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[SW Column] ( Omar Egaal) PROF LEWIS AND SCRAP MERCHANTS OF MOGADISHU : Posted on 29 Oct 2002

Opinions expressed in this column are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of SW.

The Scrap Merchants & Desirous Syndrome

Omar Egaal <omegaal@hotmail.com>

Since I wrote my last article titled Prof Lewis and the Scrap merchants of Mogadishu a flood of emails poured into my email account. The most intriguing and interesting emails I have received came from Dahabo Isse and Dr. M Gure. While I have managed to decode Mr. Gure�s email, which was a frank response that he acknowledged my article, apart from trying to patronise me he did not add anything to the debate and thus we await his response. I would like to share with you the following message, which was sent by Mr M Gure.

Cigaal,

Berri baan ku arki adigoo Lewis caayi. Flattering me and insulting my brother is not something you should be happy about and defend.

Mr. Gure and his allies seem to be changing the debate into a personal slinging match which centres around Prof Lewis. It seems that Mr. Gure is not defending the merchants and thus agrees with the honourable professor and my point of view. The email he has sent follows the pattern of his article, which focused the supposed slur that Prof Lewis made against Abdirahman Jama Barre. Prof Lewis did not call that gentlemen �ignorant� but said that he was a �useless foreign minister�. Now I would like to ask Mr Gure; Are you defending Mr Abdirahman Jama Barre in the capacity of foreign minister of Somalia?

Another somewhat amusing email was sent by a Miss Dahabo Isse. Dahabo Isse unknown to me was another contributor to the attempt to character assassinate Prof Lewis for the article �Scrap merchants of Mogadishu�. Miss Isse on her email tries to kill more than two birds with a single rock, in this case pitting Somaliland against Puntland while trying to highjack the Agenda. The following is the email of Dahabo;

Walaal Egaal waan arkay maqaalkaagii aad ku qortay Ruunkinet.com, waxaadse qalaad ka fahamtay waxaa an difaaceyno. Haddii aad si fican u akhriso maqaalkii keyga anigu tuugo iyo burcad ma difaacin mana xaqirin ax yaabaha ka socda somaliland iyo puntland, laakiin waxaan diiday in la generalisgareeyo dadk, waad ogtahay oo dad badan oo wanaagsan ayaa usc ka mid ah. Waan ognahay gaalkaaa beryo ayuu goboladaas caayi jiray, beri nimanka aad sheegeysaan haddey laaluush siiyaan berito ayuu idinku soo jeesan doonaa. Anigu wixii aad sheegtay ma xaaradayo, laakiin shaqsiyaad iyo beelo waa kala duwan yihiin. Ninkii rabo inuu wax ka sheego magacya dad oo tuugonimo u bareeray waa gooni, laakiin qabiilo dhan oo sheikh iyo shariif ku jiro in la wada simo waa wax xun. Tan kale walaale puntland cabdulahi yusuf wax uu ka wado waan ognahay, xadaarad iyo horumari kama jirto, ninkii diidana wuu dilayaa ee ha la simin som

Walaasha Dahabo

The progress of Somaliland and Puntland is one that no one can doubt. While Somaliland has always had a great balance within the Somali state, as it was the other partner in the 1960 union. Puntland has been a surprise and it is that I will concentrate on. Unbeknown to Mogadishu and hidden from the radar of the political ambitious politicians and too far for the warlords. Puntland has been transformed in less than a decade from a so-called barren desert to a prosperous region. Looking at its cities Bossaso, Las Anod, Galkacyu, Las-Qoray Garowe, Burtinle, Qardo have all had great investment put into them, for example Bossaso can not be compared to any city in Soamlia. It telephone sector was the first to be set up post civil war in 1992. Its success has totally thrown the belief that Somalia and its economy is dependent on Mogadishu. Considering that before 1990 Bossaso was

Now Dahabo seems to suffer from the same ailment that was initially diagnosed to another would be political Professor by the name of Abdi Ismail Samatar. This syndrome, which is called the Desirous Syndrome, has been known to affect a number of so called Somali intellectuals. A.I. Samatar is a highly educated geography tutor, who seems to meddle persistently in Somali politics and give the impression to be occupied with the defence of the hapless Abdiqasin Salad and in belittling the states of Somaliland and Puntland famously calling them �Balaayo-lands� and accusing Prof Lewis of being a clonialist just because he was a critic of Arta. Mr. AI Samatar is forever infamous in Puntland and will never be forgiven for his arrogance and folly when he refered to Puntlanders as �jealous� for their desire to acknowledge that Bosaso has its own university and call their city a borough. For him to so

It seems that this anti Lewis alliance have come out fighting for the cause of the clan, to defend the clan to keep the prestige of the clan intact. Now what clan on earth would want the defence of MM Gure and Dahabo? In summary the problem is one of differentiating fact from fiction, that Puntland is a one man show is fiction. That Somaliland cannot survive on its own is fiction. That Mogadishu has no scrap industry is fiction. That the Somali professors know best is fiction. That Arta is a government is fiction. That I.M Lewis is against a single Somali clan is fiction. That I wrote this is a fact.

[1] For more information please refer to the following links http://www.netnomad.com/boosaaso.html and http://www.netnomad.com/csm.html

PROF LEWIS AND SCRAP MERCHANTS OF MOGADISHU

Omar Egaal <omegaal@hotmail.com>

Since last Friday when Prof Ioan Lewis lectured us at YMCA in Central London, there has been loud voices coming from some internet sides who went as far as to defame the integrity of this internationally respected academic and taught at the most respected institution; London School of Economics and Political Science.

Who can deny what Professor Lewis stated was based on facts and truths, he did not attack any Somali group, but attacked the behaviour and actions of certain Somali groupings. What is a scrap means merchant and who is a scrap merchant? What happened to the real estate of Somalia, the buildings, monuments and landmarks of the state of Somalia?

No one can deny that Mogadishu had buildings, which were demolished to pieces, and then sold to third countries, Is it wrong to ask who did sold those valuables? Indeed those who sold them are well known. Osman Ato was only one among many who directly profited from it and what clan does Mr Ato belong to?

The coastal towns of Marka, Barava and most of the Banadir region has been occupied, forcefully and the behaviour of the occupiers have been one of arrogance and somewhat imperialistic, now again who can repute this?

Arta group and its inventor Ismael Omar Gelleh have miserably failed to even open the port and airport of Mogadishu and to stop the ever-growing scrap merchants of Mogadishu or what you may prefer to call as warlords.

It is well known and documented that while Abdiqasin claims to be a national president he has let his kinsmen notably a Mr Daylaf to profit from Charcoal and scrap and the ever subjugations of the poor in the Lower Shabele and Juba Valleys.

Who are the Somali groups who can neither bring peace to their neighbourhoods and yet can finance Banana operations to Italy and Libya? What person of sane mind and intellect can defend these scrap merchants who believe in no law and who have made the people of Mogadishu the laughing stock of Somalia.

While Hargeisa can boast an effective traffic light system, Mogadshu boasts a thriving arms trade in a market known as the Bakaraha. While the city of Bosaso has grown beyond imagination, its visitors testify to it as being a thriving port town hence the title the Dubai of the horn. Mogadishu has become famous for its thriving business of kidnappings, checkpoints and clandestine havoc.

Now for the USC advocates what are you complaining about, why do you blame a well known political scientist for telling the truth? Professor Lewis spoke the truth, which no Arta supporter or those who have profited from the scrap industry wanted to hear.

However the good Professor also mentioned the evil minded media which is suppose to speak on behalf of the Somali people and which is paid for by British taxpayers. Yusuf Garad Omar the spokesman for the Arta group was mentioned by name and also his tactics were uncannily exposed. To the bewilderment of many in the audience Yusuf Garad was unable to respond, his silence was deafening.

Now the ever-growing unknown Somali professors, who have come out to defend their USC people against the white biased man, attacked Prof Lewis of bringing baseless accusations to the debate. I wonder why it took Prof M M Gure has found it necessary to respond after the event and why he never responded to the scrap merchants of Mogadishu.

In conclusion what professor Lewis has done is tread where no Somali dared, he told the simple truth that has hurt a lot of people. Truth hurts but until we confront our demons we will never move forward.

I salute you Mr Lewis and never stop telling it how it is .

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