Hiiraan Online

It gets extremely clumsy when men's career path defines nation's destiny and not the other way around. The force behind this relentless separatist crusade is based on wolfish hunger for power. It drove the secessionist leaders into this humiliating, pitiable, and reprehensible state of madness. Theirs is a disgraceful road never before traveled by any Somali. They are very overt about their admiration to the colonial past. How many lines of ethics should be crossed before one's inner soul finds peace with a downfall of this magnitude? Anyhow, the separatist idea was originally proposed by individuals with clear intentions of using the North as a stepladder to Mogadishu based top leadership positions of the nation. For example, Ambassador Abdirahman Tuur denounced the separatism after he became the "President" of the northern enclave. Also, M. I. Egal didn't believe in it wholeheartedly. He was just waiting the right time to change uniforms. The disclosure of his plan to keep the nation together was always delayed by the on going hostilities and the lack of peaceful political means in the south, and eventually was cut short by his death.  

The separatist leaders are not only lacking a reasonable argument for their claim, but they are also stripped of character and conduct. Putting the starred-blue in flames was act of evil orchestrated by deplorable thoughtless fools. Why? For what reason? Who is in fight with them? They denied our rights to some parts of our land and deported many Somalis from Hargaisa. Who gave them the right to do that? Is it not criminal act to deport a citizen from his/her own homeland? With all that swallowed without a single word of response, and with their legitimized selfishness kept unanswered, the separatist leaders further provoked the Somali people by burning the unifying symbol of the nation to ashes - The flag that we owe a lot to, but is in debt of nothing to anybody.  

At what base for separation? According to Mr. Faisal Ali Warabe - the leader of one of the two main opposition parties and the self-proclaimed mouthpiece of this disastrous wasted effort of separatism, it's his people's ethnic background that is different from the ethnicity of the mainland population. His relative viewpoint was better demonstrated by Mr. Mohamed Hirad. Mr. Hirad's factual and analytical highlights can be accessed from the following Wardheernews link.  http://wardheernews.com/Editorial/editorial_35.html

According to this reference, Somaliland is exclusively for Mr. Faisal's clan, and by the way, that is a perception shared by all SNM sympathizers. But the separatist-sketched-map of Somaliland covers more clans than Faisal's clan. In Faisal's point of view, it's technically their fault to be where they are. "Sorry! God had placed you on my way. I was meant to have this land and I will." How can he accept them, while they share lineage with his enemy – the mainland people? The whole reason for the secession was to cut contacts with this very people. They are not in SNM sympathizers' list. However, the sad fact for Mr. Warabe is that, these other clans make no less than half of the population within the territory claimed by the separatist. The above discussed is the only explanation for their argument of becoming a sovereignty nation. Again, the question is: at what base for separation?

The separatist group is desperately playing their ugliest card as they hope and lobby for the continuation of lawlessness in Mogadishu. Just recently, they received the returning warlord Mr. Muse Sudi Yalaxow with red carpet during his transit stop at Hargaisa. Some other warlords made unexplained frequent trips to the enclave. It's becoming obvious that, the separatist group is just taking the first baby steps of establishing its anti-peace operatives in Mogadishu. To better their chances of achieving their ill-fated objectives, they are very determined to keep Mogadishu busy and burning. In his recent interview with one of the web based radio talk shows, Mr. Warabe said, "We are both from the major Erir tribe and we discussed some brotherly affairs", referring to his meeting with Mr. Yalaxow – a Mogadishu based warlord. His real intent was to convince Mr. Yalaxow to undermine the relative law and order brought to Mogadishu. The northern separatist group that high jacked the will of the good northern people, breath one and only one thing, which is tribalism. They have no vision for nationhood. They have no feeling for the constant fear, and lack of security faced by millions of families in elsewhere in the country.

I was appalled to see some Kenyan and European parliamentarians naively bought into the laud separatist propaganda and therefore, paying visit to the secessionist outpost. How will these respected legislators justify the behaviors and actions of this extremist junta? Why didn't they visit Sool, Sanaag, and Awdal and genuinely facilitate a safe environment where people can express their true opinions without fear from Faysal Ali Warabe and his armed clansmen? A run away clan can't force another clan of equal power to jump over the fence with it. Recognition to the northern enclave will open the gates of hell and will serve no purpose whatsoever.

AbdulRehman Hassan
E-mail: [email protected]