Ibrahim Mead Ottawa, Canada Corrupt leadership is a curse and it exists where there is the right environment for them to thrive A leader is functional tool for his people to achieve their hopes and aspirations The relationship between the (honest) leader and his followers are the expectations and aspirations of the people. Good leaders have ethics and principle and make a constituency that is likewise determined to stick to ethics and principle. What people admire in a leader’s ideals are vision, honesty and competency. Corrupt leadership ceases to be that tool for their people. They are follies, and they attract follies. A destructive and corrupt leadership thrives only in environments that uphold that behavior. Corrupt leadership exists in the dynamic relationship of leader/ followers Corrupt leadership thrives where they and the ruled are like poles, in other words where people tolerate them. Good people do not tolerate bad leaders for long. Corrupt leadership can not survive where people don’t accommodate their values and actions, as bacteria can not survive in a sanitized place. Bad leadership survives where their likes are found. Bad leadership exists only with in the dynamic phenomenon of like (minds) poles. The people’s view of a leader’s integrity is also a reflection of their consciousness of them selves. A leader with no integrity stays in power as a representative of a corrupt system and corrupt people that condones wrongdoings at the highest levels. In turn this is also a reflection of a corrupt people because they tolerate dishonest and corrupt leaders. A dishonest leader leads only corrupt people. Corrupt people respond to the corrupt leader. It is not only the destructive leadership that destroys countries; it is also the people who tolerate their destructive actions and those who watch them as spectators. They prolong the live of the unhelpful and immoral leadership. The people who are perceived to be effective leaders are the ones who can respond to the needs of their people and country A fraudulent, deceptive, divisive and corrupt government is by no means a ‘Munkar’ condoning entity, thus it is obligatory to the Somaliland people to ask such government to change it self otherwise be changed. So far Siilanyo’s oligarchies seem not interested to change them selves! Sulieman Gaal is supporting Mr.Siilanyo even when he is wrong. The point is that the country is not their property. They live on Somaliland; Somaliland does not live on them. They better change their behavior as well as their actions. However if they really mean what they are saying, then that means peace is compromised and destabilization which will in the end leads the country to the road somalia has been travelling until present is by no means the destination! Corrupt leadership Just Don’t Care: The quickest way to destroy a dream of a people is not care about their cause and the people who care about it. The conscientious people must know the difference between the fake and the folly leader from the genuine concerned and cares leader of their real issues. Likewise the good leader must know the moral people from the follies. The bad leader harvests and wants the follies and the ‘Guulwadayale’ for they are like poles. They attract each other. Corrupt leadership is allergic to candid feedback – bad leader is unwilling to listen to feedbacks because he considers it as a demeaning to his ego or it isn’t what he wants to hear. Once his chunk team realizes the Leadership is unwilling to receive feedback, they stop giving feedback; instead they start “Guulwadeen” telling the leader what ever pleases him. Once chunk team stops giving feedback, the Leader finds himself disconnected while he argues otherwise. Political parties and civil society has the right to call for Consultations: In a democratic government, the political parts as well as the civic organizations i.e. religious leaders, agricultural organizations, business community and others in the civil society have a stake in governance. Only a tin-pot dictator can argue otherwise. Oh yes, the ignorant and the shameless ‘guulwadi’ may echo the dictator’s argument! Those who give their allegiance to their clan rather than their country may join the pack too! Consultation and cooperation is the way forward in a crises situation. Somaliland is in that situation now. Don’t you forget that this (Consultation) virtue was part of Somaliland culture and the foundations of its stability, indeed its existence before Siilanyo’s administration assumed power! It is Somaliland which is unjust on to her self! Always she was, always she is! “For verily Allah is not unjust to (his servant) man, it is man who is unjust on to him self” This is because of the deeds which thy hands sent forth; (from Al haj and other suras in the Quran) this is the situation prevailing in Somaliland! Siilanyo and followers must change them selves and come to the world of “Ma’roof.’ If they insist staying where they are now, they better know that they are wrong. They better know that they put the country on an undermined sand cliff which they and the country may go down to the oblivion ‘ala’ Siyad Barre while the people are watching their death coming to their way! The people who are cooperating with this Munkar activity (rejecting Consultation) as well as those of us who are watching when we could stop it, share the national shame and the national sin with the doers of the ‘Munkar’. They are not alone in this evil “Munkar” activity. We are all in this evil deeds of destroying the hopes and aspirations of a country and a people after 20years of peace and stability and hope. The purpose of establishing Somaliland was not to rob the poor people’s tax, it was to serve the people, safeguard the territorial integrity, and uphold the rights as well as the security and welfare of its people. Instead the corruption and indifference beyond bounds on the part of Siilanyo government along the corrupted two houses which sold their sole and the trust of the people constructed a template of distrust, destabilization and even civil war (god for bid) if Somaliland problems are not addressed forthwith. It seems it is a déjà-vu, all over again? It seems a 1960 all over again with a difference of even more idiocy and more dangerous in civil stability? Somaliland has a history of committing self inflicted deadly damages to her self. Look back and see what they have done in 1960! They threw away an independent country and its people in to the oblivion and the so, called leaders jumped ship and abandoned the people! It took the people of Somaliland to find and claim their thrown away Republic for31 years, over 150,000 thousand dead or maimed. Over hundred years accumulation of wealth vanished and a total destruction of a country! What is happening now in to days’ Somaliland is mindboggling to say it mildly! It is like 1960 all over again with even worse consequences! Civil war probably may happen under such corrupt and deceptive administration! Some call what is happening in Somaliland the height of idiocy in action, others call it the greatest betrayal against the people of Somaliland ever, and still others say, it is all of the above! Siilanyo’s oligarchy government is a derailed run-away administration, destroyed any thing in its path. The first causalities in this situation are: a) The sacred cause of Somaliland, the quest for independence and territorial integrity. They stepped in to the trap of ‘confining Somaliland to the mercy of Somalia’ which exhibited its relentless animosity and hate against Somaliland in every day and every time they open their mouth. Somalia had executed ethnic cleansing operations in 1980s which in the end Somaliland survived thanks to the martyrs and Mujahedeen who sacrificed their lives and treasure for Somaliland. They are now forgotten people and they mock the survivors, may Allah mock them! b) The unity of the Somaliland communities. They divided and fragmented otherwise the united people of Somaliland. Now no body trusts any one as they don’t trust their gov’t! d) The trio annulled the institutions of the government. They are the chairmen of both houses Mr. Gaal, Mr Ero and the head of the government, Mr. Siilanyo! (Mr. Ero seems saying now: ‘Lo, I am clear of you, Mr. Gaal and Siilanyo. I fear Allah,’ I am with the people! the conscientious and the establishment A group of people whom some of them happened to be the founders of present day Somaliland became so concerned of the collapsing Somaliland and as a result of that they called for: Consultation, Cooperation, Corrections, Interdependence, unity, compromise and Common ground that means “Wadatashi, Skutashi, Waxwadalahaan, ISkaashi, iyo sixiteen wixii khaldan” the group is calling a national dialogue on all the above. What is wrong with that, I wonder! What is wrong is that the administration is all corrupt and wrong on many areas. The chairman of the Guurti and the President, Suleiman and Siilanyo respectively in person and through the Minister of interior and lately the 2nd chair person of the parliament rejected that broad based call of National dialogue by the Centre for Consultation and Corrections. The two above leaders forgot that Somaliland came to existence because of these very virtues they are rejecting now! When two top leaders of Somaliland government who happened to be the two oldest men in power show their apathy, displeasure of this call and reject Consultation and Corrections out right then they are saying: they don’t care! They are saying “we don’t condone ‘Wadatashi, Iskutashi, Wadajir, Waxwadalahaan” and the rest of it as mentioned above! I think what they are against is “Macroof” and what they are condoning is “Munkar”! Changing of the evil and evil doer (munkar) is (fard) obligatory on the Muslims. Allah has legislated, a method for the Muslim community to change munkar by obliging on the community to form a group from amongst them, which will work for the return of ‘Macruf’ Allah said: 'Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to the good enjoining the good (ma'ruf) and forbidding the evil (munkar). And it is they who are the successful'. [3:104] the definite order in this verse is directed towards the forming of a group from amongst the Muslims, which will invite the people to Good governance, to the unity of the people, to justice and to honesty. And I believe that is what the Centre of Consultation, Conflict Resolution and Corrections are trying to do. The chair man of the Guurti, Suliman and Siilanyo, the head of the government are against these Godly virtues, at least for now!! The question is that if we don’t want “Wadatashi, Skutashi, Waxwadalahaan, ISkaashi, iyo sixiteen wixii khaldan” then why every body is in Hargeisa and what are we doing there?! Milking the cow to the end?! The people who do the bidding of Siilanyo’s oligarchy government are “Munkar” mongers. They are either: 1- Ignorant and asleep and don’t know what is going on in the country, or they are 2- Victims of tribal loyalty who give their allegiance to their clan rather than to their country as the chairman of the Guurti exhibited lately, or they are 3- in the evil game with those who are in it to dismantle Somaliland Republic consciously or otherwise. A corrupt society is infested with Munkar, they attract evil doer or evil doer attracts them! They are like poles and they attract each other. In any case the two are like poles and when that is the case they attract each other. Good (doers) leaders attract good people and good people attract good leaders. They enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. The good society is the society of ‘Ma'roof’, ruled by the good doers even if the society is not devoid of evil and evil doers. And the not so good society is the society of Munker, ruled by evil doers. The later is where Somaliland is now, at least for now and that is what is happening in Siilanyo’s Somaliland. Allah (swt) said in (altawba-v71) the believers, man and woman, are of one another, they enjoin Al-Ma'ruf and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar…" In another verse, He says about the same society that there are hypocrites and the hypocrites, man and woman, are from one another, they enjoin (on the people) Al-Munkar and forbid (people) from Al-Ma'ruf" Many people believe that Somaliland of to day falls in to this second category, thus they ought to change of what is in themselves. They have to persuade the Siilanyo oligarchy government or they have to change the Munkar which is the oligarchy government of Siilanyo to avert not only people’s anger but to avert Allah’s rage (wcba) Why do some people choose one corrupt government after another? The consequences of their bad choices are painful and damaging for sure, yet those that engage in this crazy and repetitive behavior never seem to learn from the destructive experience they had, instead they go from one bad government to another, to another like Somaliland does! Traditional psychoanalytic theory offered an intriguing explanation for such self destructive choices. People who choose such corrupt entity must drive profit from the situation and they are like poles attracting each other in evilly However it is not possible that majority of the people can receive any pleasure consciously or otherwise from corruption and the divide and rule tactics the government ensues, they fall one destructive government after another with wolf in sheep’s clothing. Why? In Somaliland case it is all about two major things: a) Ignorance, b) and tribalism c) drivng profit from the situation goes with either a or b or it could stand by it self as c! It is a decisive request for the People to change the corrupt reality in which they live: If they do not do that Allah will punish them All irrespective of whether they were amongst those who committed the transgressions or not since they did not involve themselves with the obligation of sufficiency despite their ability to engage in change. Allah ordered the Muslims to work to change the (Munkar) corrupt rule. The greatest munkar is the corruption of the life of the Muslims resulting from the rule of a hypocritical, vicious and corrupt ruler and that is where Somaliland stands now! ‘Muslims are decisively requested to change any munkar, by hand and action, by the tongue and speech, and by the heart and aversion depending on their ability. It is that duty bound. Allah ordered the Muslims to work to change it and He has made the work for change an obligation of sufficiency (fard 'ala al-kifaya). He said: 'Verily! “Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change what is within themselves”. [13:11] Thus, it has become one of the laws of the universe, which Allah has created. This law demands that people work for change as a community where change is due and essentially necessary and become indispensable to safe the community until Allah changes what is within themselves. And Allah (saw) said: 'any people amongst whom sins are committed, and they could change them but they did not (change), Allah will be about to bring a punishment which envelopes all.' It is a decisive request for the community to change the corrupt reality in which it lives. If they do not do that Allah will punish them all irrespective of whether they were amongst those who committed the transgressions or not since they did not involve themselves with the obligation of sufficiency despite their ability to engage in change. And there is a munkar in Somaliland which no individual on his own can change but the collective community could, and they must change before it is too late by way of dialogue, compromise and common ground. About the Authors: The author expressed his opinion in this paper for the following reasons: a) To shed light some basic and prevailing facts in a dangerous situation where a country of a conscientious people must never be there. b) To call the leadership to change what is in them selves as Allah stipulated in his Quran to avert His anger and the disappointments and anger of their people for they did wrong, and they insisted on that wrong. c) The people must not stand by when the administration deviated from the right path, they must call the attention of the government to come back to sense even when they deny and resist that they are not doing any wrongs, as they are doing now. They must tell them to do better than what they are doing. d) The author has respect to the three top leaders Sulieman, Ero and Siilanyo. That is said, we have to tell the truth some times. Allah said: “Allah shy not to tell the truth” I hope people take this as an observation from a patriotic and a veteran who spent his life, means, financially and otherwise and time for the survival of Somaliland and the establishment of the 2nd Republic of Somaliland. The author started the liberation struggle long before SNM came to existence. He was one of the first people in Gabiley who supported the establishment of “Afraad” front in 1978 and financially supported that movement which fought against The Siayd Barre’s injustice and dictatorship for over three years alone before SNM was established. “Afraad” became the cell and base of the Military wing of SNM in 1982. The author held the following positions in SNM organization: Member of Jubal Executive Committee Vice chairman of the 1987 SNM Congress in Harrar, Ethiopia Deputy Chair and secretary of the intervention committee of nine of 1988 Siilanyo/Central Committee deadlock) The author wishes all the best and good luck for the people and the country of Somaliland. The author also hopes that the present leaders of Somaliland to listen to their people, act upon the feed back and change their behavior and attitude accordingly. We are all in one boat and that is Somaliland. Let us all safeguard. Protect and advance Somaliland. Let us be UNITED once again. “yadullaahi macal jamaaca” Allah is with the united people in good cause. Allah blesses Somaliland and the people of Somaliland and all those striving for peace and tranquility in Somaliland and the peninsula as a whole However peace and prayers Ibrahim M Mead