By Mohamed Ahmed
Professor Samatar is drifting into Somaliland orbit lately. Giving his importance of joining Somali politics, and the originality of his scholarly views on Somali conflict,Professor Samatar interest in Somaliland affairs deserves a look. The good professor made a visit to his motherland six month ago, and just made his second trip at the end of last month. It’s remarkable that Somaliland people applauded his splendid short term tour of the country with a hero welcome.
Boxed in by South Somalia immobility of opening doors to the Northerners, the good professor took a radical step in changing his political game by aligning with Somaliland aspirations. One has to admire the professor straight-talking attitude, but one also has to wonder how long is it before the professor lose patience and start playing a double game of a politician and a scholar? After all this is a man who has such a good reputation for being impatient. Worst of all this is the same man who few years ago expressed a frank and deep aspiration to be the president of Somalia!
The whole affair of welcoming those who previously opposed Somaliland merit some thoughts. It is up to Somaliland people to keep their gates. If you closely listen to the good professor lectures in Somaliland, he seems to expresses an ideology (subtly) that will not most probably get degree of adherence on the part of a majority of the population. I find no ground to expect Professor Samatar to breathe light into Somaliland politics or economy. Somaliland survived the last twenty years without his help! The good profesor has a way with Somali words. He can captivate Somali audience and make them feel like a deer stuck in their Sorrow headlight. Sure Somaliland has a serious domestic crisis that deserves a mention, but is Somaliland ready for Professor Samatar tantrums and fanatical denunciations of those he disagrees with? It goes without saying that professor Samatar is a very impatient man. You just have to view his recent YouTube video in Somaliland University.
Professor Samatar has every right as a Somali Scholar to expose the lies and the truth of Somaliland governments. He has every right to analyze actions of Somaliland authority according to their causes and motives. What I’m a bit skeptical about is the readiness of the public for a hysterical critic that will maybe dismiss their aspirations as a vain hope and false dreams! It is the role of a scholar to create and analyze ideologies, though expressions of professor Samatar critical views of Somali affairs can come across as self-serving politician.
The people of Somaliland special those reside in the middle are good people with clean heart, and they forgive what this Professor did for a very long time. That shows the people in Somaliland by large are forgiving, but its the Professor who needs his consciousness to wipe and told him to realize that what he did to his country was bad, and should be rectified by understanding fully the aspiration of the his people and help where possible. CAANO DAATAY DABADEED LAQABAY.
In my view he has political ambition in the future.
What you mean by "those reside in the middle"??? Sorry, I'm not familiar with who lives there.
What are you trying to establish you wanna-be analyst? Are you telling us that you are smarter than the hundreds of thousand of Somalilanders who you are saying yourself have welcomed professor Samatar? Do you know, Mr Smart, that Sifir held a ministerial position in Wanwalayn before he returned to his home country and was instated as an ambassador to Kenya? If you did, did you write such load of garbage to question Sifir's integrity like you are doing here now? It is this kind of idiocy that scar good people's consciousness. Professor Samatar has as much rights as Sifir, but what you presented to us here is toilet wall text. Next time keep them to yourself.
Mr. C Tears, I have just expressed my opinion and I don't deserve the bad language you wrote here.
Dear Omer Hussein Dualeh,
The comments are not addressed to you, but to the author of the above rubbish in question we are both commenting on. Unlike him you are a patriotic commentator.
But your comments should be sensible and contribute meaningful for good course but no to sheet what ever comes from you as if you have taken laxative l am sorry for that.
the Prof is back home and enjoying his peace of mind amongst his fellow citizens.
Home sweet Home. Whatever he wants to do after all the far away oblivion is upto him.
Cheers.
This guy is a political opportunist. Plain and simple. He got kicked in the teeth when he tried to run for political office in Somalia. Now he wants to take part in Somaliland affairs when he doesnt even believe in our shared struggle to see Somaliland free from Somalia.
I wouldnt trust him with our nation by giving him political office. This guy has spent the better part of his adult life trying to cut us down at every turn. Trust is earned and this guy hasnt earned respect but scorn from the population of Somaliland.
A heros welcome? According to who? Most Landers looked on caustiously, the way a man looks at a hyena following his flock. Somaliland is our flock and samatar is an opportunist, he attacked us when he thought we were weak and now that he sees a healthy flock suddenly he is kind supportive waiting for dinner time, sorry not gonna happen.
NLander. What is that supposed to mean? Your comments on other Somalilanders (not northlanders) will make sense after your full conversion.
Do not forget that when to contest for president ship in Somalia he was told that you do not belong to us what do you expect this gentleman should have done.
Correction:- When he went to Contest.
Aha aha ah a
I burst into laughter!!! if the good professor, believes the same cause the people and the administrators of Somaliland struggle for, why did he run for presidency in Somalia? let us say he won the presidency of Somalia, how would he face Somaliland? why did he change his mind when his attempt of becoming the president of Somalia failed? I ask my self all these questions and would like some one to put some light…….or who can red between the lines.
I would like to know what wold professor Samatar could bring to the table? Somaliland do not like to be entertained with some kind of puffing words but concrete plan.
Na'ima
Instead of bursting into laughter, you should cry. We gave you our hard won independence and what did you do with it? We gave you one of the most shrewd African politicians in Mohammed Haji Ibrahim Egal (may Allah bless his soul). What did you do with him? We gave you one of the best African scholars in Professor Samatar, what did you do with him? You threw all those gifts into abyss and fifty three years after independence you preferred to be re-colonised by AMISOM, and now you are a colony you start singing and dancing all over the place. But what reason do you have to do so?