By Rhoda A. Rageh, Holland

All accounts and facts surrounding the sacking of the Minster of Defense point the finger at the mismanagement of the President. He is clearly incapable of the title Commander in Chief. It appears to me that the Minister of Defense acted upon good military conscience under a confused commander in chief. It seems to me that, had he and his army not taken the wise decision to save themselves and the country, there would be no Somaliland today. The fact that the sworn army went to the other side is a serious problems to ponder on before anything else. That the odayaal were not able to calm the situation points to the problem of useless untrained (perhaps dishonest) Sultans, Aaqils and Boqors who are not in touch with the reality and sentiments of their own people. These odayaals buzz around the President's mansion and they run around when things go out of hands. If they remain with their people all the time, they could have predicted the behavior of their people. The Minister of Information's lack of wisdom underlines the dangerous disarray his unfocused and uncoordinated movements and press releases have created. His unprofessionalism points to the havoc that can be created by a man who does not understand his job.

If the man in the line of fire is not the one to relay the appropriate message of the war, I wonder how the Minister of Information can be anything but a chattel. If he knew his job, he could have listened to the Minister of Defense in time of war He could have killed a group of very capable men from our land. The unwise mission of cabinet ministers and JNA mission in a war zone is itself poor planning. One wonders why would they want to develop a land that considers itself outside the borders of Somaliland. Also one whose people turned against the hand that was meant to feed them. These ministers mission was detrimental. It seems to me that Mr. Waqaf was forced to play the host and fight a dangerous war. Was he not an honorable military man he could have abandoned his army to save and entertain them. How did they expect a commander in war to hold meetings with them.

Somaliland has now found itself betrayed by those it trusted. Mr. Waqaf should remain the Minister of Defense. He should swallow his injured pride for the sake of Somaliland. The Parliament should ignore the President's mandate. The entire people of Somaliland should fight for the rights of Mr. Waqaf and his honorable army. The people should play 'Hail To The Chief' for their army. It is also about time that Somaliland's cabinet ministers, Guurti to tell the president he is dead wrong and has been dead wrong for the past five or six years. Somebody should point honestly at the nakedness of the king. Those who love Somaliland should stand together.

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