In the urgency of now, is Garadaag-2 warranted?

Ibrahim Mead,Political analyst
Ottawa, Canada

 

It is all about our country. It is all about salvaging what is left of the dignity and the sense of purpose and direction of our country!
It is about restoring the integrity, independence and unity of the people of Somaliland.
It is all about how we guard the gains Somaliland attained from the sacrifices our men and women did for us from the wolves in sheep’s skin!
It is all about protecting the Mother we shed blood and treasure for her.

Panicking and pleading Siilanyo went to the community of ‘Garadaag’ as he did to others in his own ‘urgency of now’ at the time. He was beseeching to the honorable community of ‘Garadag’ to persuade (in his behalf) the other communities to vote for him as to win. He pushed the ‘Garadag’ community so hard to a level the other communities were scared! For that reason the other communities abided their request lest they may leave the union of communities of Somaliland in anger and despair! All that for Mr. Siilanyo! Just what we did for him during the SNM time!!

Siilanyo affirmed and vowed to every body that he will guard and protect Somaliland.
He affirmed that he was a changed man and he had a plan of change and hope for Somaliland “and a better Somaliland is ahead of us” he thunderously declared.
Now we see an injured Mother, a demeaned Mother and a Mother her children are divided! A Mother put in the market. Mother money chasers are dragging her from one place to another, from Nairobi to Istanbul and back to Nairobi, chasing the sound of money!

In the context of “have we tried this or that” and in the wisdom of “have we tried the sling (wadhaf ma la gu dayaay) I am saying that let us try Garadag-2 for the sake of Somaliland lest Mr. Siilanyo may heed the warnings coming from all directions, from all sectors of the society? He must heed in one point because he was elected to improve and develop Somaliland not to destroy her as he is doing now!
Some of us may wonder and say, we have constitutional institutions to deal matters like these, why calling other institutions to intervene!? The question is: are they really functioning? Do they work for the people these days? The fact of the matter is that they are dysfunctional and they stand for a name only, and that name serves for the executive branch! This necessitated other parties like the cultural institutions to intervene and come to the aid of Somaliland, and by extension to the peace and stability of the region. It is a desperate act but desperate situations warrant desperate actions!
This is not a new thing to a Siilanyo’s administration! It has precedence. In 1988 we reelected Mr. Siilanyo as a SNM chairman. By the end of the same year we came to the aid of SNM under his leadership. We saved SNM from Siilanyo! That was the fact. [The author was a member of a committee which had undertaken that responsibility.] We saved SNM at that time from her chairman! Thus Somalilanders must once again come together and save Somaliland from Mr. Siilanyo!
While some people took Mr. Siilanyo’s pledge that he is a changed man as he claimed he was when he was running for the office of the presidency, however many people reluctantly and with a grand of salt, believed him thus voted for him, however the more trusted plea was coming from ’Garadaag’ (community) gathering of 2010.In the end, the majority of Somaliland community bowed to the pledge of Siilanyo but more so to that of ‘Garadaag’ convention. In that way he was elected.

What did Mr. Siilanyo do in return?

1- He broke the pledge, he broke the affirmations and the promises he made and what he said he will do for Somaliland. He took Somaliland in the wrong direction. He betrayed the trust of the people.
2- He broke the oath of office that he will protect the unity, principles, self determinations and the interest of Somaliland
3- He betrayed not only the people who elected him but the martyrs, the blood and the treasure paid for Somaliland, provided he is aware of what he has done and what is happening around him!
In the light of these and more which is not elaborated here, isn’t it time for trying “Garadaag-2?” as an option, to salvage Somaliland?

“Garadaag-2” my do primarily two things:

1- To straighten up the man they beseeched the other Somaliland communities in his behalf as to be elected president which their plea was heard and their request delivered.
2- If Mr. Siilanyo rebuff their advice and did not act upon that guidance, then they must disown him and tell the larger community they disowned him!
If one of the two options is materialized, for “Garadaag-2,” It will relieve the rest of Somaliland community and it may be a remedy for the run-away and corrupt government of Mr. Siilanyo. Somaliland people want their country back.

No one man or women, Siilanyo or any other one has the right to say to the citizens and the leaders of Somaliland, “keep your advice to your selves, it is my way and no one else’s” while every body knows his way is the wrong way for a democratic country like Somaliland.
“In democratic and legitimate governments, the head of states are the servants and the people are the owners of the government which the government manages on their behalves and supposedly do so in the right way”. Mr. Siilanyo and his close circle do the opposite. They act as thought the government is theirs and the people are their servants who pay them taxes, and when they want they could put them in prison with fabricated accusations! The case in point here is the “Basmate Gate” where innocent people are in jail for that case right now!

In real democratic countries people are in charge and governors are the servants of the people. They are also on contract and when their performance is dismal they are changed and thus replaced.

In closing this piece, there is good news and a bad news for Somaliland.
1- The bad news is that the 2nd Republic of Somaliland is in its worst situation in her twenty one years history under President Siilanyo’s administration.
2- The good news is that Allah promised that ‘He does not guide the snares of the false ones. And further Allah said, “the end belongs to the righteous”

Peace and prayers for Somaliland