Issue 274

Haunted by malevolence of Mudug factor applies it fittingly, if there is an ever compelling, single truth about Somalia’s horrors of fratricide over 17 years. The unruly mob-ocracy of Mudug link has ruined Somali race's dignity and its tortured recent history for that matter. I'm not saying these words lightly or making it out of thin air either but the fact on the ground speaks volume by its self.

As someone who is more familiar with and has spent over decade of his academic years (H.S. and College in ‘80s) in Mogadishu and its environ, it is extremely perplexing to see how once iconic and vibrant metropolis of the horn has been reduced into forbidden hell-hole of human tragedy spot -- a latter day Africa’s Pompeii story, as some would like to describe it.

Some people often blame for its indelible ruins to a disastrous and prolonged civil strife while other likened, however superstitiously, to a god-send curse due to its past rulers’ known sins of debauchery, material excess and misuse of power. Still others blame for collective failure of civic duties on the part of community restive to the area and everything in between. However, while a bit of all implicated elements may have some catalysis roles, the fact of the matter is that truth lies in with far more complex, mortal circumstance.

What's more, all of the cited factors have also equally affected rest of the ex-republic’s territory, i.e., no community or village was spared from the nihilistic impacts of the conflict, be it physical or socio-economic aspect, but sense of normalcy and co-existence re-emerged albeit painstakingly, while Mogadishu and its surrounding stand in stark contrast. The same also applies the turn around of pertinent ethical lapses of the society at large, except Mogadishu & co., which by no means were immune from the former oligarchy adulterations or from other myopic vision of armed factions, to lesser extent.

Malevolent Mudug Factor

Thus, the nagging question is why not Mogadishu? Or why not other place but Mogadishu and its environ have became synonymous with notoriety of anarchy, killing fields and chaos? As few other pundits have already expressed, I’m of the view that the deep-seated sense of insecurity and socio-political malaise of the ex-capital and/or its neighbors lies with both external and residual local conditions as well that are directly related to each other. I mean by external factors the perpetual and century-old influx of people from east and central regions not for decency and patriotic purposes but rather for intent of political piracy, predatory and power quest at expense of natives.

Let me see if I get these straight: I have no axe to grind against any particular group whatsoever-- note that all subgroups of the major Somali clan formula except one reside there -- but behold! Truth must be told, however bitter and unpalatable may seem, for without it there will never be semblance of peace and justice in given society that turns on blind eye, and as for why link disparate subgroups together? If the familiar adage of ‘oodi ab ka dhaw ‘or co-habitation trumps kinship applies, it perfectly makes sense here. In this regard, many politically acute people on Somali affairs over decades are well aware of about this veracity but time and again few dare to mention in public.

Mudug or Mugdi as Professor Togane would call conjures up with an image of Somali institutional, social and political malaise epicenter regardless of in peace or wartime since the independence days and beyond. The said exodus patterns of homo malvolus from central regions, which both colonials and successive Somali gov’t were openly sanctioned and patronized, has unleashed Pandora's Box of sort over the years. This trend has reached in its pick within collapse of the regime in the ‘90s whereby a single group from this area has exclusively occupied in far South and thwarted every peace recon effort, including undisputed leadership offers among its ranks, opting instead to live on status quo and war booty over rule of law. Alas! History is repeating its self today as another alter-ego group and fresh mob from the same territory led by delusional warlord, sponsored by unholy coalition is vying in for the same old and brutish desire of political piracy and plunders.

The PAID Syndrome

Questions that still beg for answers are why residents of such barren piece of land known for little natural or creative human resources "note the bulk of resources, capital and population of the ex-republic are either located in far south and north or present Somaliland -- has managed to ape rest of Somali race? Why so many former charlatan politicians, drenched despots, usurping brass and most current warlord-thugs who kept wrecking havoc every corner are happen to hail from here? Isn't irony and hypocrisy that such groups talk about peace venues and attend endless recon throng-shows whereas Galkayo remains worst divided, war zone?

As one might suspect, answer lies with nothing at their fault but rather with some other unique and in-situ of social and cultural evolutionary traits at microcosm level that often associate with the norms of unforgiving environmental conditions. Surely, one may argue some room for exceptions about any sweeping generalized claim, but what this statement refers is simply the prevalent social codes. Even by ordinary standards, nomadic tribes are known for a fierce clan loyalty and intransigency behavior at times, but still there are few binding ethos: notably the reverence of faith, inter-group relations, etc., It appears that as if such factors matter little in this particular enclave and everything action boils down to end justifies the means mindset.

This notion is by no means unprecedented one. There are ample scientific records of comparative sociobiology and primates or even human race behavior cases that support the claim, for instance, North American natives who were lived in a land of plenty with easily accessible resources were over-run by poverty-stricken masses from European ghettos. Indian tribes never thought that someone would claim ownership for a piece of mother nature, let alone their own backyard, and that is why terminologies like "as long as the sun rises, river fallows and grass grows.. ." cited in the treaties with Europeans. Invaders could care less at all except their sopravivanza naturale or survival instinct.

At regional level, few notoriously impoverished Abyssinia regions (Gonder, Gojam, etc.) with a combined population of nearly 20% of the country have rendered the vast and rich areas of the country " people into virtual serfdom over centuries. Worst stereotypical curse of anyone could hurdle in public that refers to one "is place of origin and in par with duplicity, primitive, immoral attributes is Gondaree, etc. Though those examples may seem out of scale in the terms of history, religious and ethnicity factors" interplay, still the analogy makes the point, namely the force behind of the innate aggression of the so-called Purveyors of Aggression from Impoverished Desperation Syndrome on the part of invaders that takes advantage of another tolerant, rich, unsuspecting host society’s culture.

Indigenous and occupation factors

Other issue that tormented Mogadishu and its neighbors, as I alluded earlier, relates to cumulative, sorry sate of institutional and socio-economic conditions of the indigenous as results of long-term occupation and injustice meted out. This reality is especially true for various groups in the Shabeles and Juba lands, i.e., Biyamals and others where Italians dismantled their traditional leadership of Ugases who, unlike from central regions’ proponents whom rewarded accordingly in terms of economic and political clout, were deemed to be hostile against fascists. Successive Somali regimes led by the said loyalists have done nothing of the status quo, if the contrary isn’t true.

These observations are based on first hand experience and I'm not making these remarks out of malice intent, as others familiar with it would agree on. I was stunned, to say the least, to find that thought locals were visible, they had little or no say when it comes to economic power and decision- making process at their backyards. An up-starter, nouveau riche class from other places were controlled any worthy activity. I also hardly could find local student in my classmates who could venture beyond basic schooling, let alone higher learning due to either financial constraints or low morale. Overall, indigenous people of the South were subjected under inhumane conditions for decades in the name of gov’t on top of the prior fascist ruler. Worse, this fertile area is also where colonials and past regimes vested in any worthy semi-infrastructure for their own sake that inadvertently causes the scramble for occupation of aliens.

Conclusion

To close, the dignity of Somalis race and as geo-political entity are ceased to exist thanks to the naked political opportunism of Mudug enclave. In terms of the sheer intransigencies that are host to the area, sweeping genealogical factors appears little to explain as much as the ecological and other vernacular social codes do. It seems unfair, even xenophobic idea, to pin inextricable socio-political ills of entirely collapsed nation on single group, but regrettably that is exactly what happened time and again. It is about time someone should call spate the spate. Aside from being perennial warlord’s incubation and transit hotbed, latest effort of ethnic cleansing campaign blitz of Mogadishu residents by one of its natives (col. Yusuf) is a living proof and it is by no means first time that Mudug sons have perpetuated crime against innocent civilian.

In the meantime, different Somali communities including S/land are becoming increasingly assertive about their long abused rights and reclaimed it back. Hopefully other oppressed nations of the South will follow the suit and they deserve an immense empathy and moral support of the civilized world. Let the restless dog of wars face dismal retirement back in their madhouse sooner than later and blame no one but their deviant behavior.

Moe-awale@homail.com

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