland.
Mohamoud.I.Jama
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
Emai: mohamoud.h.jama@gmail.com
