By Mukhtar Mohamed Abby

The long awaited Presidential polls of Somaliland is just round the corner with the political parties of Somaliland are trying to score points over each other’s political shortcomings and weak points to bring to the fore in order to win the hearts and the minds of the people of Somaliland.

Fortnight ago, the Somaliland’s vice External Minister – Mr. Ahmed Keyse had taken exception to the Kulmiye high command by stating that Kulmiye Supremo, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Sillanyo and the Presidential hopeful could return to Somaliland if only he writes a letter asking for amnesty to the Riyale administration to avoid to be brought to book. But the vice Minister failed to clarify whether he has been speaking in his personal capacity as vice Minister or in the capacity of his administration.

The statement of the vice External Minister followed an interview, which Kulmiye leader gave to the media outlet in which he mentioned that the notion of Somali unity he had - prior to the emancipation of Somaliland - had been his personal conviction and that he changed his mind in the aftermath of the liberation of the country. Following the vice Minister’s statement has sent shockwaves throughout the country and that the general public was about to take to the streets – the Somaliland’s foreign Minister Mr. Abdillahi Mohamed Duale immediately came out with strong statement against the former’s statement in which he stated that Kulmiye Supremo and the Presidential aspirant Mr. Ahmed Sillanyo could return to the country provided he asks in what the vice Minister termed as an amnesty to the incumbent regime of President Riyale - since he believes in the unity of Somalia – something Mr. Sillanyo made it clear that he does not currently hold, but believed at the time of the struggle against the military regime of Somalia.

The foreign Minister of Somaliland Mr. Duale made it clear to the people of Somaliland that the External vice Minister was speaking neither in the capacity of the Ministry nor in the capacity of the Riyale administration, but in his personal capacity. Mr. Duale sought to allay the statement made by his vice Minister not to instigate street protests which could jeopardize the stability of the country and at the same time result in casualties as is happened in the past in the Somaliland’s capital city - Hargeysa. Mr. Duale mentioned in his statement that his administration holds Mr. Sillanyo in high esteem and respect him as the Kulmiye Supremo and the current Presidential candidate in the forthcoming poll that is slated to take place in this year. Also, he made it plain that the policy of his foreign Ministry is to respect Mr. Sillanyo as far as he is the leader and the Presidential aspirant of Kulmiye party, and that his administration cannot prevent such a highly respected and veteran politician from returning to the country.

No sooner the Somaliland’s foreign Minister confuted overtly the statement made by his junior vice Minister than the information Minister came out with another statement in contradiction to the former’s statement. The information Minister Mr. Ahmed Haji Dahir, who is one of the Riyale’s factotums - has maintained that the stance of Riyale administration on Kulmiye leader’s view is diametrically speaks out against the very existence of Somaliland, and that the position of his Government is that the Kulmiye Supremo cannot come back to Somaliland - unless he gives up his personal conviction toward the unity of Somali or else face justice.

These conflicting statements have kept the public on the tenterhooks. And were waiting what would happen on the arrival of Mr. Sillanyo to the country. The people of Somaliland in and outside of the country were keeping abreast of the events of the last few days unfolding on the media outlet.

Ironically, the President of Somaliland has been maintaining silence while these episodes have been taking place under his watch - and his critics described this as supportive of latter’s statement – something which sharply angered the foreign Minister Mr. Abdillahi Mohamed Duale, who sought to assuage people’s anger in the wake of his vice Minister came out with the statement that would have precipitated agitation across the country; these contradictory statements threw the public into confusion.

Not only have these unfolding events kept the people of Somaliland living in the country on the tenterhooks but also the Somaliland Diaspora, who had been frantically waiting to see what, would happen on the arrival of Ahmed Sillanyo - the Kulmiye leader and the Presidential hopeful. We, the Somaliland community in Karnataka state – India, have been discussing this unprecedented event of the last few days, and have been browsing the cyber every minute of it in order to keep ourselves update of the political situation on the ground.

According to the Somaliland’s political commentators - the Riyale administration have expressed its unhappiness about Ahmed Sillanyo’s diplomatic gains while has been on visit in the US. And that Riyale administration is regarded in the west a persona non grata. While Kulmiye Supremo has been on visit in the US, was awarded a certificate of appreciation toward his contribution to the democracy in Somaliland and that of SNM struggle against the despotic regime of Somalia.

It is very unfortunate that Riyale, who had been member of the most notorious and feared National Security Service of Somalia – the NSS – had sought to prevent the veteran politician and the longest served chairman of SNM, Mr. Ahmed Sillanyo from returning to his motherland - for which he had spent most of his precious lifetime in the bush in order to liberate his people from the repressive military regime of Somalia, which had been meting out atrocities and all forms of abuses to the innocent civilian population of Somaliland. It is obvious that the statement made by the junior vice external Minister – has been the brainchild of Riyale’s henchmen and kitchen cabinet; this was meant to tarnish the image of the Kulmiye leader in a bid Riyale administration to woo the voters. Surprisingly, Riyale’s kite flying exercise completely went fiasco, and Mr. Sillanyo has returned to the country with tens and thousands of his supporters have welcomed him at the Egal international airport. And this shows how the people of Somaliland lost the confidence in the Riyale administration which they mandated him as the President of Somaliland though little was known about his leadership quality and that of his personality.

The people of Somaliland voted the incumbent President of Somaliland to power not because he was a consensus leader but because he was new to the political arena and the public preferred someone who was new to the politics. And immediately in the aftermath of his election, he changed the country’s political course - which Somaliland adopted over the years, and made Somaliland as Djibouti’s puppet regime – Djibouti which itself is a satellite state. However, Riyale failed to live up to the people’s expectations and his approval rating is slackening day by day. Now with the people of Somaliland realized that they committed a grave mistake in choosing an unknown devil to a prominent politician (Mr. Ahmed Sillanyo) - who would have put Somaliland on the world map, are yearning for regime change not by violent means but by electoral means. It is beyond a shadow of doubt that the Riyale administration failed on every front and that his kite flying exercise has been meant to cover up his political and diplomatic shortcomings. But anyone who has commonsense will never ever vote him as the next President of Somaliland, therefore, a regime change is the need of the hour and our motto shall be “yes we can.”

Mukhtar Mohamed Abby

India, Karnataka State

The writer can be reached at mukhtarcabi@hotmail.com

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