I am,Hiiraan Online (Monday, December 2 2013)
For decades, Somalis have been under the perception that the Darod were Somalia's most powerful clan. Dominating the political scene, controlling the country's economy and exhibiting elitism during Somalia's early years, it was only natural for many Somalis to accept what appeared to be Darod clan superiority. Some may have even suggested it to be the status quo and just how things are supposed to be.
However, what hasn't been obvious to the Somali people was that Darod's dominance was created partly due to the passiveness and lack of interest from the other Somalis, particularly the Hawiye, Somalia's largest clan. It was that passiveness and lack of interest exhibited by the Hawiye that allowed the Darod to accomplish so much, from putting illiterate reer miyi Darods into management positions in the country's bureaucracy to engaging in such widespread government corruption that gave the Darod the ability to micromanage Somalia's economy to the point that they owned the products being sold by impoverished shop keepers.
Apart from the lessons learned during the Somali Civil War such as the importance of strengthening Somali nationalism and eradicating clannism, the devastating two decade civil strife has revealed that the Darod powerhouse was an illusion which the Hawiye unwillingly created. How else can a poorly equipped rag tag sub-clan militia from the deserts of central Somalia humiliate supposedly one of the most powerful militaries in Africa and the continent's most feared dictator? How was a clan that was sidelined only for them to realize decades later able to defeat the politically and economic giants that were the Darod?
It is evident that the power was only artificial.
What also became clear was the lack of business savvy-ness from the Darod clan. Hawiye have proven to flourish in the free market whereas the Darod were only capable of creating wealth when given government assistance ranging from acquiring resources with little to no cost to directly influencing economic policy to their favor. If this wasn't the case, then certainly the largely destroyed capital city would not still hold the crown of being the 'economic center' of the Somali people even after more than two decades of war. Kismayo and Bosaso (which have been relatively stable throughout the war) would certainly pose an economic threat to the nation's capital if weren't the case.
The Darod are in the wilderness not because of a natural decline or because of the failures to implement federalism but rather due to the now dying trait of passiveness that had plagued the Hawiye for centuries.
And the misfortunes of the Darod will only continue long after PM Shirdon's expected resignation later today.
Abdi Johnson is a political analyst and a Somalia constitutional expert. Johnson resides in Ottawa, Ontario with his girlfriend Michelle and his dog Johnny
Abdi "Fair and impartial" Johnson
