Protests & Deaths in the Republic of Somaliland SCREAM newspapers
Edna Idris
8/16/2022
The Republic of Somaliland, a sovereign, independent nation, seeking re-recognition is located in the HoA. It is well known for its Berbera port, its breathtaking Laas Geel Caves, its ability to maintain peace and democracy, its extraordinary feat of keeping terrorism at bay, and its friendly people flushed with integrity.
Newspapers across the world went ablaze with the news that anti government protests scheduled for 8/11/22, caused the deaths of 5 protesters and injured 89 policemen (preliminary count). Are protests anomalies, are they unheard of, are they not practiced in democratic countries? Why have these protests in a non recognized country cause for such commotion? Is the world truly worried for the Republic of Somaliland, is it afraid that this oasis of peace in one of the world’s volatile regions might implode? That another country like Somalia, rife with terrorism and aid dependent would be created? That cannot be the case, the world did not come to the Republic of Somaliland’s aid during the recent Waheen fire that devastated one of its bustling markets. 2 billion or more was estimated to have been lost, small business owners, women especially, suffered the bulk of the loss.
These negative news storm should solely be blamed on Somalia, a country hellbent on destroying the Republic of Somaliland. Somalia is unable to withstand the ridicule it is subjected to by the international community on its inability to govern itself. It is one of the highest recipients of aid in the world, many countries are involved in maintaining its security, but yet it has let Al Shabab proliferate beyond its borders. The president of Uganda, Mr. Museveni recently reprimanded it for not being responsible for its own security.
Somalia cannot stand that the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland, shackled to non recognition for 31 years, and under occupation for another 30, has outperformed it mightily, and all this with minimal external support. It also quests to get its hands on the resources of the Republic of Somaliland, it misses the day it drained Somaliland of its resources, while subjugating the majority indigenous tribe, the Isaaq, culminating in the Isaaq genocide and the final solution campaign of 1988-89.
The Republic of Somaliland has become the sacrificial lamb in which Somalia is to be rehabilitated. The international community has worked tirelessly to rebuild Somalia in its image. The EU’s well known integration program has seen to the rise of subversive Somalian activities in that country. The UN since 1991 has tried to coerce this country back to Somalia, it withstood the pressure. The majority population, the Isaaq tribe, has unequivocally resisted another mention of unity. The brutal genocide they suffered under Somalia still ingrained in their minds, the indifference of the world at large during and after their suffering not lost on them.
Imagine if this Republic falls into the hands of Somalia?! The world has seen the ugly side of terrorism, are they willing to let another country proximal to Somalia be turned into another terror haven? What about Ethiopia and Djibouti? Their borders with Somaliland are closely monitored and protected from terrorist infiltration by the Somaliland troops. Visualize Al Shabab seizing Berbera, would they join forces with the Houthi rebels in Yemen? What would happen to the ships passing through the bab-al,mandeb strait, and the piracy that have been kept at bay from this Republic’s waters? Would these protesting youth be easy prey for extremism? Why isn’t Africa sensing this danger, does it believe it wound survive scathe free? The rest of the world, would they withstand the inconvenience of delayed cargo and oil? Does the IC deserve the Republic of Somaliland?
The IC still runs on the erroneous notion that Somalis are homogenous and would be able to build a cohesive state with time. Didn’t they learn from the unprecedented collapse of the illegal Somali Republic? Are they not learning from the current situation in Somalia? The IC has blatantly misled their tax payers, for in Somalia 30% of the population are not of Somali ethnicity. They have been forced to assimilate, they are declined power, they are majority IDPs, and they suffer the most cruel of crimes. Somalia today is on Genocide watch, and have committed other Genocides on these same marginalized groups. The IC has always been silent. Isn’t it time the taxpayers that foot Somalia’s bill start asking questions? Will Somalia be the next Afghanistan?
Social media and multiple news outlets went abuzz with the news of the Republic of Somaliland protests. Why would governments and citizens of recognized countries hold this country to such high standards? Why put so much pressure on a country without recognition for 31 years. Are not these allowed to express their frustration? Is this country an experiment for the IC, the hypothesis being: A country can survive without recognition and without external support indefinitely.
As mentioned earlier, Somalia and its citizens are the major hindrance to the progress of the Republic of Somaliland. They utilize propaganda tactics that they inherited from their former dictator Siad Barre. Their fascist background has made them savvy in decimating false news. They have circulated fake videos of occurrences elsewhere attributing them these protests. The damage they cause is irreversible. Somalia is revealed to have hired propagandists, and to utilize bots to propagate falsehoods against its number one enemy, The Republic of Somaliland. No action has been taken against it. This show of restraint might be interpreted as weakness.
Omar Faruk, a Mogadishu based reporter, has published on these protests in multiple news outlets. His recycled work can be found in the Associated press (8/11/22), In Liverpool City Champion, In Camden-Naremalla Advertiser’s, in the Titus Ville herald, in the Independent Tribune, in the Magnet and numerous others. He goes on to mislead the world by asserting that the Republic of Somaliland is Somalia. Wouldn’t his time have be better spent illuminating to the world the dysfunction of his country, the rampant corruption that has completely destroyed Somalia down to its fundamental core? Or is he a beneficiary of that country’s utter failure? Somalia’s children suffer child labor, they are sexually assaulted by security forces, the Somalia National Army and Al Shabab, he never publishes these stories in multiple news publications. His hypocrisy wondrous.
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There are a million more Omar Faruk’s out there. They do not miss an opportunity to discredit the Republic of Somaliland, a country that has opened its doors to Somalia’s citizens fleeing unrest . Somalians buy houses there, their children attend schools and universities without paying international fees, they own businesses, and they enter the country without visas. This lenient approach is frowned upon by those who believe that country will fall to the subversive tactics of Somalia, this number is growing. The government seems to be lulled to sleep by internal politics fueled by its hostile next door neighbor. The Interior minister Mohamed Kahin announced that 11 men from Somalia, were caught in Hargeysa the capital, and are now being interrogated. They were allegedly planning to exacerbate the protests by killing attendees. Omar Faruk left this detail out.
Another reason Somalia is hostile towards the Republic of Somaliland is for it has not been held accountable for the Isaaq Genocide unleashed on the Isaaq tribe in the 1980s. The perpetrators of this genocide live comfortable lives in Europe and the USA. Kurtin, named in the UN report is said to be residing in Kenya. Colonel Anjex who killed 46 people in Mogadishu, at Jazira beach is in Italy. During the Isaaq Genocide, the USA and many other countries like Libya coddled Somalia with money, weapons and advanced military training. Today it is one of the highest recipients of aid in the world, although it is among the top exporters of terrorism across the globe. Somalia just installed a well known terrorist, once listed on America’s Most Wanted terror list, Mukhtar Robow as its religious leader. He vows to bring Somalis together on the basis of religion. The IC looks on, business as usual.
Many Somalians with nostalgia remember the easy days they had indulging in Isaaq wealth. During the 1980s,military personnel used to requests for transfers to the north (current Rep. Of Somaliland). Here with impunity, they would detain the Isaaq tribe, and ask for bribes. Berbera port, and the Republic of Somaliland livestock industry were the bread basket of the Somali republic. Somalians miss their control of these two major revenue generating entities. Italy during its colonization of Somalia, lamented that Somalia had not much resources to extract. Somalians know this although they have effectively sold to the trusting citizens of the Republic of Somaliland the opposite.
Are protests rare, don’t democratic citizens use this right to show displeasure with how an administration is running a country? In Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, the UK, and the US to name a few, protests over Covid restrictions, and killings of black people (USA) have rocked the news nonstop. They have been violent and deaths and casualties reported. In the USA in particular, innocent civilians are often gunned down by disgruntled young men, or right wing extremists. Their status at the top has not diminished. Why the double standard?
The aforementioned countries are recognized, they are much older democracies, they are much wealthier and they carry the stature of the label developed. Why then this uproar over protests in this poor, non-recognized African country. Why should the Republic of Somaliland tow the line of the International community? This country has been shown nothing more but disregard. Its track record of upholding peace and democracy with little is not given much thought, G’erard Prunier a French historian once stated Somaliland needs to be naughtier to gain traction. Its good standard of governance doesn’t seem to attract the flaky and sensational news seekers of the world . The government of the Republic of Somaliland must take a tougher stance on those who deliberately paint that country in a unwarranted dark light. People like Omar Faruk should be designated persona non grata.
Patrick Heinisch, an economic researcher, in Africa in particular, shares his dismay on Twitter. “This is not the #Somaliland I got to know 4 years ago.” I wonder if Mr. Heinisch has ever advocated for the lifting off of the unfair, arbitrary economic embargo on the citizens of the Republic of Somaliland. The bulk of the protesters are youth with minimal opportunities. Would Germany have withstood not being recognized for 31 years after being occupied for 30? Hargeysa is dubbed the “Dresden of Africa referencing the complete obliteration of that city by Somalia in 1988. I thought someone like Patrick Heinish would be restrained in his thoughts. Germany after world war II enjoyed a big chunk of the Marshall Plan designated for European countries by the USA (173 billion in today’s monetary value).
George Anderson, another Twitter user, an avid supporter of Hassan Sheikh, the IC installed president of Somalia, shared his disdain over the protests in the Republic of Somaliland. He tweeted “Dear SOMALILANDERS if you can’t organise yourself peacefully and democratically, then the WORLD is not ready to RECOGNISE you.” Mr. Anderson is disparaging a country that built itself from scratch, a country that was obliterated, a country under occupation for 30 years, a country that has maintained the security of many countries with its meagre resources. What gave Mr. Anderson this sense of entitlement? He has never called for the unrecognition of Somalia, a country that has failed in almost all aspects, a country that is a danger to the world. The Republic of Somaliland must remember its rights and duties under the Montevideo convention. It is imperative it behaves like a sovereign country under international law.
The Republic of Somaliland is held to a much higher standard than many countries in the world, regardless of its non recognized status, and its brutal suffering in the past. That country has not been awarded genocide credit like Rwanda has, I argue the Isaaq genocide if revealed, would shock the world to its core. Imagine lifeless, discarded children laying in a field because they were used as blood banks (Nazi Germany style). Imagine infants being beheaded, imagine male children with electrocuted testicles. The horrors of the Isaaq genocide cannot be grasped by the human psyche. The United Nations and the rest of the world mock the UN charter of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) by denying the citizens of the Republic of Somaliland their basic human rights. Are they implying only recognized people deserve these inherent rights?
Protests over elections happen everywhere in the world, the world’s ‘greatest” democracy the USA, was rocked to the core when insurrectionists stormed the USA capitol on January, 6th 2021. They were protesting Biden’s win over Trump for the presidency. The world glued to the TV looked on in horror. It has been reported that subversive Russian, Iran, China and North Korea tactics were at play. The Republic of Somaliland with its meagre resources, its lax borders and its generous policies towards migrants from Somalia, is bound to fail via the subversive tactics of Somalia if it doesn’t act quickly.
Conclusion:
The Republic of Somaliland should be hailed for upholding democracy for 31 years with minimal resources. Why should its protests be made to obscure its feats? What other country under arbitrary economic embargo with a majority youth population, would have sustained peace for so long? These protests that saw to the deaths of 5 protesters and 89 wounded policemen (counts not definitive), should be a waking call for the current administration. Have the citizens’ patience run thin? These youth protesters know nothing about what their parents suffered under the brutality of the illegal Somali republic. Even here, this country has failed its youth by not teaching on their history. The Republic of Somaliland has great history darkened only by the 30 years under Somalia’s occupation.
References:
German Covid protests turn nasty in row over rules and vaccinations (By Jenny Hill, BBC Berlin Correspondent)
Crowds assembled in Central Copenhagen on Saturday to protest against a controversial virus law & Denmark’s plan to create so called “corona passports’ 28 March 2021
The New York Times: A partial list of mass shootings in the United States, Dec 2022
Protests against Germany’s Covid restrictions turn violent as Europe moves to stem omicron, Dec 28, 2021
Naval War College Review, Autumn 1993 Vol.43, No.4 (Autumn 1990), pp 6-30, U.S Naval War College Press
AU Fact Finding Mission to Somaliland (30 April -4th may 2005)
Cavanough: Edward “I lost everything’: Somaliland market fire upturns life, economy: Al Jazeera, 26 April 2
Jr. Gray. L. Albert, The Economy of the Somali Democratic Republic in the 1980s
Mburu, Chris: Past Human Rights Abuses in Somalia, December 2001
Genocide Watch: Somalia-genocidewatch