Hiiraan Online

Secondly you portray Somaliland as a peaceful and thriving democracy whose only disagreeing clans you describe as either “unruly tribesmen”; or as hot heads from among the Diaspora.  You are an example of such individuals.

Your language is deceptive which effectively justifies genocide.  No one can justify the immoral activities and the inhumane acts of violence carried out by the self-declared Republic of Somaliland.   How can you, an individual with a doctoral degree, justify the immoral activities and inhumane acts of violence in Somaliland? Those destructive acts in the name of the state are happening right on the front door of your own peoples’ door.  The wrongful acts to which I refer include fostering economic isolation by closing your ports and other vital transportation infrastructure including airports, effectively cutting off trade with other Somalis.   You have shut down or hamstrung your own media, confiscated people’s farms and land; and recruited other Awdal intellectuals like yourself  to tell others how great Somaliland is.  Your people have no dignity and have become subservient to Hargeisa in the 20 years during which self-proclaimed Somaliland has existed.  Your article manipulates and obscures the truth about Somaliland for the general public.

The second part of your argument relates to the fact that Somaliland should be a venue for a reconciliation conference for the rest of the Somali people.  That would be a noble thing to do, and could help extinguish the fires of hatred and rivalry if it were coming from real love and concern.  Is Somaliland, acting as an independent state, being honest and genuine about its reasons for hosting a reconciliation conference?   Or does the real reason include lies and half truths more directly related to the enormous amount of propaganda such a conference might provide as a means of getting the bandwagon of recognition rolling.   Since when did or should Somaliland become an independent arbitrator in the Somali conflict?   It seems very clear that Somaliland would use that platform to obtain recognition—using the guise of peace broker to draw attention to itself in the hopes of being rewarded with broader recognition.

Finally, you have openly attacked the Awdal Diaspora.  Ironically, you are one of the oldest members of the Diaspora, recently returned to the self-declared republic with your comfortable pension and high-sounding rhetoric.  As the Somaliland guerrilla expression goes, “Kaadi baanu usoo cabnay Somaliland” (We fought our struggle for Somaliand to the point of drinking urine when water was not available).  What did you drink for your struggle?  How many Tolaawe’s (isolated people without the support of kinsmen) do we have?  Perhaps they will appoint you as the Doctor of Psychiatry for all the SNM killers housed in Hargeisa.   If so, you could be given the title, Dhaktharka Dimirka Somaliland, “The Doctor of Somaliland Psychiatry.”