By Dalmar Kahin

Freedom of choice, expression, and association with others remain the core units of human rights. But when those who demand that freedom abuse and misuse it, then we have the perfect storm. With that in mind, Somaliland persons in the current Somali regime: do they exercise their freedom or perform spectacular belly dances?

Let me assure you one thing: the handful Somaliland individuals have their God-given rights to join Somalia, advocate for Somali unity, and express their opposition to Somaliland independence. And majority of Somalilanders don’t really care whether these folks join Somalia or China for that matter. Then what is the big fuss?

Which country they join is not the problem, however; their repeated attempt to obfuscate the reality on the ground is like an obnoxious hemorrhoid. The problem stems from when they claim to represent Somaliland—a country that they departed decades ago. Also, the problem is amplified when some of them stutter with ludicrous remarks to impress their Somali president wannabes—and the timing is always off.

Surely, some Somaliland individuals join Somali regimes not because of Somali nationalism but because of personal greed—an opportunity just lurks around the corner and they grab it. Others, however, join Mogadishu because of their un-yielding support for Somali unity.

Now, whether their bond with Mogadishu is to earn their daily bread or for genuine Somali nationalism reasons, their loyalty remains ambivalent. Many of them held government posts in Somaliland at one point. Years later they abandoned Somaliland for Somali regimes—prone to fail. But when bruised, battered and terrorized in Somalia, they fled to their save heaven—Somaliland. However, they still keep fillip flopping between the two capitals, Mogadishu and Hargeysa. Apparently with millions of dollars of donated money at its disposal, Mogadishu pays the fatter paycheck. And their allegiance changes as many times as there are months in a year.

But to gauge their loyalty, recently, I ran into a friend of mine at a coffee shop. Beside him sat a man named Ahmed, a former politician of the notorious Col. Abdillahi Yusuf’s doomed junta regime. After a quick introduction and shots of espresso kicked in of course, a debate about Somali politics erupted between three of us.

When comfort replaced tension, I asked Ahmed two questions that crept into my mind for years: what are the views of Somali leaders towards Somaliland individuals in the Somali regimes? Concisely, are you really convinced the two dozen or so Somaliland individuals in the Somali regime represent Somaliland? With a tiny grin on his face, first Ahmed warned me not to quote him, hence; his last name isn’t mentioned in this paper. Then he employed the classic strategy of answering a question with a question. So he asked, “How could Somaliland individuals represent a country they left 10 to 15 years ago, especially when Somaliland has its elected leaders?” “Entertaining ourselves is something; facts on the ground are something else…donated paychecks attract lots of Somaliland representative wannabes” he added.

Cringed in shock, I challenged his remarks. Paychecks! How could you say they are in Mogadishu not for Somalia but for $omalia? I asked. Of course they have more faith in Somalia than in U.S. greenbacks; I asserted forcefully. “How could they claim to represent Somaliland when they are not sent, elected or nominated by their people? Like all the Somalis in Mogadishu government, I was there because my people sent me to represent them. Who sent the Somalilanders? Tell me? You don’t just appear out of nowhere and say I speak for Somaliland” he responded with conviction.

Whether Ahmed was bitter because of the collapse of his regime or he was sharing the forbidden truth—the deep feelings of Somali leaders towards Somaliland individuals—is debatable. But while some Somaliland persons chauvinistically support Mogadishu, others perform spectacular belly dances to keep the follow of their paychecks or to climb up the ladder. Somalia may go through as many presidents as there are warlords in the country, but the Somaliland group rarely introduces a new move in their exotic rehearsals. Rather, they repeat the same old stale lies and pretend to represent Somaliland.

A case in point: the former Somali Foreign Minister Ismail Mohammed Hurre who hails from Somaliland took the stage to belly dances for his boss Col. Abudullahi Yussuf. During Col. Yussuf's barbaric regime, Mr. Hurre stated, “Once peace is consolidated in Southern Somalia and the reconstruction process begins, Somaliland people will move in their thousands to Mogadishu and Hargeisa will become a ghost town.” http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2006/267/12.shtml

To the contrary, while Col. Yussuf lives in exile—he fled to Yemen—and Mr. Hurre hopes to recant his remarks one day, Haregeisa flourishes—far from a ghost city.

History repeats itself with odd twists. Despite chaos dancing in every corner of Somalia, the new Somali Foreign Minster, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Omar—an inept opportunist who also hails from Somaliland—picks the torch from where his predecessors abandoned it. He echoes a familiar but overused imaginary authority over Somaliland. He states, “Somaliland is ready to half a talk with Somalia.”

Shouldn’t the preceding statement come from Somaliland government, and not from a Somali foreign minster whose parliament desperately searches a safe house to hold meetings much less exert authority over Somalia? http://tinyurl.com/db6vhp

Unambiguously, Somaliland foreign Minister, Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Duale whispers into Mr. Omar’s ear: securing Somali foreign minster’s post may be a personal gain but doesn’t necessarily bolster your fabricated stories much less project you from a local Hargeisa boy to a pundit in the geopolitics of the region—so get off your high horse.

http://tinyurl.com/cxdsc6

Oddly enough, while the families of the Somaliland group in Mogadishu enjoy freedom and security in Somaliland, these self-nominated representatives advocate for Somalia regimes bent to undercut Somaliland’s existence. So in reality these individuals are just digging their own graves, yet they remain oblivious of their surroundings.

In short, the truth is: no one can prove who is in Mogadishu for Somali nationalism and who is in for opportunities. However, logic dictates that their Somali nationalism rhetoric—or their exotic belly dances—may be deceptive lies for the same reasons that their claim to speak for Somaliland remains barefaced lies.

Join whoever you want, but never claim to represent Somaliland. Just as you wish Somalilanders to value your desire to unite with Somalia, so they too need you to respect their wishes to stand as a sovereign nation. What is good for a handful of Somaliland individuals in Mogadishu is also good for three million Somalilanders—and that is the freedom to decide your destiny.

dalmar_k@yahoo.com

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