Secret Document Signed by President Siyaad Barre
Africa Confidential
September 26, 1975, Vol. 16 No. 19, pg: 8
SOMALI OPPOSITION. In our last issue we pointed to the Somali government`s undoubted success in handling the very difficult situation caused by the drought. Opposition to the regime continues, however. We have recently seen a secret document signed by President Siyaad Barre and circulated to all ministries, the armed forces, regional and district commissioners and top members of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, which announces an official campaign against all the civil servants and businessmen of Mudug region and particularly its capital Galkayu.
The region has long contained many people critical of the military regime.
President Siyaad`s remarkable document says that officials appointed to the region have displayed very little experience or ability, that the traders and businessmen of Galkayu are capitalistic and anti-revolutionaries and that “all sic) civil servants and members of the police and army from Galkayu by birth are committed to tribalistic thinking.” As a result, says the document, they have combined to bring about doubt and disruption of progress in the region. Before now patience and leniency in dealing with such a situation could have been counselled. “It now appears to me” writes Barre “that this dire lack of principles, responsibility and patroitism can no longer be tolerated . . . therefore it is essential to wipe out this disease as speedily and as mercilessly as possible.” The document says the following actions are to be taken.
a) Any person born and working in Galkayu must he transferred from it immediately,
b) The anti-revolutionary traders and business men of Galkayu must receive the severe punishment they deserve.
c) The leaders of regional government must increase their control and inspection and forcefully impose upon (the people of Galkayu) the political orientation (of the SRC).
“Any person who tries to resist these objectives must be punished harshly.
“I have every confidence that the ministries, agencies and commands of the armed forces will faithfully implement the directive of the present circular letter.”
The letter was dated August 23 [1975] and already Galkayu civil servants are being thrown out of regional jobs while businessmen fear that their businesses will be taken over by the state or by SRC officials. The Galkayu people are not represented on the SRC itself and have few voices to speak up on their behalf though they number many civil servants in Mogadishu. The danger is that the Mudug province will find itself entirely occupied by “foreign” officials, a situation that could only lead to further alienation.
There are now rumours in Mogadishu that the turn of other regions will follow. Opposition to the regime in Hargeisa district (ex British Somaliland) would put it next in line but Hargeisa would be a much tougher nut to crack with many supporters in the SRC itself.
Alxamdulilaah .Wadankasta aan joogno 
