The Isaaq Driven Deterioration Democracy

December 25, 2007

Following the aftermath of the deadly civil wars and political confusions, Somaliland people especially the Isaac clan, who account the most populous and the largest tribe in the country, has been interested in the reconciliation and the re-unification of the different tribes that live in Somaliland.

Sultans and tribe leaders have been struggling to rid off the hostilities and prejudices that the tribes maintained during the costly civil wars. They have been attempting to arbitrate those tribes and sub clans who fought one another. The wise and the shrewd sultans have been encouraging hostile clans to forgive one another. For long struggle which consisted of both arbitration and forgiveness, somalaliland elders and sultans won to socialize the people towards democracy, free market system, and freedom of speech.

They improved political participation of women which enabled women to join parliament, and to become active organs in all executive governmental branches. The desire of Radiya Ali Abusto to stand candidate for the presidency of the country and the membership of Adna Adan in the cabinet of ministers was an illustrative example of improvement for the political participation of the women.

From time to time that hard won democracy in the country has gained more strength; we built a complete system of governance. We held well managed local, parliamentarian, and presidential elections, which in turn empowered and lured the support of highly developed countries. Than the country paced towards slow economic recovery, and the following years, economic empowerment has been the nation’s top agenda. The government won to minimize serious inflation by eliminating the petty Somali Shilling. The government won to print Somaliland currency.

The government created free market system which directly encouraged the growth of private businesses. The newly emerging businesses have become a great beacon light of hope for hundreds of jobless young adults. The private companies virtually provided job opportunities to young adults. In addition to that, Somalilanders who live around the world have directly and lavishly invested their homeland; Idris Muhumed Sacad (Cunaye) and A/Rashid Dahabshiil are major examples. The appearance of small industries is sign of economic development, for these small industries increased the domestic production and employed large numbers of people. Rays Hotel, Ambassador Hotel, and many other modern hotels which enhanced both the appearance and economic growth of major cities of the country are the result of direct investment from generous Somaliland Diaspora.

In addition to that, educational development has become one of the rapidly developing sectors. Different levels of education have become complete. Every year thousands of students enrolled primary schools with a positive and strong morale. Others transfer to elementary and secondary schools with a feeling of excitement instead of intimidation. Education of women increased dramatically. Special schools were created which eliminated the overwhelming embarrassment of girls in co educating schools and increased girl’s effectiveness and class participation.

One major example of these schools is QUDUS primary and elementary school which accommodated approximately 600 female students. Secondary and elementary schools have received enough educational facilities from Somaliland government and UN agencies. The materials given to the schools may include modern text books, computers, photocopy machines and so on. The recent appearance of universities completed the developing chain of education. These able universities such as Eelo American University, Amoud University and University of Hargeise together increased the quality and the ambition of both graduate and under graduate students in the foreseeable future.

By the way, when Somaliland people unified their thoughts, their national interests and their competencies democracy of our country grew into beautiful tree with long dense green branches. The growth and the development of the tree of democracy have been increasing rapidly. Until in the first time as we created our democratically built government, its stem gained more strength. Then in the second time, as we put more laws in the constitution its branches gained more density and beauty. In the third time, as we held our well managed elections, its fruits are prinked to ripen. All the time growing bigger, stronger, and more attractive, untill every Somalilander liked to stay and have a rest under its luxurious shadow.

While democracy and social development are growing together, triblism has come along and every thing we have worked is nearly to be ruined. There are stories in the journals everyday about it slashing one of the democracy’s greatest agendas. Triblism came up with a rain with cursive acid which changed the beautiful tree into an ugly one. We can see that the green attractive branches of the tree of democracy have changed into ugly burble ones. We can see that the tree of democracy is getting weaker and weaker and uglier and uglier all the time until every soamlilander refused to stand under its shadow.

What changed the green, strong, and attractive tree into brown, ugly, and weak one is that those who like to create hostility and political instability have become the central steering group of our society. Like the QARAN party, there are many other opportunists who want to use the weakness of our newly created constitution as weapon to create political confusion. Due to these awkward, greedy politicians, and their partisan struggles, there lurked a pressure that pushing the country towards awesome tribal conflict and fragmentation. There is nagging feeling of hatred and negative evaluation between the dominant clan Isaac and the other major poles including Samaroon, Darood, and this negative evaluation based on tribe membership rather than behavior, competency, and merit.

Isaac who is the most dominant and strongest clan in the country has begun to stereotype the other major poles as less patriotic and deceptive. Mistakenly, they thought that domination and sabotage of the other clans would ensure the existence of the country. So they traveled the wrong way, they began to built anarchy like government. They took all the important seats of the government. They took the head of house of elders (Guurti). They took the head of parliament and approximately 72% of parliament seats. They took the head of judicial branch. They took the head and all the seats of national commission. They took about 80% of the ministers of government. Inside the cabinet of ministers they secured all the most important seats.

Domination and complete lack of concern among the Somaliland clans is some thing that I simply can not tolerate, and I will predictably go to great length to prevent it. To keep the well being of our democracy, every Somalilander should have to know that it’s a time to like not a time to dislike; its time to embrace not a time to refrain; it time to heal not a time to hurt; its time to together not a time to scatter; its time to sow not a time to uproot.

In conclusion, whether it benefits us or bedevils us keep us together or tear us apart, the tribal conflict is moving towards destroying our hardly built democracy, and if it did so, then Somaliland would remain vague political entity.

Farah Barkhad Nour

E-mail: alfa_373@live.com