By Mohamed M. Khawi

The first diplomat of the house keeping administration of Somaliland H.E Mohamed Ducaale (Dhoolayare) spoke on his stand of a congressional hearing to be hosted by Rep. Donald Paine of New Jersey in Washington DC, with three Somali entity participation: Somaliland, Puntland and the Interim Govt of Mogadishu. Mr. Ducaale, in his capacity as the minister of foreign relations declined participation under the pretext that Somaliland was not in the level with those entities. He further added that Somaliland was a sovereign state, with upcoming elections. Additionally his close friends including big powers advised against plain level interaction with the south.

For argument sake please take note of the following:

The Somali tribe is second to none in the horn of Africa.

The Somali origin (Somalinimo) is sacred (blood is thicker then ink).

Somaliland pioneered both the independence and the unconditional union as a national duty.

Somaliland was a catalyst in stabilizing Somalia, after the failure of the Italian Trusteeship to groom it for nationhood. Highly charged antagonism and ethnic polarization would have wreaked havoc similar to the sad drama of the last twenty years. The whistle blower ambassador Kamal Eldin of Egypt was silenced in a mafia-like assassination.

Somaliland politicians, businessmen and the civil services were the shakers and the movers of the apparatus to make any headway, until the advent of the military mongolism.

After the state failure, Somaliland regrouped and reorganized its self into viable administration, structured along state-like institutions, thanks to the timely intervention of the founding father president M. I Egal (God bless his soul). Consequently, he left behind him Somaliland of his dream and design. A beacon of hope and a rally-point for all the Somali people where peace and brotherhood reigned and the rule of law guaranteed equal human rights and the pursuit of happiness. The previous disappointment of his good faith in the noble endeavor of Somali unification was vindicated by the resuscitation of Somaliland, still going strong. His political vision will be a lasting legacy in the political landscape of the Somali nation, “If all the Somali speaking territory is united, as suggested by Lord Attlee’s government after world war two, and today the opportunity re-presented its self, the phenomenon of warlordism and its associated mayhem would dissipate and peace and prosperity for the horn states shall be a reality. This may lead to future association of commonwealth nature for all the states in the horn of Africa. Ironically the failure of the Somalia may afford a pleasant surprise for the realization of this eventuality”.

The congressional hearing comprising the three entities, carried with it special consideration for president Egal’s vision of Somaliland leadership. While Mogadishu has been a disaster area for twenty years, Puntland is a strategic depth for Somaliland, in the light of common destiny footing. Undisputedly Somaliland has the experience of qualitative track record of state management and good governance. Somaliland would therefore, be the appropriate candidate for belling the cat. The renegade label would have been replaced by the recognition of a missing link that can be more effective than Djibouti, Addis Ababa and Nairobi, in resolving the endless mayhem of the south. It was a golden chance of championship and international exposure.

Today the Somali enclave in the horn of Africa, land and sea is endangered by terror groups of professional nature, disguised as volunteers for a good cause. Affronting a menace of this magnitude would require solidarity of action with local backbone and international alliance. The congressional hearing that Somaliland disowned would have provided all of the above under the aegis of Somaliland leadership.

As a final thought it is emphasized that Somaliland had come along way as a responsible state manager, and that there would be no-go-back to the good faith of abdicating rights. However, Somaliland would rehabilitate its nationalistic vibrancies, as a leader of the common cause. Likewise, neither isolated incidents of amateurish diplomacy with inherent ethnic-phobia, nor the emptiness of as sumptuous posturing would determine the fate of Somaliland. Somaliland is not a quarantine island in the wilderness. It is and will remain the land of the Somalis for the Somalis by the Somalis; plain and simple.

Mohamed M. Khawi

President: Somaliland Natives Assn

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