THE REAL DEATH OF A NATION

[Galol]

Somalia was dead for a long time. The death process started in 1976 when Siyad Barre, popular untill then, decided to attack Ethiopia instead of risking losing power. To me this is one of the saddest episodes in Somali poltical history because if he kept his promise and actually held a free election he and his well-chosen mixture of milatry, former milatry and civilian government would have won easily because they were so popular.

He had in his cabinet an array of honest men - ranging from the moderate Islamist milatry men like Ismail Ali Abokor, Cisman Maxamed Jelle and Ahmed Xasan to Euro-communists like Warsame Ali Kimiko and Maxamed Adan Sheekh to commited hardline Marxists like Warsame Indhole and Abdirhaman Ceydid Dhabdhable to Arabist masters like Cumar Carte Ghalib to liberal free market economists like Silanyo to old Colonial hands like Kulmiye and Jaamac Ghalib to new breed of Somalist educationalist reformers like Gahayr.

The country was humming with pride and self-confidence only dented by the Northern drought of 1974. This was handled after a little dithering, with effieciency that defied the image of Africa the inefficient. Hundreds of thousands of people were airlifted hundreds of miles from the parched badlands of Northern Somalia to the riverine areas of lower and Upper Jubba in less than a month. Sablale, an unknown village, all of a sudden became a heroic symbol of saving our people and ushering in the new era of integrated Somalia where Somalis can live anywhere in a great nation.

Pride restored with efficiency. And then someone, we still dont who, advised Siyad Barre not to hold the elections he promised. Instead he formed the XHKS(Somali Socialist Revolutionary Party) and held a `referendum' on it being the only party of State. Knowing that it wasnt enough he then launched the attack on Ethiopia in 1976. I must say it was popular: We young ones loved the idea of Somalia `liberating' Ogaden and creating Greater Somalia.

Of course we got defeated by Ethiopia with its allies.

And then today we have the `Somali government' allied with Ethiopia; our historic enemy; attacking Somalia which is supposedly being defended by crazed un-Somali Wadaads with very Unsomali ideology and failing with undignified haste.

This is the real death of a Nation

[musika man]

when we attacked etthiopia as one powerful nation with pride, we lost. what made these fools attack ethiopia alone and expect to win? the lies backfired on their face.

[Galol]

Musika

The lies backfired. True. But they did NOT attack Ethiopia. Ethiopia attacked us. That is a first in history.

[Gedo_Boy]

Galol,

Unless Somalis understand the concept of reconciliation, Somalia will continue to be in the same place as it is.

Some argue it started in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, whatever..........

Somalis did this to themselves and it is upon everybody to try and find a resolution.

[musika man]

[quote="Galol"]Musika

The lies backfired. True. But they did NOT attack Ethiopia. Ethiopia attacked us. That is a first in history.[/quote]

whatever they did, i got back my shabeele hoose still trying to piece together the extent of their oppression and destruction. you got your somaliland, what are you complaining? do you know somaliland forces fought with the sacad against the hutu courts? you succeeded from somalia and is a staunch somalilander, who are you crying for? somalis are better than hllywood actors when it comes to fake tears.

[Galol]

Musika

Can one be a Somalilander and a Somali at the same time? Are the two mutually exclusive?

[michael_ital]

Wonderful post I love the sentiment you extoll. But I REALLY wish you'd consider putting something in print. If you collected all your threads from here, youd've had a book by now.

[surria]

"And then today we have the `Somali government' allied with Ethiopia; our historic enemy; attacking Somalia which is supposedly being defended by crazed un-Somali Wadaads with very Unsomali ideology and failing with undignified haste."

Galol,

The Ethiopia you speak of does not exists. Many Somalis hold Ethiopian passport and I don't mean those from the Ogaden area but people who were born and raised in Ethiopia. Ethiopians and Somalis share similar ways of life. The people of Ethiopia are many and most of them are civil peace loving people. They, I would hate to say it but are much more civilized than the Somalis (and I know, I will get backlash for what I have just said, but it is true, all you need to do is go visit any Ethiopian restaurant in your neighbourhood). Furthermore, the Ethiopian have been welcoming to Somalis that have fled the war in the 90's, unlike the Arabs from Yemen and other Arab countries. So, to say that Ethiopia is our enemy is a bit misleading.

[musika man]

[quote="Galol"]Musika

Can one be a Somalilander and a Somali at the same time? Are the two mutually exclusive?[/quote]

galol lemme qute myself.

somalis are better than hllywood actors when it comes to fake tears.

i consider you as somali, we didnt have somalia before the invassion. there was no nation. ethiopia will leave and the lesson learned is we can all be free like somaliland. then we can establish somalinimo. somalinimo which starts from the grassroots of each different regions and come to the table as equals. not master-slave relationship. short of that, there is no somalinimo, like the situation before the ethiopians came. we have to be smart like somaliland and have business and political ties with ethiopia. do you agree?

[Samatr]

[quote="surria"]"And

Galol,

The Ethiopia you speak of does not exists. Many Somalis hold Ethiopian passport and I don't mean those from the Ogaden area but people who =.[/quote]

Thats nothing to be proud of.

[surria]

Samatr,

No one here is speaking of pride.
What we are speaking of however is, Ethiopia being the enemy of Somalis. What IÂ’m saying therefore is that Ethiopia is not the enemy, rather they have welcomed many fleeing Somali refugees over the years, while at the same time, others such as Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries have jailed the desperate and needy refugees.

I really don't see how Ethiopia is the enemy anymore.

[Galol]

Musika

"we didnt have somalia before the invassion. there was no nation"

If this an accusation against me then it is a great one. I admire the subtlety.

But you did not answer the question: Can one be a Somalilander and a Somali at the same time? or are the two mutually exclusive?

[musika man]

[quote="Galol"]Musika

"we didnt have somalia before the invassion. there was no nation"

If this an accusation against me then it is a great one. I admire the subtlety.

But you did not answer the question: Can one be a Somalilander and a Somali at the same time? or are the two mutually exclusive?[/quote]

galol

let me repeat myself clearly. yes you can be both.

it is not an accusation, it is the facts on the ground.

[Samatr]

[quote="surria"]Samatr,

No one here is speaking of pride.
What we are speaking of however is, Ethiopia being the enemy of Somalis. What IÂ’m saying therefore is that Ethiopia is not the enemy, rather they have welcomed many fleeing Somali refugees over the years, while at the same time, others such as Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries have jailed the desperate and needy refugees.

I really don't see how Ethiopia is the enemy anymore.[/quote]

Eeyaa, I was born in galbeedka, dont tell me about Ethiopia!!!

[Galol]

Surria

I have nothing against Ethiopia or its people. The hatred of `Xabashi' my generation was brought up on no longer holds water with me. I love ethiopian culture and I am proud of their heritage as a Black man. I love Ethiopian cuisine and I regularly go to their restaurants.

This is about something slightly bigger: It is about National identity and History and justice and pride. Silly things I know.