Shirwa | Tuesday, February 13, 2001 - 08:46 am After learning and dissecting what Professor Abdi I Samatar wrote about the great Emeritus Professor Iaon Lewis. I found that the language utilised by Prof. Samatar to be thoroughly far from academic but I am abashed to say I find some of words to be utterly coarse. Surely Prof. Have the competence to refute the ideas of Prof. I M Lewis without being abhorrent to him personally?. Though, I have great deal of respect for Prof. I M Lewis I have to say I do disagree with what he have established the article in question titled "UN Paperclips for Somalia". I feel that there is need to distinguish between the facts that exist in Somaliland in comparison to its counterpart; the regional government of Puntalnd. I suspect the detrimental reaction from Samatar is caused by the fact the he is from the Northwest of Somalia where Egal's administration governs without the will of the people of Awdal.I prospect this was the underlining problem. In Puntland on the other hand, there is not one single tribe " even the smaller clans that are classified by the Somali at large to be Midgo" that has been forced to be a signatory of the creation of the state. I feel that Prof. needs to be rational and not allow his personal feelings to override his sense academia. I do oppose to the fact that Prof. Iaon M Lewis is oblivious to what is happening in Somalia, I am saying this because I have spoke to him after the formation of transitional Government, and I have to say he is well aware of Somali political saga. I will conclude, I do not believe that David Stephen and Randolph Kent are the saviours of the Somalis but I understand fully that we Somalis can only solve our problem, and we shall not await some ready made remedy from the west. This does not mean, an Academic like the Prof. can not write about it, on the contrary the Professor has utterly a vast knowledge in Somali politics " though I doubt there is such thing politics in Somalia" that qualifies him well. We all have to be judicious choosing our words when discoursing with Academics. Shirwa M Jama University Collage London England |