By Dr. Abdi Ulusso (Mareeg.com)-I first wrote about the problems besieging Somalia after returning from Operation
Restore Hope with the US Military Forces providing with humanitarian assistance to
starving people in Bay and Bakool regions and it was saved millions of from
starvation. It was more, than ten years ago and I gave an appropriate recommendation
to resolve them. I have identified the following problems:1) Banadir Region and the
Capital City, Mogadishu which became a no-man’s land, 2) The break-away regions of
North-West and Togdheer akas Somaliland led by self-serving politicians who want to
create a majority clan enclave in the area, 3) The mushrooming of Islamic
Fundamentalists with disturbed minds, preaching false religion to radicalize the
youth and provide basic social services in the country to fill the gap after the
collapse of the Central Government, 4) External forces, who don’t have their
interest at stake and behind the conflict in Somalia, 5) The problems of
Lower Jubba (Kismayo) which became a battle-ground for outsiders from other regions
who want to claim the region as their own and 6) The 18 regions and districts
politically created by Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre which is one of the lowest points of
his presidency to favor Darood, his clan but instead has turned the country into a
“Clan-Ghettos” which are the root causes of clan discord and conflict in the
regions. Out of the 18 regions 9 are controlled (i.e., Gedo, Lower Juba, Middle
Jubba, Sanaag, Sool, Nugaal, Bari, Mudug and Gal-Gaduud) by Darood while the other
half is divided among all Somali clans. Sadly, Darood is wrapped up with these
artificial regions and districts to give them a false hope of being majority clan
of the country and refuse to compromise. For instance, Hawiye has two regions
Hiraan and Middle Shabelle, Digil and Mirifle have two Bay and Bakool and Dir has
two regions North-West and Togdheer. The majorities of Hawiye are in
toss-up regions i.e., Abgal, Haber-Gedir and Murusade and are in mercy of whoever
is in charge of the country to give them a stake in Mudug and Gal-Gaduud. However,
I was chastised and vilified and ignored and was accused of making a bizarre
argument nationally and internationally which was indeed a grave mistake to dismiss
it. We are still wrestling today the aftermath. I am afraid; this will set us back
unless we sort it out this mess with the help of our partners. Believe, me you
there won’t be any elections of one-man one-vote in 2016 to democratize Somalia.
Nonetheless, the answer to Somalia’s problems by the international community has
always been during the last ten years institutionalized phony politicians on the
take as parliamentarians, a weak central government that composed either of warlords
or Islamic radicals rewarding impunity and corruption in the country and yet all
failed to control the whole country and a national political system which has
nothing to anchor. Therefore, the causes of Somalia’s predicament are difficult to
comprehend and to counter effectively will not require experimental measures by the
international community to compensate policy inadequacy and political dysfunction of
the governments they install which will continue sometime to come.
Dr. Abdi Ulusso
