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What were they thinking?
Ibrahim Mead
Political analyst
Ottawa, Canada
What were Mr.Hersi, the other two
Ministers and their boss Mr. Siilanyo thinking!?
“The meeting between some of Gabiley elders and the Hersi (of the
presidency) delegati on reportedly representing the president which
happened in a farm in Arabsiyo was an exercise in futility!” a
prominent Gabilian told me by phone
They came to persuade the said
elders to support a party which has betrayed not only Gabiley but
(it) betrayed its own manifesto and by these deceptive acts betrayed
the whole nation. That was kulmiye which has transformed it self
into “lumiye” of trust, after the great betrayal. What some call
Kulmiye, Gabiley calls it Lumiye! , others call it a Crime scene
after they hammered down the number two man of the party Muj
Abdirahman Ab dulkader Farah in a conference hall in Hargeisa!
“What was the mental state of the three Ministers and their boss
when they acted as th ough nothing has happed, business as usual,”
the Gabilian I talked to wondered!
“With out question they were either delusional or thought the people
they met in Arabsi yo farm were idiots!” he added.
Mr. Siilanyo betrayed them and he is saying trust me again with no
change in him!
It is distressing when someone betrays your trust, isn’t it?
It may be easier to forgive, however I think, it’s the trust thing
that's difficult
How can you forgive a person you trusted but betrayed you for his
benefit?
The Gabiley community they are courting now trusted Mr. Siilanyo
before but in the end he betrayed them upon reaching his
goal-Presidency! It also reminded them, what they did for him
in1987and in1988 and what he did to them and to SNM at large in
return!
Until now I don't know how he did that sin with conscience, but he
did it any way!
They haven’t spoken for awhile and when they actually did, they
tried to bring it up to him; he never admitted it! No apologies and
no-nothing!
The Gabiley elders Mr. Hersi and other Ministers met them in a farm
in Arabsiyo found no strange that their trust in Mr. Siilanyo did
not stand true. The Gabiley community tried to brush off what
happened hoping to start anew, but they couldn’t help it, they still
think of what they did for him and what Siilanyo did to them in
return! Then why would any bo dy want to renew, regenerate or revive
any trust for a repeated offender!?
Trust is a very important part of any relationship. Once it's gone,
it's gone. You will alw ays be wondering if there will be a repeat
of the wound that one feels.
It's great to forgive and we should all forgive because it's better
for us than holding a feeling of resentment, but you will never
forget when the offender never admits his sin and never apologies
for it. And there is nothing wrong with not forgetting that experien
ce.
Now if someone hurts you unintentionally that it's different, but if
someone does somethi ng knowingly like Mr. Siilanyo did, not only to
Gabiley community but to Somaliland by ext ension and hurt them by
his deception and betrayal, it will be hard to let them go and move
on. There's an old saying that goes something like "Burn me once,
shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me."
I think Mr.Siilanyo and his aids may think admitting that they are
at fault here and expre ssing remorse or sorrow is a sign of
weakness. And they don't want to appear weak so they act callously,
or ignore the problem.
Is there a chance that Siilanyo is as miserable as the people he
betrayed, but unable or unwilling to admit it, and that he will die
with it?
However unfortunately, bizarrely, I think there's a chance he's not!
Maybe he is simply shallow and self-involved, without the capacity
for deeper relationships. But either way, I think Mr. Siilanyo
should try to stop dwelling on the situation. He must learn what he
can from (betrayal) his evil acts so he doesn’t repeat this sin any
more, to any one. Moreover, he better not let this one incident, how
sinful it is harden his heart or make him reluctant to reach out
again.
Confession, atonement and renewal is the way forward instead of
sending some young untested Ministers who didn’t know what they were
talking about and what they were supposed to say to Gabiley cultural
elders on the subject of betrayal and of supporting “Lumiye”!
The president better make this strategy a teachable moment, and move
on
Mr. President, address the disaster imbued from your betrayal and
from the acts of your amateur act-first-then-think-later Ministers,
and move on if you are there.
Unite the people instead of dividing them. Put the nation’s house in
order before it crum bles on your head. Make an extreme overhaul.
Seek forgiveness from Allah then from yo ur people, only then you
can move Somaliland forward. You can not do that by lying and living
in a world of fantasy! I hope you are there to dare and make this
move. It is the right move and don’t for get you are in a catch up
mode if and when you heed.
Peace and prayers for Somaliland
Ibrahim Mead
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