| Front Page |
Somaliland Under Attack
By, Bashir Goth, Abu Dhabi, UAE
It is not easy to be a Somalilander these days. One cannot believe that when we have just begun to recover from the shock of the brutal assassination of Dr. Annalena Tonelli in Borama, that another gruesome killing of humanitarian workers has taken place in the town of Sheikh. It seems that not even a river of tears can wash away our shame.
It is true that we have cried, vented away our anger and frustration through demonstrations, poured out our hearts through heartfelt condolences and condemnations and lived on the hope that with time the disgrace will go away and the international community will understand our plight and our misfortune.
We have tried to convince the world community and ourselves that there was no conspiracy involved in Tonelli’s killing and that it was an isolated case of a mentally deranged man that brought us shame. The world community has sympathized with us. The wound was beginning to heal.
Now with the killing of Richard Eyeington, 62, headmaster of the Sheikh Secondary School, and his wife Enid, 61, two British teachers and a married couple who chose to spend the remaining years of their life to educate young generation of Somalilanders, in the town of Sheikh, one feels helpless, devastated and betrayed. It is now obvious, however, that Somaliland is under attack. One may not be able to point the finger at a particular enemy, but no Somalilander should doubt that there is a huge a conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the only oasis of peace until now in the Somali peninsula. Those who would like to do harm to Somaliland are many, but to identify them one may only ask who would benefit from the collapse of peace and security in Somaliland. It may be easier to answer this question with only more questions such as:
1- Why such crimes are committed at this particular time when Somaliland has launched an active diplomatic campaign to sell its case to the world and when the Somali reconciliation conference in Nairobi is on the verge of collapse?
2- Why vulnerable foreigners who extend basic services in the vital sectors of health and education were targeted?
3- Why Italian and British citizens, two powerful EU countries and former colonial powers, of Somalia and Somaliland were targeted?
4- Why the perpetrators chose to commit their crimes in the home regions of the President and Vice President of Somaliland, namely Awdal and Sahil?
5- Why the crimes coincide with Somaliland’s efforts to establish close ties with neighboring Djibouti?
6- Do the crimes have anything to do with the current endeavors by some Somalilanders to reconcile between the Hawiye clans? Someone may assume that if these efforts succeeded and the Hawiye clans have settled their differences, this would definitely have led to rapprochement between Irir clans of the south and north, thus leading to the Hawiye’s acceptance of Somaliland’s sovereignty by default. This may in turn lead to a link up of the Irir triangle of Somaliland, Mogadisho, Djibouti. It is obvious whose interest it would be to foil such possibility if at all it existed?
7- Who else but religious extremists would also be happy to see foreigners flee from Somaliland?
8- Why the government is lax and indifferent to the protection and security of foreign humanitarian workers?
These questions and many others may rush to one’s mind to figure out who would really benefit from the collapse of peace and stability in Somaliland.
But regardless of who is behind such heinous crimes, it is time for Somalilanders to reiterate their unity and cohesion. It is time to make a resolve to protect the hard won gains of peace, stability and democracy in our country. We should not budge, we should not waiver and we shouldn’t give in to defeat and despair.
The Somaliland government has also tough questions to answer. The citizens have every right to ask why the British teachers of Sheikh were left without protection when the killing of Dr. Tonelli was still fresh on our minds? The government should do everything to give proper protection to foreigners who extend much needed humanitarian services to our people. It should not let criminals, extremist firebrands and trigger-happy drug addicts to have the fate of our country in their hands. It should not let Somaliland to be a safe haven for organized crime and international terrorism.
Somalilanders in the diaspora should express their shock, anger and condemnation against such brutal crimes and should offer their condolences at Italian and British Embassies. Somaliland is under attack and it is up to us whether we defend it or turn away from our national duty and let our country fall apart.
Our sympathies and warm tears go to the family, relatives and friends of Richard Eyeington, headmaster of the Sheikh Secondary School, and his wife and fellow teacher Enid.
We also cry with the students of Sheikh Secondary School who have been shocked by the ghastly murder of their beloved teachers.
Home | Contact us | Links | Archives