Hargeysa’s Luqmatul-Xajar

By Dugsiiye

It is hard to believe that the people of Hargeisa seventeen years after the break away still don’t get it. The simple meaning of confederacy has become a rocket science to the people of Hargeisa. It has become too difficult for the people in the capital of Somaliland to understand the fact that the nation was formed in confederacy. A confederacy of tribes united by a league based on understanding, caring and sharing with a vision of nation building and advancement.

In simple Somali terms; Wadaagoo Walaalo isjecel… What is so hard about that? Simple beautiful three words that is easy to remember, easy to say and easy to implement. These three words have become a nuclear science to understand and a Luqmatul Xajar to swallow to the people of Hargeisa.

The government of Rayale should have taken the extra mile and educate the public of Hargeisa about the importance of understanding the principal mutual sharing of the tribes united in the league so that they put in their minds that everything in Somaliland belongs to Somalilanders and that people are equal in the eye of the government.  

One way President Rayale could have helped the people of Hargeisa would have been to make the beautiful three words mandatory to be sung in the schools and in the government offices every morning. And why not, Afwayne in his reign of terror forced the people to know by heart and sing “Guul Wade Siyaad…” every morning. I bet every body in Hargeisa knew and used to sing. Singing “Wadaagoo Walaalo Isjecel” every morning could have worked well for the people of Hargeisa simply because of its symbolic association and could have taught them that nothing belongs to them and the fact that the bottom line of the confederation is sharing, loving and caring each other. Again in simple Somali terms; “Wadaagoo Walaalo isjecel…” would have eliminated the selfishness notion from their hearts.
 

Sorry Mr. President it is now too late to mandate the lovely words to the old folks, your cabinet in particular because as they say you can not teach old dogs new tricks. But you can mandate the knowing and singing of “Wadaagoo Walaalo is jecel” by heart to the schools in Hargeisa so that they grew up with it and practice in real life later on unlike the old selfish folks of the present Hargeisa.

Unlike the Hargeisa people, Awdal people are an open, pluralist and understanding society. Awdalians have always accepted cultural diversity and the enrichment it brings. Unlike the people of Hargeisa, they have, moreover, long considered it an advantage to identify with both Awdal and Somaliland, thereby being citizens of a multi-tribal state. Surely if the people of Hargeisa are like their counter parts of Borama, Somaliland would have become a better place of honesty and prosperity.

 It is obvious to every Somaliland citizen that Hargeisa’s selfishness and its attitude of everything is mine is threatening to strangle the supposedly new democracy. In Hargeisa there is no understanding of mutual sharing, no understanding of a clear definition of property rights, no practice of a genuine democracy, and no respect for the confederacy act and no sense of mutual interest. This created selfishness and greediness among particular confederacy partners and hence; from the deepest desires of these elements came the deadliest hate towards Awdal.

It is apparent that Hargeisa-ism is deforming and destroying the personality to make Somaliland governable. They have become morally ill because they have become accustomed to saying one thing (Somaliland) and thinking another (Isaaqland). As is known, in the absence of morality in the human heart, naked Democracy is not enough. In the same token, it must be understood that in the absence of moral renewal in Hargeisa, Somaliland confederacy cannot take root and flourish.

We should also know before “xeedho iyo fandhaal kala dhicin“, if the people of Hargeisa – the capital of the Republic – don’t develop the moral tradition, Somaliland has no future. And if the term “Wadaagoo Walaalo isjecel” is hard to be understood and implemented in the capital of Somaliland, then there will never be democracy and where there is no democracy there is nothing but backwardness and frustration.

It is a fact that hatred is the madness of the heart and this has been demonstrated by the people of Hargeisa towards Awdal several times.

Xoogaa aan falanqayno kibirka buka ee reer Hargeysa:

We all remember how the people of that city treated the Awdal youth athletes last year in the regional games held in Hargeisa. The beating of our youth, the bashing of the Gadabursi tribe, the shouting, the abuse, the stoning of who ever looked Awdalian, the primitive bad manners showed etc. are all in our hearts. That was all because of selfishness and the Hargeisa attitude of my way or no way. But as good civilized people as we are, we all forgave and believed them when we were told that the incident was an isolated one.

Samir qabe Alaa u sahanee, we were lied to and that appeared out of place last Monday when the so called “Rig affair” exposed. The desires and the kibir of the people of Hargeisa once again could not hide the deadliest hate towards Awdal. They demonstrated and ran every ways like crazy wolves bashing Borama and Awdal as usual.

But this was different affair. Awdal had nothing to do with their anger. It was just pure hate to Awdal and its people. It was just a matter of a rig which Borama didn’t even know about. Imagine if the wells dug by the rig were black gold (Petrol). Do you think those same people would have shared the wealth with Borama? I don’t think so.

Miyayna waxaasi gardaro cadaana ahayn? Isn’t that exerting the Hargeisa hatred towards Awdal?

To add insult to the wound, the minister of interior of Somaliland tried to do some damage control and talked to the people. Imagine sick heart appeasing sick hearts. He spoke his heart and beat about the bush.

This is what he said:

“Dadka si qaldanbaa wax loogu sheegay, Riiga Boorama lama geynayn ee Gabiley baa loo waday!”
In other words, it is like saying; cool down people, the Rig belongs to you and was not going anywhere but to your cousins.

Amazing!!!

Obviously the minister has gone through a metamorphosis that turned him into an arrogant, irresponsible official. What he said in the BBC also demonstrated his arrogance and irresponsibility transmitted through a self-induced case of foot-in-the-mouth disease. He showed that he is just another Awdal-phobic tribalist caught in his own hypocrisy. Clearly what he said was dramatic to his sick people that demonstrated and the likes. But the supposedly minister is obviously out of touch and does not know how many thousands he dismayed.

Kuraas biiris baan filaayee, diidmo rig baa lasocdaa….Waa cajiib.

 Conclusion:

I here by conclude by my famous sentences. It is obvious to us all that things are getting from bad to worse year after year. It is my personal opinion and I believe that I am hardly alone in my thinking; it is time for Awdal to take a tough stand. We had enough with the methods of quite diplomacy and muted appeasement. These degrading schools of thought have clearly failed us. Seventeen years of unleveled play ground is enough. It is time for us to demand a fair game. It is our duty to protect our rights and demand our share of the resources. We can not allow humiliation by the share holders and let them have a mouthful bite while we watch on the sidelines It is time to wake up and correct our mistakes. It is time to think Awdalland and we have every right to decide for our destiny.

Wa bilaahi towfiiq.

Stay tuned for the next article titled: Salal Gate ….

 Suleiman Abdi Dugsiye

Ottawa