United we stand ..Burhan

Column
[SW Column] (Burhan Y. Warsame) United we shall Stand :Posted on 13 May 2002

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

United we shall Stand

Burhan Y Warsame ( Dantay), Don_dantay@hotmail.com

Puntland needs to especially today present a united front; we need to stand together as Tony Blair British prime minister says ‘shoulder to shoulder’.

The lessons surely must have been learned that to be divided we will suffer in the end. Many have died since the SSDF rebellion started in 1978 and it was only when we where divided that Mr Barre could feel comfortable and could gain a breathing space.

Then in 1991 the internal combustion of Somalia was complete and people turned against each other on an unstoppable orgy of destruction. It was then at this time that many where made refugees, where they lost homes, kin and the idyllic identity of Somalia was forever smashed. A closer look at attitudes prevailing at the time shows a puzzled approach and a total failure of the political elite to give the people hope. While this occurred through Somalia it was more evident in the people’s of the state now known as Puntland. There was no answer to the military advance of Aydeed, even in Mudug his militia seemed unstoppable. His well drilled troops could at impunity move from neighborhood to neighborhood. The problem was that Aydeed could rely on a united people under one direction his counterparts in Puntland where in the most part willing to divide their supporters in order to ascend to the top of their local power structure.

The shame was evident when even after unspeakable atrocities where committed against their people in the south the leaders could not create a single entity to defend the interest of their troubled populations.

With divine help the people of Puntland survived Aydeed and the war between the SSDF and the religious group AlItihad. In the period after these events Puntland was created and it was time to make a new beginning and an era of unity for we now we are experts at suffering and we would no longer succumb to division?

Yet as was clearly shown in the Arta meeting and the events after this when we gained a another president hitherto unknown to most of Puntland’s population at large, and more sinisterly this man was supported by the Mogadishu based media, who now seemed overnight to be interested and aware of the burning desire for democracy in the people of Puntland.

‘Jamac Cali Jamac, the president of Puntland’ hailed Hiiraan.com, outsourcing the news from Mogadishu daily Ayaamaha leaflet which in turn sends editorials to the BBC finaly ending up in the IRIN.com website.

Mr Jamac went from being a refugee one minute to being a diplomat and leader of a whole new nation. With trips to Libiya to get the blessings of the Godfather of all African despots Ghadafi and surrounding himself with men who fashioned themselves after Mogadishu ’s so called businessmen, our own version of Daylaf & Ato.

With this new division came the clan mix factor, closest of related clans where now digging trenches for each other. It all looked like a terrible nightmare was Bender-Qasim now the new Xamar. The whole population was alienated and confused, the elders where in dismay and the only victors seemed the new leaders who where now defended with zeal by their kinsmen.

So much for Jamac, lets move on, the need for unity must stem from basic survival instincts and the aim to better our prevailing condition.

Puntlanders are getting worst by the day; outside interest is dictating our destiny. We need to fight back and gain a foothold on the Somali media, a united front should be shown to the BBC and other mediums. A certain protocol must be followed when dealing with Mogadishu based media, example giving an interview to Horn Afrik or STN or the infamous BBC should be taken with the utmost care. Our leaders should use common sense in order not to jeopardise the state and the people’s interest. Those in the Diaspora hold the key they should rebuke anyone who goes against the greater good of the people. I am against most censorship but there should be self censorship and to remind ourselves what is at stake.

A united front must be shown to our leaders as well in order for them to understand and take into considerations of our feelings. We need to advice the present administration and take a greater interest in the affairs of Puntland and its people.

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