SomaliNet Forums

For people who think Gedo and 2022 election impasse was without precedent, here is Kenyan diplomat Mohamed Abdi Affey recounting how in 2004 Ugas Omar [ son of Ugas Hersi] of Marehan was the only Somali chief to not sign off the Embagathi system that built the TFG. That system is the current basis of this government today. Even 4.5 was institutionalized in Embagathi.

Affey recalls that "Marehan" the clan was the headache that required extraordinary diplomacy to join all the other groups in becoming a part of the government.

After that was achieved, the last hurdle expected to be a formality became impassable.

Ugas Cumar Ugas Hersi of Marehan, required to sign off on his clan MPs list simply refused to sign.

He said "Ducaan idin siin, kac orda idinku [IGAD] diiwaangeliya magacyadaan anigu saxiixi maayo."

Those "magacyo" were the Marehan MPs of which without their submission, there could be no "Somali" government declared.

When proded, Ugas Cumar said "I cannot trust some of these names to have responsibility over the Somali people and you are claiming to build a government for Somalia."

Cajiib.

The Marehan Ugas refused to sign because he did not have the confidence to emdorse some of his own Marehan subjects to have powers of authority over the Somali people!

In the end, Affey says he did not sign, but because he had said "Duca qaata oo kac idinku diiwaangashada" it was interpreted correctly the Ugas was saying by his authority, the clan was relinquishing the right to protest the registration of the Marehan MP list without his signature.

So he refused to sign and therefore endorse, but had withdrawn the privilege to contest their registration without his endorsement.

And thus, Ugas Cumar Ugas Hersi of Marehan, the Ugas Guud of Sade, was the only Somali traditional chief who did not endorse Embagathi.

Cajiib!

Let's go back to 1956 elections and the Partito Union Merehan or the Marehan Union Party (at first Partito Unione Giovanni Merehan or the Marehan Union Youth Party


Probably the single most underestimated or least understood aspect about Marehan is ironically the single most underestimated or ignored aspect about the Somali people and culture since the development of a State and focus on developed world concept of State economy----namely livestock.

Somalia doesn't produce or manufacture; there is only really something resembling a service industry providing communication and remittance process. Those entities are themselves are very saturated and ad hoc, even Dahabshiil, for example, barely generates enough revenue for profit after expenses are subtracted.

Somali wealth, then and as the same today, is livestock---this is the hard currency form of measuring assets and equity in Somalia.

And looking at historical + modern UNDP estimates as well as World Bank, Marehan, per capita relative to other Somali sub-clans, are very rich, even wealthy in livestock, particularly camels.



This is how" Marehan financed the huge Galti migration in the early 20th century which would have been impossible in the entire earth without huge financing how ever the culture measures it.

Marehan of Lugh Ferrandi District (which is about 60-70% of Gedo Region today) made the Marehan Union Party or Unione Merehan---because of livestock interests.

The Italians---eho were brought back under UN Trusteeship to "prepare" Somalia for independence---declared that Marehan control of the livestock industry in the Jubba Valley was an "extreme monopoly."

They wanted to break it up and the election came on the heels of this huge issue between Marehan and the Trusteeship.

HDM was the political opposition---but it became a crisis after the SYL Party failed to declare a position on the issue.

Marehan was SYL constituency so obviously they were not going to declare in favor of the proposition---but they didn't declare against it for fear of losing votes among other clans in the region.

Because Marehan was already counted SYL and because they had no other options (irony of the SYL monopoly as a single party for all Samaale and HDM for all DM), the SYL took the Marehan for granted when they made the political position.

So the Marehan of Lugh-Ferrandi said "ok, Mr. Double Speak---we will see about that."

They took the extraordinary step of its time to declare a Marehan Union Party and face against BOTH SYL AND HDM.



And the Marehan Union party won which was followed by the Italians dropping the heavy handed proposition---of politically interfering in the natural Somali based free market livestock business in southern Somalia.

Which was followed by Marehan of Lugh-Ferrandi dissolving Unione Merehan and going back to caucus with SYL.