Comments by warfa

Not a thought-provoking piece, I am afraid to say. Just to be a bit pedantic, Djibouti is not ethnically Somali. The Afar, racially related to the Somalis, also share it, though admittedly a minority. The depiction of so-called "Somaliland" is an insult to most Somalis. Most of the area you mark as Somaliland are inhabited by clans that do not want to be called Somaliland or to be associated with the secession declared by one clan in the area, obviously enjoying tacit support from the former colonial power Britain and it seems from the Economist.

Too much fanfare is being made for this election. But it should be remembered that this was an election which was confined to one clan in the NW region of Somalia. The Darood clans who inhabit in the regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn had nothing to do with this election and are sworn to Somalia's unity. Any recognition to one clan will not only pour oil on Somalia's already troubled waters but would be a dangerous precedent for Somalia itself and the rest of Africa.

Finally, the Economist continues to equate the secessionist enclave inhabited by one clan as conflating with the whole of former British Somaliland, when the Darood clans in the eastern and southern part of the territory are unionists. Once can only surmise which side the Economist is on.

Why need a correspondent. You seem to know everything about the continent.

Al Shabaab can only thank USA and Ethiopia for its birth and for its control of most of Southern and Southern Somalia in a relatively short time. No one has ever heard of them before until the American support for the warlords in 2006 and their subsequent backing for Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia and occupation of the capital Mogadishu in January 2007. Under the current circumstances, no amount of support to “president” Sheikh Sheriff and his phantom transitional government will fix Somalia’s intractable crisis.

Most of the leaders and fighters of Al Shabaab are ironically from the north of Somalia, notably Somaliland, an area Westerners love to call a rare oasis of peace in an otherwise turbulent Somalia. It might be so outwardly, but, in the eyes of Al Shabaab, it has committed two unforgivable sins: first it declared secession in 1991; and secondly it allowed itself to be an Ethiopian vassal. Al Shabaab has been behind a number of suicide bombings in both Somaliland and Puntland, another northern self-autonomous region also seen as another Ethiopian Bantustan. Since Ethiopia is unlikely to keep its dirty hands out of Somalia, it is only a matter of time before Al Shabaab extends its control to both Somaliland and Puntland. Only then, in a united and liberated Somalia, will Al Shaab’s downfall begin.That is why Soamalis are prepared to put up with their pain because the alternative is worse.

Having got carte blanch from the USA, Israeli leaders, politicians and their public have come to believe that they can do whatever they want in the occupied territories- dispossess the poor Palestinians and the rest of the world can go to hell for all they care. The worst part of it is that the Israelis think they are in the right and everyone else is wrong.That mentality will not change unless there is change in Washington towards Israel and unless the Arabs put their act together and face Israel as a united front. Neither of these prospects is likely to happen now or in the near future. And so the creeping colonisation goes on and all we can offer is moral outrage as if that matters to Israel.

All decent Somalis (and most of them are) would condemn and dissociate themselves from what Al Shabaab is doing in their name. But they also detest Western moral double standards as typified by this article. Ethiopian occupation forces in Somalia, funded by the USA and enjoying overall western support, have killed tens of thousands of innocent Somalis in Mogadishu. Worst things have happened and continue to happen in the Ogaden where Ethiopia fascist forces have unleashed a scorched earth policy aimed at suppressing the Ogaden people. There have been little outcry from the Economist in all these atrocities against the Somali people, whether in Somalia or the Ogaden. The fact that the Economist warns of a possible USA collective punishment on the long suffering Somali people for the crimes of Al Shabaab speaks voumes of the West's selective moral stances.

Meles Zenewi admittedly has two has faces. Only the mad-up positive one is available for his gullible admirers in the West. The people in Ethiopia don’t need the Economist to know his other abominable face. They live by it and suffered through all these years. None of the much-vaunted progress on the Economic front will make up for his brutal dictatorial excess in Ethiopia and in particular in the Ogaden. His imperialistic adventures in Somalia, initially at th behest of the USA, might have endeared him to his paymasters and diverted attention at home towards the parts of the Empire that most Ethiopian highlanders hear little or care less. But in the end, it could dig his political grave. Britain’s Tony Blair was mainly responsible for pampering Meles Zenewi and parading him as the so-called new African renaissance. What renaissance- my foot!

Meles Zenewi admittedly two has faces. Only the mad-up positive one is available for ahis gullible admirers in the West. The people in Ethiopia don’t need the Economist to know his other abominable face. They live by it and suffered after all these years. None of the much-vaunted progress on the Economic front will make up for his brutal dictatorial excess in Ethiopia and in particular in the Ogaden. His imperialistic adventures in Somalia, initially at th behest of the USA, might have endeared him to his paymasters and diverted attention at home towards the parts of the Empire that most Ethiopian highlanders hear little or care less. But in the end, it could dig his political grave. Britain’s Tony Blair was mainly responsible for pampering Meles Zenewi and parading his as the so-called new African renaissance. What renaissance- my foot!

ReigalWhen someone harms your people,as Somaliland did to the Ogadens, and the Ogadens retaliate on Somaliland's commercial business, you do not see the link? It is not flattering on your part!!

ReigalWhy don't you admit that if it was wrong for the ONLF to burn trucks, then it was even more wrong for Somaliland to abduct innocent Ogaden residents in Hargeisa and hand them over to the Ethiopian security? And do you agree that if Hargeisa did not start it, the ONLF would not have retaliated?.

ReigalOn the surface of it, one is struck by the contradicting positions you present at this forum. On the one hand, you are crusading for the secession of your clan for no other reason than that you want to be your own master in your own little corner in Somalia and not subordinate to the will of a national Somali government in which you are equal to other clans. But at the same, you would oppose a liberated free Ogaden who has a better claim to independence than your clan on historical grounds. Where as your clan, like the rest of the clans in former British Somaliland, freely chose to unite with their brethren in Italian Somaliland in July 1960, the Ogaden was forcibly given away by Britain to Ethiopia against their will and its status has always been that of an occupied colony although successive Ethiopian governments have denied it. The misfortune of the Ogaden is that they are colonised by a fellow black African country (Ethiopia). If the coloniser was instead a European, it would have been a different matter altogether But there is a good reason untold by you why you do not want a free independent Ogaden. This will only support those who argue, including Ethiopia, that allowing one region or clan in any African country will open a Pandora Box which could threaten the territorial unity and stability of almost all black African countries. That is why you see th Ogaden quest for independence as negatively impacting on your case to secede from Somalia. That makes sense. But as I said above, the Ogaden, as an Ethiopian colony, has a better historical ground for independence. And that is why they will succeed and you fail.

T.YossefYou said that no one in Ethiopia wants to dismember Somalia. Surely, you are only speaking for yourself. There are many Ethiopians who do want to dismember Somalia. If they can't do that outright, the least they want to do is to fragment Somalia into Bantustans such as Somaliland and Puntlad, and others. This is what Meles Zenewi has been doing since 1991. They see this as the best way to stave off the achievement of Greater Somalia You decry any Somali help to the Ogadnis struggling against your country's century old colonisation of the territory. They are entitled to as much support form their brethren in Somalia and elsewhere in the world as other former colonised people received during their struggle for independence. Both Eritrea and the Ogaden came to be part of the Ethiopian empire through colonial conquest with the connivance of the British and the West. And so, the Ogadenis are doing nothing more than what others did such as the Eritrean, and they are entitled to receive support from any sympathetic quarter and above all from their fellow Somalis across the artificial border.

The Economist portrays a dismal future for Somalia only because the invader, Ethiopia, has been forced by gallant Somali insurgents to leave Somalia with their tails between their legs. Far from the doom and gloom you predict, a new dawn is awaiting us,if only the USA and their agents would leave us left in peace to sort out our problems.Further western destabilisation can only delay this outcome but can not thwart it for over

ReigalLike an old former ex-colonial functionary who used to (and still do) see African nations purely in tribal terms, you too see the events in Somalia purely through the same prism.I have noticed how you always inject in your contributions the spectre of irreconcilable clan confrontations in Southern Somalia between the Hawiye and the Darood clans, always casting the Hawiye as the one enjoying your empathy. Much of the doom you predict will happen may or may not take place. But it is quite clear how much you cherish its happening. This is similar to those Westerners who portray Zimbabwe as a failed state and wish more disaster to the extent it might accelerate the demise of President Mugabe. Similarity could be drawn between ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf of Somalia and President Mugabe. Both are dictators for whom the end (keeping power) justifies the means. Mr. Yusuf has done what no other African leader had done- resign, though realistically this was forced upon him rather than voluntary. The important thing is that Somalia is at cross roads. With the Ethiopians forced to leave Somalia, a new window of opportunity presents itself that the Somalis weary of 20 years of conflict, of no government and deprivations, will at last come together in a spirit of give and take and revive their state. What makes you Reigal take a very negative death wish for Somalia is that you cynically believe that what is bad for Somalia is good for Somaliland. Of course, you not an ex-colonial renegade but you certainly exhibit their caricature of a typical African- one who can not see beyond his nose, totally blinded by the clan obsession.

ReigalLike an old ex-colonial functionary who seeS African nations purely in tribal terms, you too observe the events in Somalia purely through the same prism.I have noticed how you always gratuitously inject in your contributions the spectre of irreconcilable clan confrontations in Southern Somalia between the Hawiye and others, always casting the Hawiye as the one enjoying your empathy and egging them for the fight. Much of the doom you predict will happen in Somalia may or may not take place. But it is quite clear how much you cherish its happening. This is similar to those Westerners who portray Zimbabwe as a failed state and wish her more disaster,regardless of its consequences for the suffering masses,so long as this might hasten the demise and fall of President Mugabe. Similarity could be drawn between ex-President Abdullahi Yusuf of Somalia and President Mugabe. Both are dictators for whom the end (keeping power)justifies the means. Give the devil his due and Mr. Yusuf has done what no other African leader had done- resign, though realistically this was forced upon him rather than voluntary. All same, African leaders would rather fight to a finish rather than leave office in a dignified manner, and that is what Abdullahi Yusuf did. The important thing is that Somalia is at cross roads. With the Ethiopians forced to leave Somalia, a new window of opportunity presents itself enabling the Somalis - weary of 20 years of conflict, of no government and deprivations- to come together at last in a spirit of give and take and revive their state. What makes you Reigal take a very negative death wish for Somalia like an ex-colonial, is that you cynically believe that Somalia is doomed and that what is bad for Somalia is good for Somaliland. Of course, are certainly not an ex-colonial renegade but you certainly exhibit their perception of a typical African- one who can not see beyond his nose, totally blinded by clan obsession.

Reigal I would like to invite you to visit Sool, Sanaag and Cayn as our guest. The objective of the visit is twofold: first, to expose you to the brotherly traditional hospitality of our people to our brothers to the north of us. Secondly, it will be a learning mission that hopefully will open your eyes to the reality on the ground and dispel all the false fantasies you hold about our people being pro secession. This guided tour will give you all the facts. Hopefully,after your visit, you will come back to this forum again never talking about the need for a referendum. That, of course, is our hope, unless you are a diehard, incorrigibly blinded to the reality which perhaps most of you secessionists are.

EmpressYou continue to churn out the same disconnected platitudes and hogwash. It is not worth responding anymore to your racist hate-mongering- the trade mark of your country..

Empress TrudyDriven perhaps by your Islamophobia, you cast the Palestinians, Somalis and Sudanese as “utterly incapable of reasonable self rule and a functioning civil society and economy”. What utter ignorance!! The common denominator among these peoples is not what Empress alleges but that they are Muslims struggling with injustices wrought upon them by the West. The poor Palestinians had been robbed of their national homeland in 1948 in order to make way for the survivors of the Haulcost, at a time when the West was eager to atone for their crimes against the Jews and saw the Palestinians as dispensable. How can a people who had been always occupied, never allowed by Israel and its supporters to exercise their right to self determination and self-rule, be accused, as Empress does, of being incapable of self rule?As for Sudan, it is a prosperous, functioning polity by any standard. The secessionist problems in the South and Darfur had been deliberately engineered and encouraged by the West as a punishment for a government seen as independent and Islamist. Somalia has been a stable and relatively well run country from independence in 1960 to 1991 when the military government of that time was toppled, giving way to a civil war and a failed state to the present time. Somalia is not the only country to have had prolonged civil war. It is the height of naivety to expect normality in a state going civil war. Sooner or later, Somalia will emerge from its civil war and take its rightful place among nations. The only thing Empress had shed light on is his brazen Islamophobia

HaPresumably taking Mahadhe and the the rest of us participating in the Readers Comment forum as coming from Somalia, you advised by saying:“focus on what is good for you people: try to create for your people a functioning state that ensures their safety.” Thanks for the advice. This is precisely what many of us are doing. What you do not seem to have grasped is that we do indeed come from Somalia and more precisely from the North West region of Somalia, which you consider as a separate country by the name of Somaliland. Not only are we from the North West region, but we belong to the regions of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn, regions and peoples you think you own as part of your God given patrimony. As if that was not bad enough, you threaten us to “rain hell upon [us] and [our] misled folks” if we challenge your misguided secession. This is bravado typical from where you come. We, from the SSC regions, will never succumb to your treacherous act and if it comes to a fight, and it will, so be it. Arm chair warriors high on Qaad can thunder as much as they want to, but when it comes to the test, they are no match for the sons of the Daraawiish. That has been historically the case and nothing has changed. Secession will be defeated.Mark my word

ReigalObjectivity and the truth are always the first casualties of the secessionist pursuit to hoodwink international public opinion,. True to this mindset, here is Reigal casting everybody in the South as baddies and his own Isaaq clan in the North as the personification of good and the darling to be accosted by the West. His peace is notable not for what he chooses to say, but what he misconstrues or what he deliberately leaves out because he considers it as a blemish to the image they projected about his clan, the Isaaq. About the new leader of AL Shabab, this is what he says:“In fact Al-Shabab's supreme leader or Emir as they call him is a shadowy figure called Abdi Godane, an Al-Qaeda veteran who fought in Afghanistan and Yemen. He is not a Hawiye either”. ¨¨What he deliberately left out is mention is the clan of this leader. He has mentioned the clan of others, so why not this one; Why this selective clan revelations? Simple. Those he mentioned their clans are non Isaaqs and those he did not are from the Isaaq. What Reigal does not wish to disclose is that Abdi Godane, the new Al Shabab leader, is from the north, and more precisely from his Isaaq clan.In a similar manner, Reigal rightly lambastes what he calls “barbarous ruler of Kismayo port who recently ordered the stoning of the 13 year old rape victim comes from the far North Puntland or Somaliland remains unclear”. Surprise then that the all-knowing Reigal is unable to find out from which of these regions the Al Shabab Kismayo leader comes from. Needless to say, he comes once again from the Isaaq clan in the North As has been pointed out by other readers, Reigal and his secessionist lot exhibit Apartheid like outlook towards other people. His reference to the Rahanwein, as a “clan most Hawiyes consider semi-untouchable” is a typical example. What nonsense!! Reigal is imposing his superiority hangover to the South. Fortunately, such peculiar perceptions are alien to the South.Reigal believes that in Somalia “clan is everything - far more influential than Allah or Islam”. Surely, you are only speaking for yourself.Finally, the Economist should desist from portraying the whole of former British Somaliland as subscribing to the secession. Only the Isaaq clan do so. There are a is less than 30 percent of northern Somalia or Somaliland as they call it. Those of us in this region, coming from the other four clans, take great objection to being depicted by the Economist as secessionists. We are part and parcel of Somalia. Please take note.