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I attended one of a number of meetings that were called by Abdifatah Sheikh Abdullahi, head of the delegation from the Somali Regional State, which recently visited North America. I had lots of expectations and was pleased with the fact that the Regional State has finally taken the Diaspora community as an indispensible partner in its efforts to advance peace and development in the region. Most of the people who attended this particular meeting were from Jigjiga zone. I am also from Jigjiga and while I would have liked a more inclusive representation than what I saw in the meeting, I was not overly displeased with the set up. I understand that some people from my zone might have requested for a separate meeting to have a more focused discussion with Mr. Abdifatah on issues that are specific to Jigjiga. I had no reason to suspect the meeting will take the direction it took later.
Mr. Abdifatah briefed the community on the objectives of his mission, the current political and socio-economic situation in the Somali region and the renewed commitment of the Federal Government to ensure good governance and development in the region. He stressed the importance of political stability to achieve development and to end the destructive activities of anti-peace elements. He said members of the Diaspora community have a vital role to play in the fight against ‘terrorists’ and ‘those who trade in the blood of poor pastoralists’. He expressed his confidence that the political stability that has been achieved in the last 2-3 years as the result of strong leadership by the ruling Ethiopian Somali people Democratic Party (ESPDP) will prevail.
But I was taken aback later when Mr. Abdifatah went into issues that made me regret my participation in the meeting. Mr. Abdifatah said “the city of Jigjiga is taken over by an alien and ‘warring’ clan. The Jigjiga community in the Diaspora must do its bit so that the city comes back to the hands of it’s ‘owners’ once again.” This statement was highly inflammatory, sectarian and quite unbecoming of a representative of the entire Somali Region. I felt a deep sense of shame and hopelessness. Here is a regional figure, a political leader who saw it fit to sow clan disharmony into what was sold as a peace mission to us. Mr. Abdifatah might have wrongly assumed that all those who were in attendance were driven by clan affiliations and therefore must have craved for such a message of hate. I can tell him in this piece that it was distasteful and have sullied all the positive messages that have come from his delegation through the media. If Mr. Abdifatah’s message was part of his mission talking points given to him by the Federal Authorities, it portends a sinister divide-and-rule déjà vu by Addis Ababa. If it was his own message, it reflects badly on the quality of leadership in the region. I don’t need to be a political genius to know that such mentality will not help an iota to advance peace, reconciliation and unity among the various clans in the Somali region. On the contrary, it will deepen mutual suspicions, animosity, and clan chauvinism. It is the worst message that could have come from a delegation that enjoyed the goodwill of many people in the Diaspora who are eager to return and contribute to the development of the region. For me, the event was largely a forgettable encounter where I was left to reflect on just when Somali leaders would put a line between where clan loyalty ends and political leadership starts. ______________________________________________________________________ We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com
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