soonoqoda wrote:Apart from his hatred against isaaq and the war that happened, he really did change somalia for the better.
He achieved many things such as a big reform to the education system and many agricultural achievements as well.
But the main thing which shocked me is that he was against the whole tribalism/clans of somalia. Barre also sought to eradicate the importance of clan (qabil) affiliation within government and civil society.
After 91' when the government collapsed, the power fell back into the clan leaders and war lords. Till this day there are many people discriminating and have prejudiced views against other clans.
The only reason Jubaland, Puntland, Somaliland (and many other autonomous regions) exist is because of the clan tides.
Now i'm from Somaliland and i've recently come to realise that this is the way forward.
Clans are our history but they seperate us from who we really are.
The current government in Somalia and Somaliland need to adapt this system again. If clans come to an end then so will a lot of problems in the horn of africa.
You are wrong, Barre trying to eradicate the clan affiliation it's just something he did to give the impression that he was against clan, it was however complete and utter bullshit.
The people from the three clans of MOD ( Marehan, Ogaden, Dhulbahante) had benefits no other clans had, coming straight from Badiye and given loans from the banks who where holding the money of Hawiye business men ( it was mostly them who had money saved in the bank)
When this came out that the money they where saving in the bank where given to poor MODS all Hawiye United and decided to extract all their savings from the bank and never to deposit money there again, everyone bought safes and kept their cash at home. This ended in the central banks bankruptcy.
Members of these clans where given top position jobs even though most of them came from the rural areas and where uneducated. The few Hawiye and minorities who had top positions was only a mask for the people not to notice what he was doing.
Most Hawiye young men where denied higher university studies and had to join the army whilst the MOD men were sent to Russia and Italy for education. This he did because he didn't want any educated Hawiye men in Somalia.
This stupid act resulted in his defeat. At the end the Somali national army consisted of 75% Hawiye whilst all Daarood where academics. When USC started to plan their coup, the Hawiye men from the army joined the USC and that was the end to Siad Barre.
So Siad barre was not anti clan, he was rather the biggest clannist of them all!
