Sultan Osman Sultan Ali Madar

Buroa, Somaliland, December 2, 2006 (SL Times) – Police in Buroa, the regional capitol of Togdheer arrested Sultan Osman Sultan Ali Madar and Mohammed Farah Adan on early Friday morning for organizing a clan meeting conference that named a religious committee for the implementation of Sharia law for the clan of Habar Yonis, the meeting took place in Buroa on Thursday (30/11/06).

Somaliland Times, was told by the governor of Togdheer region, Mr Abdi Hussein Dheere that he ordered for the arrest of Sultan Osman Sultan Ali Madar and Mohammed Farah Adan because they did not have the permit to hold a clan gathering which the law requires and for attempting to sow dissent and discord among the nation at such critical time when the whole region is in the brink of a major conflict and catastrophe as a result of the Islamic Courts expansion.

In addition, the traditional and legitimate sultan of the Habar Yonis clan, Sultan Mohammed Hersi Qani dismissed the meeting Sultan Osman convened as not representing the clan but the interests of few individuals. Also, members of the Habar Yonis clan in the ‘Guurti’ the upper house of Somaliland parliament issued a press statement, which condemned the meeting organized by Sultan Osman in Buroa on Thursday and said the meeting was not inclusive of the Habar Yonis clan.

Sultan Osman convened a meeting for the clan of Habar Yonis according to supporters of Sultan Osman in Buroa on Thursday and called for the Habar Yonis clan to implement the Sharia law for the social affairs of the clan. Over 250 delegations of the Habar Yonis clan took part in the meeting. The meeting concluded to establish a religious committee of 71 members coming from the Habar Yonis clan to oversee the implementation of the Sharia law, which is to be put into force, by the religious committee of the clan.

The conference goers issued a four-point declaration, which was signed by the chairman of the meeting, Mr Nuur Farah Hersi, co-chairman Mr Mohammed Farah Adan and Sultan Osman Sultan Ali Madar who challenges the traditional sultan of the Habar Yonis clan, Sultan Mohammed Hersi Qani as the legitimate sultan of Habar Yonis. The declaration said that ‘from this day 30 November 2006 the clan of Habar Yonis will 1). Conduct and abide by the Sharia law in all its internal social affairs, 2). Establish a religious committee of 71 members who will govern and oversee the use of the Sharia law and will be called ‘the committee of Sharia Law for the Clan of Habar Yonis, 3). The clan of Habar Yonis encourages the government to implement into law the Sharia, 4). The clan of Habar Yonis, also encourage the rest of Somaliland clans to conduct and abide by the Sharia law in all their social affairs.‘

Many in Somaliland see this declaration issued in Buroa on Thursday as having serious implications for the very existence of the republic because it openly challenges the jurisdiction and legitimacy of the country’s constitutional laws and institutions. Basically, the declaration if implemented determines that the clan of Habar Yonis will no longer see the country’s judiciary and its highest laws of courts as having any legitimacy over the clan and that in the declaration a religious committee formed by the clan of Habar Yonis will take on the role of the country’s constitutional institutions whereby the committee will implement the execution of the Sharia law outside the country’s courts of law. In other words, this declaration has called for the establishment of an independent rule of law and its governing body to govern outside the constitution of Somaliland.

Source: Somaliland Times

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