Somaliland:Created the innocent Killer:Blame for whom?

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Dr. MLK, Jr

Aptly, the social group ”Madasha wadda tashiga iyo toosinta,” of whom mostly are the conscientious members of the public, came forward to call for a national dialogue amidst the welter of conflicting rules, a dangerous brew of external and internal political turmoil and violent conflicts, fickle policies, and rapacious acts of the executive branch, which by all accounts put Somaliland in a situation likely facing a slow, painful but expected [for those who knows the leader ‘s checkered history] death at the hands of an innocent killer. Why would anyone who had stake in the country’s struggle against a dictator deem to act exactly the same as the dictator he fought against?

Over the years Mr. Silanyo die-hard supporters repeatedly told us that he is morally spotless; that he was persecuted only by dissenting public opinion for his involvement in earlier conspiracies during his tenure in the SNM leadership and his participation in stoking war between brotherly sub clans in the 90’s, that he was presented as a scapegoat for the acts of others; the superior child whose virtues are not recognized. We were given to believe that the destructions he causes are not a result of his intentions; only the sacrifice he makes for others is.  That was the picture we saw of him before his presidency. Unfortunately this is a story that still appeals to some who refuses to see Mr. Silanyo in his organic nature.

Neither any conscientious Somali Lander nor I should have given a second thought of a supposedly bright future for Somaliland under Mr. Silanyo leadership solely if the self-parodying of SNM struggle participants to be more patriotic and caring the entity than others holds any truth in it. Contrarily, if anything, such Somaliland post partum psyche has peddled our lack of understanding of the importance of honoring the infallible citizen’s equation, which is the general moral code for a progressive society.

It has been quite a departure from what was considered as a firm and plausible stand of Mr. Silanyo during his campaign for the presidency against anything that harms our social fabric and infringes citizens’ rights to form association to confer a platform for national debates on issues to the comparative counterproductive policies of his government.

In hindsight, it seemed now as one of his tactical statements that cast in tunes of reason but contrary to what he believes, apparently borrowing a leaf of whimsicality from his master’s book, Said Bare. His tactics of rummaging of his many colors for what could make sense for the public along with his checkered history, which entails glaring failures, could have spilled the beans about his true intentions if central community had given much thought about Silanyo’s past pertaining to his undignified management style.

One year into his tenure, Somaliland independent media presented a harrowing tale of power abuses and his hawkeyed policy against certain clans, groups, and sub clans, a revenge act amesh of his incorrigible character and impenitent heart. Laws and regulations have either been modified or given different explanation with the support of his lackeys in the two chambers to suite his purpose. The central community leaders as well as many social groups either ignored the abuse or participated in it, creating a leadership character that exterminates the national fabrics and yet remains fundamentally innocent in the eyes of our central community, though comparatively in a dwindling proportion. 

Through this power abusive Mr. Silanyo became more arrogant and spontaneously put his conspiracy skills into practice to dissolve other political parties of his political nemesis, though one failed to materialize, subjugation and arbitrary arrests of independent media became the norm and not the exception, the periphery clans’ members in the public service were purged out and are given less than their rightful share either in his government portfolios or in the army brass, a flagrant violation of the agreement in the Borama Conference, which the central community leaders must have been persuaded of its severity. However, central community leaders remained unfazed and are largely to blame, as signatures of that agreement, for Somaliland’s current precarious situation and injustice as their inept handling of the incompliance lead to the clan representation imbalance in the current government.

There’s always been a leadership moral whether the leader exercises or not. The worst leadership moral is that which is unconsciously expressed in actions and when that happens the morals that show up are the ones he actually lives by. And that tells much more truth about what he believes or what he’s been persuaded of. 

            Perhaps, we should all know now that there is more to becoming an effective, loyal, and fairleader than being ONLY a participant in the SNM struggle. And unless the central community and its leaders forfeit that misleading perception and be able to winnow candidates, among other attributes, on qualifications, loyalty, competency, and fairness, which would fundamentally help us safeguard the unity and ennoble our aspiration as well as give credence to the reason we fought against the tyrant, we are doomed to reap the repercussions that would eventually boomerang on our aspirations for the future of the entity.

Needless to say, Somaliland is a collection of cards and if not well glued together by treating each and every card as equal and giving each card’s citizens equal opportunity to serve the country in his/her capacity, competence and qualifications, it could strip off one card after the other and definitely that will not bode well for the future of the Somaliland entity.  

Thus the question remains “will the central community and its leaders ever change the contentious perception and grow out of it?” Otherwise with no change in thinking, it will reinforce the notion that Somaliland is one-clan-entity and give credit to Awdal, Khatumo, and Makhir states, which are born eventually out of resentment and lack of respect to the inter-clan agreements by the central community, as these other communities stand between existence as entity and oblivion. The ball is in the central community and its leadership court.

 Sharmarke Ali

 Seattle, WA