Difference between Somali and Arab revolts: role of the army

[Somaliweyn]

It is really amazing to see the Tunisian and Egyptian armies standing aside, letting the people demand their rights while they guard the treasures of the nation and remain vigilante.

In Somalia, the army collapsed way earlier than the state itself. After 1978, there was mutiny and several attempted coups from military men. The Somali army was corrupted and destroyed from the inside, high-ranking Generals/officers became rebells and started rebel movements while Dictator Barre made all his cousins from baadiye high-ranking Generals and officers.

In 1978, the Somali army was used to target a whole Somali group in Bari and massacred nomads by looting their lifestock and poisoning their wells just because they were suspected of supporting SSDF.

In 1988, The Somali army was used by the Dictatorial regime to completely level three large cities in Northern Somalia just because Somali citizens in those cities were suspected of supporting the SNM. Foreign mercenaries (South Africa and Rhodesian mercenaries) were used to bomb those cities from the air.

in 1990, The Somali army (of what was remaining of it: presidential guard and some units) were used to bomb Wardhiigleey, Kaaran, Yaaqshid etc just because the citizens were revoluting and suspected of supporting USC.

In 1991, the Somali army lost all its legitimacy of defending the Somali citizens security and its weapon arsenals were looted and it stopped functioning.


Dictator Barre corrupted our Somali National Army, and things would have turned out differently if the SNA was not corrupted from the inside and guarded their legitimacy. It is an amazing contrast, when one considers 1969 when the Somali National Army staged an unconstitutional but popular coup d'etat, and compares that to 1989 when the army became a machine used by Dictator Barre to massacre the Somali masses. Within 20 years, the SNA (one of the powerfull armies in Africa) was corrupted and lost all its legitimacy and value in the eyes of the Somali masses. Mindboggling!!

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A mean, fighting machine was corrupted and used for personal interest by Dictator Barre.





look how the army was welcomed by Egyptian masses....if Somali National Army remained neutral, did not massacre its civilians in order to do the dirty job for the dictatorial regime it would have been welcomed by the masses in Hargaisa, Berbera, Burco, Bosaaso, Gaalkacyo, Beledweyne, Jowhar, Mogadishu etc.

National Armies should always be on the side of the citizens!

[AbdiWahab252]

Somaliweyn,

Don't blame Siyaad Barre for being Siyaad Barre but blame the source of Siyaad's rise to power: General Salad Gabeire

[Somaliweyn]

AW,

I blame Barre for corrupting the SNA and for destroying Somalia just because he wanted to stay in power. Gabeyre and Aynaashe, were the first officers to be rooted out from the inside....their murder was the first sign of the corruption of the SNA...


Somalia would have been a state if the ARMY and Police were not corrupted from the inside, and they defended their legitimacy in maintaining the security of the nation.

[Hyperactive]

and i wished if you state the differences between somali people and those arab countries people.

the people of tunisia and egypt fed up from dictatorship but not their own people of other side tribe. the people of these countries, unlike somalis, their country is a holy and untouchable with the dictator or without.

[kadarre]

Waryaa AW dnt talk about History. He aint alive. Salab Gebeyre Aun.

[Somaliweyn]

and i wished if you state the differences between somali people and those arab countries people.

the people of tunisia and egypt fed up from dictatorship but not their own people of other side tribe. the people of these countries, unlike somalis, their country is a holy and untouchable with the dictator or without.

Hyper, wouldn't you hate the state if the army that was supposed to defend your security was massacring you?

Barre corrupted the state, its army and people became fedd up with his regime. They were not allowed to hold peacefull demonstrations since the army and police were hunting down opponents of the regime. They even arrested 114 influential Somali men and women who wrote the Manifesto, of which the first President of Somalia was one of them.

Imagine, if Mubarak would arrest all key Egyptian politicians/businessmen and religious leaders who went to the streets, and the army would fire and shell residential area's with mortars and tank-shells. Would Egytian people remain peacefull and still hold peacefull demonstrations or would they grap whatever weapons they could find and start a violent revolution?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.”

Barre made peaceful revolution impossible, violent opposion and revolution was the only option left.

[Hyperactive]

somaliweyn, mobarak did that and worse for years and years, his police, rapped the political prisoners' family members (you never wish to be any arab prison). killed and exiled his own people.

but finally, the Tunisia's incident made them realize it's possible to demonstrate and to even over throw the dictator.

believe me isnt the military what made this possible but the people. they have a huge respect for their military because it defended their country.

somalis in other hand, have no history, no loyalty, other than their tribe. once one of their tribe man hold some official office they think the whole tribe are the one benefit it and turn it to a family business.

not only ziyad bare who destroyed, he tried to change nomads' mind and make them civilized but he coundnt even change his own clan that came to mogadishu and each and every one of them want to hold some rank!!

they are just somalis, other clan would do the same. my clan would do the same if not worse. that's nomad's mentality. im not excluding him from responsibility to leave when he saw it's over.

[Somalian_Boqor]

Dictators are all the same, they will try to stay in Power by all means. What makes Siyad Barre worst in my opinion was the fact he undermined his citizens, and tried to tamed them by force.

I blame USC iyo Siyad Barre for this 20 years of violence iyo anarchy. If SSDF would have overthrown Siyad Barre today we would have had a stable country iyo Government. Same thing with SNM.

USC was an disorganized clan militia who got lucky, in overthrowing Siyad Barre. They didn't know what to do with Power nor how to return peace and run a government.

[FAH1223]

The army is the biggest difference. Siad Barre's regime did committ atrocities.. The army was also an institution where many clans held a footing in. So when there were rebel movements they not only had support from Ethiopia but the entire institution split up.

With a country like Somalia where qabil rules all, a stable army was also a pipe dream. If only Somalia was not awashed with weapons.

And those that came after used weapons on the civilians

Arabs are not armed by and large

[Hyperactive]

The army is the biggest difference. Siad Barre's regime did committ atrocities.. The army was also an institution where many clans held a footing in. So when there were rebel movements they not only had support from Ethiopia but the entire institution split up.

With a country like Somalia where qabil rules all, a stable army was also a pipe dream.

i grow up hearing this and i really hated somalia for that. what the heck! your own government who supposed to protect it's own!!
i wish if i could talk one of high ranks who was part taking this crimes, just to ask what was going in his mind!!

[Oxidant]

Saddam against Shiites,
Derg against Eritreans and Tigrays
Zenwai against ONLF after 2007,
Russians against Chechnya,

Many governments throughout history have bombed cities to prevent Rebels capturing the town

[Cirwaaq]

In Somalia each clan stayed silent while others were being eradicated, bombed, raped so long as their own clan was being given land and resources "Fair share"...

Every Clan only became concerned when their benefits were effected... ZERO National unity. We were never united in spirit

[Oxidant]

You cannot compare a civil uprising as seen in today in North Africa and Middle East countries to Clan based Rebels in Somalia. That is comparing apples to oranges. These so called armed militias in Somalia threatened the existence of Somalia. Neither were fighting for a better Somalia rather than fighting for their clanist attentions and today we see the result of their attentions. The victim blaming must stop in Somalia. Siad Barre was removed from power in 1991 by these militia groups and anything that happened after his removal is not his fault and never will be. SSDF started the clan mentality followed by SNM and USC savages destroyed the corpse of Somalia and still are eating it's flesh today

Yet people still have the audacity to cry about Siad Barre,

[qoraxeey]

Saddam against Shiites,
Derg against Eritreans and Tigrays
Zenwai against ONLF after 2007,
Russians against Chechnya,

Many governments throughout history have bombed cities to prevent Rebels capturing the town

ma aragtaay

Yemen was the lates to bomb rebels

[Hyperactive]

In Somalia each clan stayed silent while others were being eradicated, bombed, raped so long as their own clan was being given land and resources "Fair share"...

Every Clan only became concerned when their benefits were effected... ZERO National unity. We were never united in spirit

thank you so much. you summit up every thing . somalis are not patriot. government or individuals.