By Dr. Mohamud M Uluso
Thursday May 9, 2024
Somalia’s post-civil war leaders
entrusted with the awesome responsibility of rebuilding the Somali state that completely
vanished in 1991 are yet to make headway in the establishment of the
foundations for new democratic state which delivers the state functions through
an efficient and effective public administration. The state building
concretizes with public institutions capable of performing their assigned
responsibilities with efficiency, competence, transparency, and accountability
exclusively for public interest.
For the last 13 years, Somalia
ranked one of the top three fragile and corrupt countries in the world. As of today, Somalia’s state is “House of Cards,”
which exists as a scheme for power capture for private interests. The small progress
made since 2007 is due to external assistance and private efforts.
Despite 17 years of international
support, it’s projected that Somalia needs at least 5 more years of
international partnership (code for international care) before it can gain “sovereign
capabilities” for taking over its security responsibility and ability to mobilize
sufficient revenues for covering its basic needs. The debt relief and the
lifting of arms embargo were carrots for encouraging Somalia to stand on its
feet.
Somalia’s post-civil war leaders
at federal and state levels bear the major blame for the never-ending disorder
and state fragility. They are accused of lacking patriotic vision, competence,
and integrity required to steer a troubled nation on the path to sovereign state.
The cultural affinity among Somalis as one nation has been shattered by the
negative experiences of 21-years of military dictatorship, of the armed
rebellion movements, and of the civil war and of the corrupt behavior of all post-civil-war
governments. Somalia creeps into gloomy outlook because of mass migration,
wars, natural disasters, and famine.
To embellish their disappointing
leadership, the post-civil war leaders continue to claim falsely that the first
president of the Republic of Somalia, Aden Abdulle Osman, best known Aden Adde,
who earned for his exceptional stewardship the honor of being called the
“father of the Somali Nation” as their role model. But they are
no president Aden. Shamefully, they never attempted to learn from President
Aden’s exceptional leadership qualities.
Mohamed Isse Trunji and Abdi
Ismail Samatar published three books documenting well the biography and
history of the successful life and leadership of President Adan as prominent leader of the Somali movement for
independence, as the speaker of the first Legislative Assembly in the Italian Trusteeship
Somali Territory in 1957, and later as the first president of the independent Republic
of Somalia, today’s Federal Republic of Somalia, composed of the union of two
territories formerly under the Italian trusteeship territory (South Somalia) and
British colony (North Somalia) on July 1, 1960. Mohamed Isse Trunji’s books are
“Somalia: The Untold History 1941-1969 (2015)” and “President
Aden Abdulla - His Life and Legacy (2023).” Abdi Ismail Samatar’s book
is “African’s First Democrats -Somalia’s Aden A. Osman and Abdirizak H. Hussen
(2016).”
President Adan (May Allah
grant him Jannatul Firdowsa) led the post-colonial Somali state for seven-years
from July 1, 1960 to June 26, 1967. In
those seven years, serious existential crisis that endangered the national unity
and security happened but were quickly, properly, and wisely addressed with the
guidance of president Aden Abdulle who doggedly spearheaded the consolidation
of the Somali democratic state, where defense and protection of national
sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, justice, individual freedom and
liberty, and good governance were top priorities. The transition to
self-governing Somali state was remarkable.
The president’s roles, responsibilities,
and powers in the 1960 constitution were almost similar to those in the 2012
provisional constitution. President Aden not only adhered faithfully to the
letter and spirit of the 1960 constitution, but also followed the best
practices in good governance to strengthen public trust in government. According
to both constitutions, the president, as head of the state, symbol of national
unity, and guardian and promoter of the constitution is expected to act as not member
of political party, group or faction. President Aden knew well his
responsibilities of oversight and checks and balances.
As extensively explained in
the abovementioned books, President Aden kept diary in which he recorded his
daily activities like meetings, briefings, conferences, telephone calls, and
personal reflections. He fulfilled his duties with unshakable virtues of
honesty, wisdom, prudence, fortitude, temperance, forbearance, justice, and
excellent judgement. He never preoccupied for how to stay in power or be reelected
at the end of his term. He wrote in his diary, “Only Those who are not
afraid of losing power can gain firmness of purpose.”
Unfailingly, President Aden
respected the separation of power and responsibilities among the three branches
of the government, at the same time he was neither ceremonial nor usurper
president. In his book, Mohamed I. Trunji noted the following on
President Aden’s Leadership: “As Head of the State, he crystallized the
power of the presidency as part of the government’s three branches, able to
exercise authority, when necessary, but also able to accept the balance of
power inherent in the parliamentary system.” He made
his best efforts to ensure the national unity and the adherence of the
government activities to the rule of law. Free and fair political competition
and elections were his main concern.
After his presidential
election, he requested the inclusion of opposition politicians who did not vote
for him in the new cabinet. He was tenacious advocate and defender of the role of
the political opposition. He loathed corruption, abuse of power, favoritism, nepotism,
misuse of public property for private interests, election fraud, and violation
of individual freedom and liberty. He valued to appoint and promote competent,
honest, hardworking individuals for government positions from Prime Minister to
Janitor. He was troubled, offended by the corrupt behavior of the members of
the parliament who were bargaining their votes for bribery or government
positions rather than for the pursue of public interest. I had the opportunity
of knowing President Aden’s private secretary, Mohamed Waberi Ali (May
Allah grant him Jannatul Firdowsa), true public servant who reflected President
Aden’s values of patriotism, forbearance, competence, and integrity.
President Aden worked round-the-clock
at Villa Somalia, keeping his eyes and ears on the performance of all state
institutions as well as on public complaints. He pushed for control of government
budget and borrowing, and travel abroad to minimize budget deficit and achieve independence
from foreign aid. In his diary, on the fiscal budget, he wrote, “the
level of foreign contribution needed to cover the national budget deficit,
without taking into account the economic development, is really high, and to
tell the truth, we should take the blame. It is inconsistent with the
self-respect, and dignity of independent people to rely any longer than is
necessary on the generosity of foreigners for covering ordinary budget deficit
and for providing fund for development projects.” He considered the
dissolution of the parliament after the members of parliament increased their
monthly salary from SoSh 1,000 to SoSh. 2,000 at a time Somalia was facing
humanitarian disaster.
President Aden was active
identifier of the problems threatening the nation and promoter of real
solutions. For example, he wrote in his diary, “I have to talk seriously
to Prime Minister Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke over the mistrust between the
Somalis, particularly Darod and Hawiye clan families, which continues to gain
ground like climbing a devilish shrub. …We have to take action and study in
depth how to uproot the dangerous leech.”
Despite he grew up in extreme
poverty, he had never shown inclination for extravagance, desire for self-enrichment
for himself, members of his family, and friends. He denied his family any preferential
treatment like access to positions and use of public assets. He was never accused
or rumored of impropriety of any kind in his whole political life.
He rejected financial support
from his friends for buying votes to gain power or remain in power. He never asked personal loyalty from anyone
nor was loyal to his supporters for unfair reasons. He was rare crusader for building
harmonious, peaceful and prosperous Somali nation. Somalia needs the virtuous Leadership
of President Aden to gain sovereign capabilities critical for an independent
nation/state.
Dr.
Mohamud M Uluso
[email protected]