     Disgusted | Monday, March 05, 2001 - 01:02 pm
My recent visit to Somalia has changed me dramatically forever. After almost 15 years of being away from my country I left Toronto, Canada on January 12, 2001 hoping to visit all my family in many parts of Somalia. My first destination in Somalia was Hargeisa where I planned to stay for few days to visit my sister in low. The beauty of the city immediately struck me. Hargiesa airport was calm and quite and even though it was far from being like any other airport in the western countries or like any country that lives in peace, but Hargeisa authorities had made sure that the passengers ware not bothered and that they got to their destinations and families safely. My sister in low and her family welcomed me graciously but what impressed me most were the tenderness and the politeness of the people of Hargeisa. This was to the contrary of every thing I was told when I was in Toronto.
My next stop was Bossaso. Its airport was not any thing like Hargiesa's. People rushed to the airport as soon as our plan landed. We could have easily lost our passports and belongings. However, soon after we left the airport we saw how cosmopolitan the city had became. I had never seen both Hargeisa and Bossaso before and did not know how they looked before the military regime, but from what I gathered from the natives, Bossaso had grown three folds and its population had increased more than five folds. I estimated close to 100,000.00 people living in that city now. This was a city driven by business and every other day ships from the Middle East docked to the Bossaso port. The most important thing was that Bossaso was also as calm and peaceful as Hargiesa.
After almost a week in Bossaso I left for Galcaio where my father was born before he moved to Mogdisho and made it home (as you can guess I still had family there.) It was my first time ever in Galcaio as well. The city was divided in to 4 small districts and every clan lived in their quarter. You could still sense a bit of hostility and uneasiness among the natives, however the elders and community leaders of that city were doing a great job keeping the peace. Further more, people still remembered what happened in 1991 and didn't want that tragedy to happen again.
It was the first week of February when I flew to Mogadishu. We landed at Bali-Dogle airport at noon. Comparing to the other two airports, this was very much like the one in the jungles of Columbia that we always see in the movies where drug users use to export their drugs. Though at the time of my arrival there was a talk that the new government would take it over, it was still controlled by young men who were carrying AK-47 and ridding in Technicals. There was no law and order what so ever. The airport looked more like a family owned and run business. After a few hours of confusion, we finally managed to leave for Mogdisho. If you think the road to Mogadishu was safe --- dream on my friends. We had been stopped several times during our short trip to Mogdisho and often we had to pay money. If you think that was the only reason why I am made--- read on.
Mogadishu was destroyed beyond recognition; there was no one single construction you could recognize if you lived Mogadishu during Siad Barre's regime. There were many places where anyone would tell you not to go. Peace was almost non-existence. Businessmen and women of Hamar had bodyguards whom they paid regularly. The residents of the city were as depressed and unhappy as you could ever imagine. I visited many prominent places that I knew when I was growing up in Mogadishu and there were all gone.
Surprisingly though, people didn't even care or bother the way Mogadisho looked. I couldn't understand whether this was because they too took part the destruction of this once most beautiful and populated city in the whole Somalia or they got tired of asking. I asked though, was it Said Barre who did this? My friends the answers that I received even shocked me more. Though Siad Barre did destroy, it was the uncontrolled and undisciplined militias led by Aided and USC who did most of the damages.
"It was like a storm" said one of my relatives "no one predicted this, we got tired of Siad Barre's corrupted regime and wanted him out but we didn't think they would destroy everything and drive away the innocent people of Mogadishu", tears came to my eyes and did not know what to do. Until now, I ask how this unimaginable destruction happened and I wonder if Mogadishu will ever be the same again. One of my friends asked me when I was still in Mogadishu "What did you expect when you were living your country in such a larger numbers? Did you not know that (Reer Badiye will take it over)?"
I am mad because many of Somalia is controlled by these thugs and the innocent peace loving Somalis are held being hostage in the capital of Somalia. I mad because that the new government is even contemplating recruiting these criminals in the country's police force. Moreover, I am mad that the so called "Reer Magaal" and educated Somalis are abroad calling each other names and bragging about the destruction caused by these thugs.
It may be too late to safe Somalia but if we don't get together and find a way to make a drastic changes to eliminate these thugs and find an everlasting solution to our minor problems our heritage and existence as Somalis may be gone forever. |
| Badhan | Tuesday, March 06, 2001 - 07:10 am
Disgusted,
I Was there myself, and I have to agree with you that most of your analysis is right. However, you must remember that Hargeisa had a relatively good Airport long before the fall of dictator Bare and so does Barbara while, on the other hand, Puntiland cities were neglected completely by the former regime. On top of that, the Puntiland administration is very young when compered to that of Hargeisa.
Also,I must say that the real pictures of cities like Hargeisa isn't that rosy either. For instance, Barbara, my home town's Airport was in shambles. I could not even get a washroom when I was there, and when asked, I was told to take a leek outside of the filthy Airport room that was left by Siyad Bare. When I got to Hargeisa, I was shocked to see the amount of despair and suffering that was visible in the eyes of average Hargeysawis.
Yes people of Hargeisa are polite, but that does mean they love me or the rest of Somalis. It is the fact that they know for sure that their lively hood depends on travelers and anyone who is willing to spend US dollars.
They were constantly asking me money for chad and my tribe, and overall, I was not impressed with the people of Hargeysa. Perhaps you were treated differently because of your sister's status.
In addition to that, live was so expensive that I even wondered how so many people with little or no income mange to survive there.
As for how to solve our problem, I think the ball is in their(Reer Mogadishu) court, and there is nothing that we can do to help them solve their internal matters, unless of course, they genuinely show that they ready this time to listen what others have to say about the Somali crises. |
| HEBEL kamaa HEBEL | Tuesday, March 06, 2001 - 10:19 am
Disgusted,
you get my respect, sababtoo ah dad badan oo aad isku reer tihiin ayaa laga yaabin inay ka hadlaan dhibaatada dhabta ah oo taal, bal u fiirsatid dhibaatada taal Mugdisho waa wax laga qiiroodo, laakiin waxaa layaab leh in odayaasha magaalada ay san ahayn dadka wax laga su gaayo inay dhibaatada wax ka qabtaan sababtoo ah ayaga weeye dadka dhibaatadaas ka danbeeyay.
Aniga waxaan xamar ka soo baxay 1992 aniga iyo reer keena oo xoog looga soo saaray.
Waxaan dib ugu laabtay markii ay laabanayeen dadkii Carta joogay oo waxaan magalada Jabuuti iska wada raacnay dadkii ka soo laabanayay Jabuuti oo qaar kamid ah ay kujireen maamulka halkaas lagu soo dhisay,
aniga markaas waxaan u socday Boosaaso laakiinse waxaan go aansadya in aan Xamar la soo arko rag reer Puntland ah oo Xamar u socday oo qaarkood Barlamaanka Carta lagu dhisay ku jira.
Waxaana xasuustaa markaan ka dagnay Balidoogle in la iskuk keen hareershay dhamaan inteenii ka timid Puntland iyo Somaliland waxaa ku qiyaasay raggii ilaalada ah ahaa inay gaarayeen ugu yaraan 1000 nin oo hubaysan. Aniga arintaan aad iyo aad ayaan uga naxay, naxdintaas maa heyn mid aan u baqayay nafteyda ee waxaan ka naxaasaa waxa ay reer Mogdisho ku dhexnoolaayeen.
Oo waxaad intaas maqlaysaa Maydbaa halkaas yaal Xabadu intaas way dhacaysaa 24 saac, ciidan Police iyo meel aad tagi kartid majirto nin walba asagaa Police ah!!!!!! OO kala danbeyn iyo sharci iskaba daa warkiisa, waxaan maalin Hotel Ramadaan ugu tagay odayaal aan sifiican isku naqaanay oo uu kamid ahaa KINKONG oo markaas loo magacaabay wasiir markii aan qolkiisa tagay waxaan xasuustaa inaan sii dhaafay ilaa 5 isbaaro oo taaliy HOTELka dhexdiisa oo 5 jeer baa la ibaaray, taas oo aan aad iyo aad ula yaabay.
Waxaan weydiiyay Odayaasha reer Puntland waxay ku arkeen Xamar inkastoo ku ligood iigu jawaabay "WAXAAN WAAN FILANAYNAY" mar aan weediiyay oday ka tirsan Xildhibaanada Barlamaanka ku jira oo aan aqaanay oo ka yimid Somaliland iyo kuwa kayid Puntland oo aad ula yaabanaa xaalada ay ku sugneed Xamar, inkastoo ay raggaas RAAXO ku jiifaan Hotelada ay ku jiraan uma suur towdo inay banaanka u baxaan ayaga oo aan Ilaalo hubaysan la socon.
Waxaa maalin u jeeday KINGKONG oo Hotel Ramadaan soo galayay markii ugu horaysay Hoteelkii oo dhan baa 100 MOORYAAN qoryo la gariiraysa soo galeen oo waxay u ekeed inay dagaal ku jiraan isla markaas irid walba iyo darbi walba oo Hotelka ku yaalay isku kulaasay oo meelwalba fuulay ilaa intii uu KINGKONG nadhaafayay, marka waxaan waa wax lalayaabo in meeshaan waxa kaliya oo shaqeenaya ay tahay QORIGA, waxaan galay XAMAR ayada oo Xabadu dhacaysay waxaana ka soobaxay ayada oo Xabadii sideeda u dhacaysay,
Ciyaalka xamar meeshii ay waa gii hore ku heesi jireen UBAX iyo CAASHO CARABDHEER iwm, hada waxay ku heesaan TIKNIKO iyo SUU IYO SHILKE IYO BAROON iyo AK47 hub iyo baalaayo is bursanaysa iyo dil iyo waxaan fiicnayn inay ciyaalka ka fakaraan laakiinse lama yaabin oo waxaa bay har iyo habeen ku dhex jiraan.
Waxaa xasuusta in 1999 aan magaalda Boosaaso aan ku arkay SULDAANKA beesha SALEEBAAN oo gaari kuwata magaalada Boosaaso asaga oo aan hal qori ah lagu waar diyeenayn, Markuu Xamar tagana lagu ilaaliyo ilaa iyo 5 tinkniko ah.
waa wax layaab leh aan had iyo jeerba ka fakaro aniga wixii aan lahaa xamar ayaa la iiga soo furtay 1991 laakiin markaan hada ku laabatay xataa halmar ciil iyo xanaag igama qaban wixii iga raacay 1991 magaalada Xamar iyo dadkii ii gaystay, oo waxaan arkay kuli dadkii meesha joogay inay soo mareen waxaan soo maray.
Oo aana kanaxay waxay ku dhexjireen dadkii aan ciilka u qabi jiray.
Markaas ayaan waxaan ogaaday in wixii Daarood lagu dhigaayay Xamar 1991 ay tii taas lamid ahay ay isku dhigeen dadkii Hawiye ee meesha qabsaday.
Xamar waxaan ka soo baxay 1992 markii uu socday dagaalkii ABGAAL IYO HABAR GIDIR asagoo markaas meel dhexe maraaya wuxuuna ahaa dagaalkii 3 oo ABGAAL IYO HABAR GIDIR oo xamar kadhaca, markii u Siyaad Bare baxay waan joogay magaaladana waa taagneed waxaana xasuustaa inay fara ku tiris ahayd meelihii dumay intii aan Dowlada la ridin.
Waxaa layaab leh inay Xamar jajabsheen dadkii lahaa XAMAR ayaan xoraynaynaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
walaal waxaa loo baahan yahay dadka reer tolkaa ah inay fahmaan dhibaatada sida aad adiguba u fahantay.
waana ku faraxsanhay inay jiraan dad sidaad oo kale u fakaraaya. |
| Anonymous | Tuesday, March 13, 2001 - 11:20 am
War nacnacda iyo hunqaacda meesha kala tag dhebeyacyahaw habrtaa dacayda dheer kawse beenaaleyahaw ma adaa ku dhaca inaad Xamar tago.Adigu dadka maxaad mooryaan ugu sheegi adaaba aabihii faqshta ahee Badhan hooyadaadii daarood ee dhigashada xumayd was hadaad ogthay naagihiinaas daarood sida loogu galay Badhan ee Gadhwayn ugu gASHAY WAAN KU DHAARAN KARAA MAGACAAS INAADAN LA BIXIN,s/LAND sUULIYADEEDA DEE KA HADAL WAX KALE KUMA LIHIDE YAGA XAADHXAADHAAD KA AHAYD OO ILAABI MAYSIDE YIBIRYAHW GAABNIDA IYO MADAWGA BADANI. |
