This week's revelation that senior officials in Somaliland's intelligence organization were actively involved in aiding Al Shabaab terrorists is reflective of Somaliland's secretive support for terror groups who destabilize southern Somalia (incl. Mogadishu) and more recently, the stable neighboring State of Puntland.
The lies are quickly falling apart – and a make-belief "independent Republi" is finding itself increasingly under the shameful shadow of failure. International delegations, from the UK, Denmark and even Horn of Africa regional power Ethiopia, have visited the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland" in recent months declaring what Somaliland' s leaders have always known: international recognition is not coming.
The propaganda reels quickly come to mind: young men and women, wearing bright colors representative of Somaliland's flag, actively engaged in demonstrations or standing in long voting lines. Generations lied to and misled by their politicians, forced to stand under the scorching sun in shameful lines at voting centers or protesting in front of Western embassies around the world, parading their disgraceful but well-constructed lies.
Democracy and voting are positive developments, but what is more positive is seeking peace and stability in the Horn of Africa sub-region and pursuing domestic economic opportunities to benefit the masses who stand in the sun. And so Somaliland's lies have changed every few years, but what has remained absolutely consistent is the politicians' underlying desire to keep the population of Somaliland in the dark.
Before Somaliland's military aggression began in Oct. 2007, when upwards of 50,000 civilians were displaced from their homes according to U.N. estimates, Somaliland's leaders said that if Somaliland "seizes the eastern border" – a mythical border with no international significance – that Somaliland will be recognized. So Somaliland's clan-based constituency – drawn almost exclusively from the Isaaq clan of Dir clan-family that inhabits most of northwest Somalia – supported a war of aggression against Harti communities (of Darod clan-family) that calls home Sool and Sanaag regions of Puntland State of Somalia. With blood spilt, with civilians displaced, recognition did not come. So the newest lie was that Somaliland's presidential election, held on June 26 after two-years of illegal and constitutional delays, will bring recognition.The theme of a lie is consistent, but the mechanics of the lie have shifted somewhat.
Claiming genocide, committing injustice
What is appalling is that Somaliland's Isaaq community, who unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, complains consistently about "genocide" and mass displacement of civilians committed by the Barre regime in 1988. Ideally, those who suffered such a fate fully know to respect and to abide by the laws of justice more than those who did not experience such a fate. However, it was different in Somaliland. The Isaaq clans united militarily to attack, occupy and subjugate the Darod communities in northern Somalia on the basis of a mythical border. In the process, Darod communities who survived Somalia's only true genocide in Mogadishu in 1991, when Hawiye-based USC militia targeted, maimed, massacred and uprooted Darod communities from Mogadishu after Barre's violent ouster, were again forced to flee their homes under a Somaliland military assault. What great injustice committed by those who claim to have suffered "genocide" under Barre's dictatorship.
It is Garowe Online's resolute position that the Somali National Army's war and bombardment of Hargeisa and Burao in 1988 was not "genocide" – it is not different than the daily bombardment of Mogadishu by Western-funded African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM) fighting an insurgency that threatens to bring down Somalia's weak and chronically corrupt Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu. In 1988, when Isaaq-based SNM militia seized control of Hargeisa and Burao in an anti-government insurgency, the Somali government overreacted with excessive military force to kill or capture clan-based (Isaaq) insurgents who threatened the Somali government and national security. During that time, Somali government troops were not going house-to-house to massacre civilians after asking them, "Are you Isaaq?" Of course, in the Mogadishu of 1991, Hawiye-based USC militia were going house-to-house or stopping civilians randomly on Mogadishu streets to ask the hated question, "Yaa tahay?" (which clan are you?) If you said Darod, you were killed or raped – man, woman, young or old. That is the legal definition of genocide: when people are deliberately and systematically targeted a..more..http://terror freesomalia.blogspot.com/2 ... ricas.html
