The History of Chauvinism-Created Union (1960-1990)

[Nolol cusub]

The History of Chauvinism-Created Union (1960-1990)


19 Feb,2009

This article is about Somaliland`s fanatical, hasty unification with Somalia in 1960 and how Somalia doomed the union with political deprivation (1960-1982) and atrocities (1982-1990). It also states reasons of why the union is not revivable. In this article, North is referred to Somaliland and South is referred to Somalia as used in the three decades of the union

A union, when it is about countries, is an act of uniting two or more countries with the objective of enhancing strength and advancing common interest. However, any union succeeds only if its initiative is fully deliberated, its constitution is well- thought of and defined and all sides respect and abide by it with real commitment to put it forward. The voluntary unification that took place between Somaliland and Somalia on July 1st, 1960 was driven by chauvinism (Blind patriotism) from the part of Somaliland people who failed to foresee that such hasty act in Africa without deliberations on possibilities could result in devastating consequences as happened in the 1980s. The successive, South-centered governments throughout the history of the union clearly indicated that Somalia was not ready for the unity but just took advantage of the fanatical patriotism of the North which carelessly threw its independence to unwelcoming place.

In the thirty years of the union (1960-1990), Somaliland people have learned a lot from Somalia that dismisses any chance of reviving the doomed union in the future. The following past actions of Somalia that failed the union and make it impossible to revive in the future are:-

When the first government was formed in 1960 for the New Republic of Somalia, emerging from former British Somaliland and former Italian Somalia, the South took the president, Mr. Aden Abdulle Osman (1960-1964), the prime minister, Mr. Abdirasheed Ali Sharma`arke, the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, finance, Commander of the National Armed Forces, and the National Police Chief. The union parliament was sham too for the South taking unfair number of seats. This political hijack by the South was the first political blow to the power-sharing of the freshly formed union. Mr. Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, who was prime minister of the North at the eve of unification, was denied of the premiership which he had as a right after the South took the presidency. President Aden Abdulle Osman was re-elected in 1964 (1964-1967) and repeated the same political blunders by giving the prime minister to Mr. Abdirizak Haji Hussein (South-born) and other major cabinet posts to the South again.

The North was treated as an ordinary region in Somalia like Mudug or Benadir ignoring the fact that the North became independent state, taking independence on June 26, 1960, before the South, which became independent on July 1st, 1960, and that the North initiated the unification of the two newly independent countries in the Horn of Africa. The political betrayal and humiliation by the South angered the politicians, traditional leaders, intellectuals, business community as well as military officers of the North. This deep resentment influenced North-born young military officers, at the command of Hassan Kayd, to lead the unsuccessful military coup in Hargeisa on December 10, 1961 to reclaim independence and dignity of the North from the South-breached union. Instead of addressing the grievances that led to the Northern mutiny and starting national dialogue for reconciliation, president Aden Abdulle Osman immediately transferred South-born military to North and North-born military to South to suppress and repress Northern people socially and politically to punish them for the rightful military mutiny. The Southern troops turned Northern Regions into semi-colony with no freedom at all. Northern people were forced to travel to Mogadisho for school certificates (Even middle school certificates), passports, healthcare, business licenses etc.

In such situation of political deprivation and lack of investment in the North, General Siad Barre (South-born) overthrew the civilian government of the shaky union through bloodless coup on October 21, 1969 dissolving the constitution and the parliament immediately after the assassination of president Abdirasheed Ali Sharma`arke (South-born) on October 15, 1969. Many people believed that president Abdirasheed (1967-1969) was murdered for giving prime minister post to the North and that is why General Siad Barre toppled Egal`s two-year old government too (1967-1969). President Abdirasheed gave the prime minister to the North to control the damage inflicted on power-sharing by president Aden Abdulle Osman. General Siad Barre ruled Somalia for 21 years with iron-fist dictatorship (1969-1990) that curtailed all civil liberties. He continued the political deprivation and suppression of the North and strengthened the political domination of the South.

Worse than South-centered civilian governments, General Siad Barre grossly breached the agreement of the union which was shared between the North and the South only by making it a union shared by all Somalis in the five Somali-territories (Somaliwein) in the Horn of Africa. He gave special political and military privilege to the Ogaden tribe inhabiting in Western Somalia (Occupied by Ethiopia) and in Somalia Northeastern Region (Occupied by Kenya) thus adopting refugees as citizens and making citizens, especially those in the North, as second class citizens. General Bile Rafle, born in Somali Galbeed, became the governor of Hargeisa and Burao in the 1970s, and General Aden Gabyow, born in N.F.D, Kenya, became once the minister of defense of the then Republic of Somalia. These citizen-turned refugees widely participated in the atrocities and displacement of the central tribes in Somaliland (Isaaq Clan) during civil wars. Northern officials in South-owned governments were symbolic and powerless. Their posts were intended to mislead Northern public perception to believe in power-sharing that did not exist. If the Northern officials in the government had real power, they would prevent injustices and crimes committed against the North.

During the disastrous union, Darod and Hawiye clans dominated the government. Isaaq clan (The biggest clan in the North) was alienated throughout the union to eliminate political rivalry from North. It was also political hostility focus for challenging the hijacked union. The middle clans and the minorities were not in the radar of the political system of the union. Southern governments also practiced “divide and rule” policy in the North turning native clans against each other politically before the civil wars and finally arming them against each other during civil wars.

After all talks and negotiations between Northern leaders and Siad Barre`s regime to reverse the anti-North policies failed, the Northern people had no choice but to challenge the unabated injustices of the South with armed resistance. A group of Isaaq emigrants living in London founded the Somali National Movement (SNM), with political and military wings, in April 1981 to overthrow Siad Barre`s dictatorship. The military wing of SNM waged relentless attacks against Southern troops of oppression, suppression, and repression based in the North. It launched its first operation, operating from bases in Ethiopia, in February 1982 against the government troops. These military operations of SNM successfully continued and devastated the government troops until the major offensive of SNM in 1988. Claiming that all Isaaqs were supporters of the SNM guerrilla movement, Siad Barre`s government unleashed all sorts of human rights abuses against them such as killings, detentions, rapes, torture, unfair trials, confiscation of private properties, curfews and checkpoints in cities, towns, villages and rural areas in the North. Constraints on freedom of movement and employment and business discrimination against Isaaq were also common. Even Isaaq community living in the South suffered the same human rights abuses equally. Siad Barre also sent Northern prominent leaders and politicians such as Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, Omar Arteh Qalib, Ismael Ali Aboker, top military officers and scholars to prison arbitrarily.

The military wing of SNM launched major offensive against government forces based in Hargeisa and Burao in May 1988 destroying most of the troops and arsenal stationed there and crippling Siad Barre`s administration in the North. In Response to SNM offensive, Siad Barre declared all-out war against Isaaq clan and started bombarding Hargeisa and Burao brutally and indiscriminately with artillery, tanks and war planes, some of them piloted by mercenaries from former Rhodesia, forcing the population of these cities to flee into Ethiopia for sanctuary leaving Hargiesa and Burao in ruins. Tens of thousands of civilians were murdered, massacred or executed summarily. In July 1989, Forty-seven (47) people, mainly from Isaaq clan, were slaughtered at Jasiira Beach near Mogadisho by Siad Barre`s Red Berets. In February 2000, the bodies of more than 700 people were discovered in mass grave near the Airport of Berbera. Other mass grave sites were also found at Malko Durduro in Hargeisa and near Burao. These mass graves held Isaaq victims of massacres and mid-night executions carried out by troops loyal to Barre`s regime in the years 1988 and 1989. It was brutal military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the entire Isaaq clan. In January 1991, the heroic armed struggle of SNM and USC finally ousted Siad Barre and his dictatorship simultaneously in the North and in the South. Siad Barre fled the country on January 26, 1991.

Having seen the political deprivation and atrocities against the North and its people, the Northern Congress held in Burao on May 18, 1991 unanimously proclaimed the withdrawal of the North from the union with the South and reclaimed its independence of June 26, 1960 renaming itself: Somaliland Republic. The referendum held in Somaliland on May 31st, 2001 reaffirmed Somaliland sovereignty from Somalia. Somaliland is not a secessionist or breakaway region from Somalia as anti-Somaliland groups claim. It just withdrew from the union it joined as an independent state on July 1st, 1960 after it failed in the hands of Somalia. Djabouti became independent state in 1977 and rejected to join the union after witnessing how the South mistreated the North. Somaliland, Somalia and Djabouti are independent with equal status and legitimacy.

The Somaliland people shall not revive the doomed union with Somalia for the following 7 (Seven) reasons:

1 - The above history of political deprivation and atrocities committed against Somaliland people during the union have no justification or excuse at all.

2 - Somalia does not admit those injustices and heinous crimes against Somaliland people.

It purposefully denies or covers them up by claiming that the people of Somalia suffered equally. What they do not want to hear is that they were responsible for the injustices and atrocities in Somaliland but the destructive civil wars in Somalia were self-inflicted. President Aden Abdulle Osman and General Siad Barre can not be blamed for the injustices and crimes against the North alone because they were supported by Southern politicians, military commanders, troops and tribes loyal to Siad Barre`s regime.

3 - Any federal government shared with the tribes inhabiting in the central regions of Somalia (Mudug and Galgudud) is unlikely to survive long because they are power-obsessed, self-aggrandizing and uncompromising. Some of these tribes hijacked the union in the first decade of its age, some other supported and defended Siad Barre`s brutal dictatorship and another is blamed for the endless anarchy and violence in Somalia.

4 - Somalia still believes in government shared by Somaliwein (Government for all Somalis from Somalia, Somaliland, Djabouti, Somali Northeastern Region (Kenya) and Western Somalia (Ehtiopia). This is no man`s government that leads to political chaos and socio-economic setbacks. Somaliland belongs to Somalilanders only.

5 - The place is Africa where democracy, fair elections and rule of law are not respected. Chronic tribalism, brutal dictatorships and crippling corruptions are common and normal practice of the day. Any federal government can be easily overthrown at any time by military coups, just like General Siad Barre did, with the immediate dissolution of elected parliament and constitution. No one can guarantee or trust that this will not happen again.

6 - Neither Somaliland people nor the people of Somalia can afford to have another risky unity that leads to brutal dictatorship or despotic turned-elected governments that plunge both peoples into other violent, atrocious civil wars. They need to have separate, safe, sisterly states with mutual relations like the 18 Arab countries that also share religion, language and culture but living in peaceful, prosperous independent states. Both nations must reject blind patriotism that led them to devastating civil wars in the past.

7 - The place is Africa where the laws of the jungle rein, where tribalism and localism are more important than nationalism and patriotism and where poverty and ignorance drive people to seek living in tribal corrupt or dictatorial governments instead of making sacrifices and hard work for better life and for self-sufficiency.

The critics of Somaliland independence, who advocate for reviving the disastrous unity, are either blind or indifferent to these political betrayal and appalling atrocities in this article. Their reckless, chauvinistic approach for unity must be rejected by Somaliland.

Ibrahim Hassan Gagale.

Ibrahim_hg@yahoo.com

© 2008 Awdalnews Network .

http://www.awdalnews.com/wmview.php?ArtID=11153

[Nolol cusub]

This guy might be a nut job.

His logic would be if you are hurt by the political process of Somalia you get the right to declare your clan independent.

Following this logic, Rahanweyn would leave Somalia for losing 300,000 to starvation. Hawiye for taking the prunt of ethiopian occupation.


The stretch

Extending local autonomy of the regions to clan independence is emotional solution at its best. Now lets have all African clans declare independence and we will have a million African independent states. That is a bad solution.

[Nolol cusub]

"1960 was driven by chauvinism (Blind patriotism) "

Chauvinism is blind nationalism. There is no such thing as a blind patriotism. Blind patriotism is great and it is the best thing that a politician can hope from his people.


Northern people are saying it was bad for us in Somalia? What about Mudug and Galguduud regions?

There is not a single economic development that the state initiated for the regions in 30 years. It left no economic infrastructure, no airport, no port. But again we do not want to leave Somalia do we?

All in all the socialist dictatorship was oppressive across the board. People suffer under dictatorships but you do not see Romanian subclans leaving from Romania because of Nikolai Caucesco.

The advice for northern Somalis is to keep their autonomy, have their national guard to protect their regional autonomy but to keep away in violating Somali borders. The strategic borders of Northern Somalia are for the protection of all Somalis not the borders of particular clan.

[Nolol cusub]

Articles like these are not only irresponsible but are pro-ethiapian position. The sentiments shown here have nothing to do with the welfare of Northern Somali people.

Contrary to what the bribed EU politician is advocating the EU must know that the region will never be safe if the Ethopia's wishes of nominal Somaliland independence is granted. It will unleash another wave of eastward Ethiopian expansion. The reaction of Somali people who lost already Ogaden to Ethiopian and NFD to Kenya will eqaullay be violent and predictable. This will make sure that Horn of Africa will never see peace in decades, not to mention exploitations of radical elements in such move.


Somali Republic is one and indivisable just as the Ethiopians want to keep their nation as one.


Why would websites like these have a link to the websites of patriotic Somalis? All the links to pro-ethiopian successionist Northern sites should be disconnected, starting with this link: http://www.somalilandpatriots.com/news-7455-0

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ka hor intii aanu baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub soo saarin qaraarkiisan, waxa ay mudanayaashu dood kulul ka yeesheen xaaladda gobalka Geeska Afrika. Mudane Dr Charles Tannock oo ka tirsan baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub, ayaa caalamka ugu baaqay inay aqoonsadaan qaddiyadda JSL.

Dawladda Itoobiya ayaa wax laga murugoodo ku tilmaantay qaabka fudud ee uu Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub dhawaan uga hadlay weeraradii argagixiso ee 29 Oktoobar, 2008 ka dhacay Somaliland, kuwaas oo ay ku nafwaayeen in ka badan 23 ruux, tiro badanina ay ku dhaawacmeen.

Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub ayaa dhawaan qaraar ka soo saaray xaaladda gobalka Geeska Afrika, waxaanu kaga hadlay arrimaha xuquuqal insaanka, Dimuqraadiyadda, nabadgelyada iyo cunto yaraanta. Qaraarkaas ka soo baxay baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub oo ay xaruntiisu tahay magaalada Brussles ee dalka Beljam, waxa uu si kooban ugaga hadlay qaraxyadii argagixiso ee Somaliland ka dhacay 29 Oktoobar, waxaanu yidhi, "29 Oktoobar, 2008, qaraxyado ismiidaamin ah ayaa lala beegsaday xafiiska ganacsi ee Itoobiya, xarunta Qaramada Midoobay ee UNDP iyo madaxtooyada Somaliland ee caasimadda Hargeysa.

Qaraxyo kuwaas la nooc ah ayaa iyaguna ka dhacay maamul goboleedka Puntland, kuwaas oo loo xidhay shakhsiyaad dhawr ah."

Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub waxa uu qaraarkaas cambaarayn iyo baaqyo ugu jeediyay dawladaha Itoobiya, Djibouti, Somaliya iyo Ereteriya. Tusaale ahaan dawladda Itoobiya waxa uu ku cambaareeyay arrimaha xuquuqal insaanka, waxaanu ugu baaqay in si deg deg ah loo sii daayo hoggaamiyaha siyaasadeed ee mucaaradka ah Mrs. Birtukan Midekssa, oo ay dhawaan maxkamadda Itoobiya ku xukuntay Xabsi daa'im. Haddaba Wasaaradda Arrimaha dibadda Itoobiya ayaa toddobaadkan jawaab ka bixisay eedaymaha iyo cambaaraynaha uu Midowga Yurub u jeediyay, waxaanay si kulul u deedafaysay waxyaabaha ka dhanka ah ee lagu xusay qaraarkaas ka soo baxay Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub. Sidoo kale dawladda Itoobiya waxa wax laga murugoodo ku tilmaantay sababta uu Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub u cambaarayn waayay weeraradaas argagixiso ee Somaliland, maadaama uu soo hadal qaaday.

"Waxa wax laga murugoodo ah ah in halkii ay ka sheegayeen weeraradii argagixiso ee Somaliland iyo Puntland uu qaraarku ku guul daraystay inuu ku daro kelmad uu ku cambaaraynayo weeraradaas xaaraanta ah." Ayay tidhi Wasaaradda Arrimaha dibadda Itoobiya.

Ka hor intii aanu baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub soo saarin qaraarkiisan, waxa ay mudanayaashu dood kulul ka yeesheen xaaladda gobalka Geeska Afrika. Mudane Dr Charles Tannock oo ka tirsan baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub, ayaa intii lagu gudo jiray doodaas waxa uu bulshada caalamka ugu baaqay inay aqoonsadaan qaddiyadda Somaliland. Mudane Tannock, oo dhalasho ahaan ka soo jeeda dalka Ingiriiska, kana tirsan guddiga arrimaha dibadda ee Baarlamaanka Midowga Yurub, waxa uu yidhi "Somaliland Waa Maamulka Keli ah ee Shaqaynaya Ee Shacabku Leeyahay ee Ka Jira Somaliya.", waxaanu intaas raaciyay "Dadka Somaliland waxa ay ka faa'idaysteen nooc dawladeed oo ammaan mudan iyo hay'ado horumar samaynaya, waxa ay sidoo kale leeyihiin astaan qarannimo sida calan iyo lacag u gaar ah. Waxa ay ila tahay in aynu joogno xilligii si ka run badan sida imika aynu u tixgelin lahayn ictiraafka ay raadinayaan."

Waxa uu xildhibaankani baarlamaanka ka hor sheegay in aqoonsiga Somaliland wax weyn ka tari doono xaaladda qasan ee gobalka Geeska Afrika, "Somaliland Madax bannaan oo ay taageerto bulshada caalamku waxa ay xoojin doontaa xasiloonida iyo horumarka gobolada kale ee bilaa rajada ah, waxa ay sidoo kale Somaliland noqon kartaa garab loo xulafaysto la dagaalanka budhcad badeedka ka jira xeebaha Somaliya."

Geeska Afrika

[Somaliman50]

NC, you are posting threads to a hostile community, so dont be surprised if you receive death threats

[DR-YALAXOOW]

nolol cusub sxb reer waqooyigiina stop calaacalka. waa nala xoogey, waa nala boobey. waa waareey.

18 years ayaad sheekadaas wadeen.aqoonsigii waad ku weyseeen. calaacalka baddan!! marka stop calaacalka!! waqooyiland!

[Nolol cusub]

The 1954 generation of the Northern Somalis were both patriots and practical. They saw the designs of the ethiopian expansion from afar. That is why voluntarily they wanted to unite with rest of Somali. They saw the annexation of large portion of Somali land by Ethiopia. The immediate threat were clear to them. The post socialist dictatorship generation have completely misplaced the direction of the threat. They think we are the enemy.


I think we should pay more attention to these irrational people.

[Angelin@]

Nolol , May I take your order, sir?!

[Nolol cusub]

None of the seven points listed here by Mr. Gagale appear to be rational .


All the arguments put farward seem less convincing. For example Mr. Gagale says that Somaliland people need to be opologized to. The question is who should be apologizing; invidivual somali clans or the overthrown government of Somalia?

The suffering of Somaliland in the late 1980s is politically eleveted to a level that it eclipses other suffering of Somali groups. We all know that when majority of Somali cities have been destroyed by the civil war the northern regions of Somalia have been enjoying peace.


Another irrational reason that is put forward: the union would lead to a dictatorship again.

What is the supporting argument for this? None

In fact all indication would suggest that Somalia would have a week federal government and strong regional and local government. There are three Somali regions that have local and regional governments: Somaliland, Puntland, and Galmudug. It also follows that the rest of Somali regions would come to this conclusion.

The rest of gagale's arguments are hysterical in their core.

[Goljano Lion]

nolol cusub sxb reer waqooyigiina stop calaacalka. waa nala xoogey, waa nala boobey. waa waareey.

18 years ayaad sheekadaas wadeen.aqoonsigii waad ku weyseeen. calaacalka baddan!! marka stop calaacalka!! waqooyiland!

listen you natural born dameer, charity begins at home kolkaa orodo dadkaaga hawiyee wax u tar
No wonder you Hawiyoos in Somalia are so miserable

[lali99]

Salamu aleikum...MY friend NC..the author is right. A reunification will be consider as the ingredient for a future disaster. Clan versus clan politics will always dominate and their will be tension between the north and the south. So we might avoid that and not the risk. I say this: why cant we not have agreements (security that is if your scare of an ethiopian invasion) like european union. Two independant states but have mutual protection measure in case that one of them is attack. ANd on top of that what makes you think that somaliland independance equals ethiopian invasion. Are you that narrow minded to think that we cant defend ourselves or that your military is more powereful than ours? Let me also ask you this what do you think of djibouti? Do you see it as an independant country or an ethiopia invasion of the north? Dude you got to take off your blind-egoistical shades and see the reality. Somaliland is gone and wont be back. You could either join us and see that we have a relationship like the european union which will also include djibouti or stay there and keep with the calacaal cuz honetlyu they're nothing the south could do to stop us by force. NOTHING. we're not small and we're also have the equipment to protect our land.

SAlamu aleikum

[Nolol cusub]

The idea that 1.5 million northern population can develop an effective security against 70 million hostile neighbors is not a serious one. A united 10 million Somalis with strategic northern regions migh be able to stop the Ethiopians from crossing the borders again. So when national security emergency is declared regional governments would to take the back seat. It also goes here without saying that putting the interest of 1.5 million above the rest of 10 million Somalis is at best selfish.

Also the idea of comparing one somali subclan with an EU nation is not correct.

[lali99]

The idea that 1.5 million northern population can develop an effective security against 70 million hostile neighbors is not a serious one. A united 10 million Somalis with strategic northern regions migh be able to stop the Ethiopians from crossing the borders again. So when national security emergency is declared regional governments would to take the back seat. It also goes here without saying that putting the interest of 1.5 million above the rest of 10 million Somalis is at best selfish.

Also the idea of comparing one somali subclan with an EU nation is not correct.

You're keep saying 1.5 millions people..1.5 mil...man can u honestly tell us where you get that fact...is it based on your perception or is it based on what your qabil is telling you..the greatest mistake someone could make is to underestimate and my friend dont fell off the track cuz the reality could be hard for you to digest...first off all let me tell you that in Somaliland the popualtion is overwhelming more dense than the south and even more than their next door neighbour, majerdenia...and secondly have you heard about the voter registration, where most likely most of the voter belong to one tribe, are about one million people... for the sake of argument let just say that due to those that 10% double register, that will still leaves around 800 000 people...and dont forget that these people are only those over the age of 18...so when you're saying the 1.5 millions, well your shooting yourself in the foot cuz it only shows your ignorance and your hate... please next time come out with something more rationnal and realize that somaliland is long gone and will never be back...Is either our way or no way...Is up to you choose...do you want to leave in peace or you want to being more war and misery to your own and your fellow neighbours...salamu aleikum