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Emergent of murderers pirate and elite warlords, a serious threat to peaceful Somaliland

February 24, 2011   ·   2046113 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2Femergent-of-murderers-pirate-and-elite-warlords-a-serious-threat-to-peaceful-somaliland-20461Emergent+of+murderers+pirate+and+elite+warlords%2C+a+serious+threat+to+peaceful+Somaliland2011-02-25+02%3A14%3A25Mo+Guledhttp%3A%2F%2Fsomalilandpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D20461

(SomalilandPress)–Surrounded by hostile environment the resiliency of the de-facto nation of Somaliland is constantly under serious threat from combinations of tribal warlords, piracy and Islamic hardliners. This glimmer of hope in the troubled part of the horn of Africa needs to be kept alive and effectively utilized to pacify the ravaged failed state of Somalia.

For the last two decades there was no central government in Somalia. Following the Immediate oust of the ruthless dictator Siyaad Barre Somaliland which united with the Southern immediately after independence in 1960, collectively declared its withdrawal from the union. This declaration was done in an inclusive and agreeable manner among all the major Somali clans, residing within the original borders of Somaliland prior to the failed Union. The process started with locally initiated reconciliation conferences that started in the town of Burao to the east of Somaliland, and culminated in the town of Borama lying in the western end Somaliland. This successful process was a product of collaborative efforts of traditional elders, politicians and the civil society the reconciliation process was based on traditional legal precedence principally established throughout the history of co-existence among the Somaliland neighborly clans.

From that period until now this part of the world has experienced tremendous stable governing system, which has uniquely evolved to one of the best democratic process in the continent of Africa and the Islamic world in general. With little help from outside Somaliland has managed to establish, sustain and continuously grow its public and private sectors. On the other hand the southern part of the failed state Somalia has evolved into a hotbed and probably in the near future launch pad for international terrorism. Not also overlooking the growing menace of modern piracy in the high seas. This is slowly turning into a murderers plunder following the recent tragic execution of the four innocent Americans. These innocent sailors were hijacked within the international waters by none other than murderer’s pirates operating from the opportunist state of puntland. Puntland in the real sense should have been named as Pirate-land rather than puntland since this is where the youth have been allowed to engage in piracy, with the blessings of the administration. The rise of piracy originating from Puntland could not be worse threat to Somaliland more than the recent declaration of war from the head of the pirate state of Puntland

Puntland to the East of Somaliland was founded in 1998 seven years after Somaliland existence and as a state within former Somalia jurisdiction. Some Somali political analyst would tell you that the formation was a political calculation to undermine Somaliland’s withdrawal from the ill fated union. Currently the major pirate bases are located along the puntland coastal villages. It seems like the pirates have a major leverage over the governing body of Puntland state. One incident worthy noting took place sometimes last year when Somaliland owned trucks and its drivers delivering food to the needy population in southern Somalia, were hijacked by the pirates of puntland demanding that Somaliland release their pirate comrades in Somaliland Jails. The puntland state proved to be toothless against pirates as it failed to act on the incidence.

In the last twenty years the unrecognized enclave of Somaliland had four different presidential administrations of which the last two were democratically elected by the people.
Throughout this period except for international recognition, Somaliland achieved much more than it ever achieved during the three decades of the union. The one most outstanding thing to note is that Somaliland has succeeded in curbing piracy along its coast. Somaliland have actually captured and sentenced pirates to many years in jail. There are also unconfirmed reports, that the international community is currently engaged with Somaliland government to establish in Somaliland a judicial and prison system tackling Somali pirates. despite of all the odds, the countless progressive factual tells from Somaliland is gradually dawning on the international community, noting that there are actually real strategic interest and importance in engaging with the self made African nation of Somaliland

Somaliland is also under threat from the notorious southern Somalia based Al-shabaab terrorist branch of Al-Qaida. The threats range from secretive recruitment from amongst the vulnerable youth, to plots of suicide bombing and affiliation to a recently formed clan militia by the name (SSC). This is all but intent of putting to flames, the democratic achievements in this stable oasis in the horn of Africa.

Puntland state after its formation started to stir conflicts between the neighborly Somaliland clans with an argument that the clans that reside in parts of eastern Somaliland are tribally affiliated with puntland more than Somaliland. You can see the big difference between the two entities here. While Somaliland has been steadily building on reconciliation and progressive democratic system of governance Puntland has always been out there to curtail the process claiming the eastern parts of Somaliland hence inciting clan animosity between the neighborly clans this is contrary to the agreements of Burao and Borama accords.

The fuelling of this tribal animosity which has been the major obstacle to stability in former Somalia is once more raising its ugly head in Somaliland with full support from puntland and Al-shabaab affiliates. At the moment there is an ongoing conflict around one village to the north east of Somaliland where scores of clan based militia by the name( SSC ),have been waging unprovoked attacks on Somaliland forces stationed there, The Somaliland Army moved into the area in order to oversee peaceful conflict resolution and co-existence between the neighborly Somaliland clans.

This terroristic organization is headed by none other than one Suleiman Isse Ahmed, a resident and a businessman at Ohio State in the United States of America. I am not well versed about the requirements of a naturalized citizen, but it really doesn’t make any legal sense for a naturalized US citizen to be a leader for a foreign armed militias. His status I believe would not be much different from that of the Liberian /American notorious Hague convict Charles Taylor.

I find it inappropriate that these part time business men part time war mongers have the convenience of travelling around the world raising funds from clan members who have been granted refuge mostly in the west. The irony in it is that almost all of these contributors are motivated to finance a violent ideology that uprooted them from their homeland in the first place.

It is at the same time utterly unfair for Western nation’s tax payers and the economy at large, when part of the collected welfare, and SSI checks are wired to remote places in Africa to finance clan wars. In comparison to the movie titled “blood diamonds” I can see clear synonym here except that I would refer to this one as “Blood welfare”. This is done for no any other purpose than barbaric tribal honors masqueraded under the equivocal irredentism, propagated by few opportunistic individuals.

I hope that clear heads would prevail and the neighborly clans in Somaliland would rather look at the bigger picture and learn from the lesson in the south of somalia.Starting a tribal conflict after two decades of stability is neither justifiable nor need to be tolerated in this peaceful part of the horn.

However let us all pray and genuinely seek for peace in the horn.

Abdi Farah (Dhunjoog) – U.S.A
dhunjoog@gmail.com

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By Mo Guled

Tags: Puntland, Somali Pirates, Somaliland, Somalilandpress