Barely a week has gone before the newly formed government of Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud aka Siilaanyo, which came to office following a massive backing of Somaliland voters (some say massive backing of one clan voters), has taken a slippery road and in the process potentially alienated a large part of Somaliland people.  In his long, rhetorical and vacuous speech following the day after inauguration president Siilaanyo has promised, among other things, that he will serve the whole Somaliland populace equally and fairly regardless of who voted for him, their clan and political inclinations. That turned out now an empty gesture and hollow promise, with Awadal, Sool and Sanaag communities on the fringes of Mr. Siilaanyo’s government. 

Based on the evidence on how Mr. Siilaanyo formed his clan-dominated cabinet, one could interpret his famous or rather infamous speech “that he will serve all Somaliland communities/clans equally and fairly” meant only one thing: that is his clan is more than equal to all other Somaliland tribes put together and hence should dictate for the other clans at will. “After all we liberated this country” is the motto for many in Hargeisa and Burao. For instance Gar Hajis Xajis or Habar Jeclo, based on Ahmed Siilaanyo’s distribution of government posts, are more than equal to Gadaboursi or Dhulbahante in numbers, and as a result should get more seats than the latter non-Isaaq clans.  If this was innocuous when forming the cabinet, let me remind the honourable president how these clans are related and should be clubbed together. Habar Awal or Habar Jeclo (both Isaaq sub clans) should not be compared to Gadaboursi or for that matter the northern Darods when it comes to fair distribution of government ministers and other high ranking officials. Power sharing should be distributed along the following lines: Isaaq, Gadaboursi, Dhulbahante, Warsengali, Ciise, and Gabooye should have their fair share of government posts.

This does not mean that the above should get same seats in government, but each one of these clans should be apportioned to their fair share of seats on a proportional representation.

SNM fought against the last recognized Somali government led by the late Siad Barre under the umbrella of Isaaq opposition movement, and not as Habar Jeclo, Habar Younis, Habar Awal, Arab, Ciidagale, etc, opposition fronts. Distributing ministers and other high ranking positions on the basis of Ahmed Siilaanyo’s current thinking and his likeminded within the Isaaq establishment is akin to the old age wishful thinking that Majeerteen and all black-headed sheep are equal in number (Majeerteen iyo wixii madax madowbaa siman), a euphemism intended to stress the supposedly superior numbers of Majeerteen clan.  What this means also is the fact that Somaliland population consists of more than 70 per cent of Isaaq clans and less than 30 per cent of all the other clans lumped together without showing any statistical evidence to support such misplaced and absurd mentality. The over-seventy year old president must have his sums hopelessly wrong.  How could a fair-minded president, not to mention a veteran politician of his stature, form a government whose make up is almost exclusively from one clan, Isaaq, his own clan? After all, the Isaaq movement (SNM) fought a bloody war against Siyad Barre’s regime to seek justice for their people, or so we thought. Are they not practicing exactly the same thing in their backyard?

President Ahmed Siilaanyo has formed a cabinet consisting of 20 ministers of which 14 are possessed by his kinship, Isaaq, with Gadaboursi awarded the unwanted and left over Ministries of Justice and Law and Agriculture.

The Dhulbahante and Warsangeli, the other major clans that make up what was collectively called British protectorate during the colonial period under the British Empire, did not fare better. Indeed, Warsangeli was given nothing - nil point to borrow this phrase from Eurovision contest.

To make things even worse, all the most important and powerful portfolios went to Isaaq individuals, again president’s kinship. What the president formed is nothing short of an exclusive Isaaq club. If this is what he vowed before God and the general public  at large, not to mention the international observers,  that he will serve the nation equally to the best of his ability, heaven knows what is in the pipeline for Somaliland’s non-isaaq clans in a country fast becoming an exclusive one clan enclave.  People in Burao and Hargeisa are celebrating for a government they regard as fair and equitable. Imagine if those celebrating were on the receiving end of Ahmed Siilaanyo’s injustice meted out to other clans; all hell would have been let loose. Despite all the publicity surrounding Somaliland’s so called heaven of democracy, everyone in this territory lives, eats and sleeps tribalism. All the talk that “Somaliland” is a mature democracy is a charade and no more than window dressing exercise. This is why there are precisely more clan chiefs than any other community in the world with such names as Ugas, King, sultan, Garad, etc. Imagine living in a country where your destiny is decided for you by a government consisting of one clan!

What the president forgot and needs to be reminded of, perhaps in a polite manner, is the fact that all significant posts in addition to his lopsided cabinet ministers already belong to his kinship, Isaaq. The bicameral Somaliland parliament is an exclusive Isaaq club dotted with a few tokens from other clans, both headed by Isaaq politicians. The National Election Commission is not different. Over 90% of high-ranking officials, including almost all director generals (DGs) in government ministries and other institutions hail from Isaaq, Ahmed Siilaanyo’s clan. In fact there are only four non Isaaq DGs (Agaasime guud) out of 27 DGs according to Awdalpress, who recently published their names as well as their respective clans. All these are often disguised under the slogan of Somaliland Guurti, Somaliland legislative, Somaliland high court of Justice, Somaliland political parties and so and so forth. This is why the initial but limited support in the early nineties for Somaliland secession by our Harti bothers and former allies had faded away after it became apparent that Isaaq - following a long and bitter war with the last Somali government - is hell bent to dominate Somaliland politics and its inherent benefits at the expense of all other clans put together and create their own fiefdom.  Oh boy! They were not so wrong.

For those of us who advocated and vehemently supported a change of government in Somaliland, the new president’s formation of a regime stuffed with his kinship had left a bad taste in our mouth. It is a catastrophic setback for those trying to sell Somaliland project to the outside world as a hunky dory, all inclusive government represented by all communities. The so-called “Africa’s best kept secret for democracy” has become a nightmare scenario for all those promoting this cause as it lies in complete shambles following Ahmed Siilaanyo’s  disingenuous action.

On the basis of what we see today, Somaliland will chase the wild goose i.e. international recognition for another twenty years (may be forever) as the international community will not be daft enough to throw their weight behind one clan state.

To say I am disappointed at what Ahmed Siilaanyo and Co has done is an understatement. It is a terrible blow to Awdalities who, unlike their former USP allies, believed the rhetoric of Isaaq politicians that “Somaliland” is indeed for all Somalilanders regardless of their clan complex. No matter how hard some clan supremacists in Hargeisa and Burao try to gloss up this unfair, lopsided power sharing system, it is a complete cock-up on the part of Siilaanyo and his kinship. Quite simply, they blew it.

To add insult to injury, the Isaaq-run Somaliland media were full of praise for Ahmed Siilaanyo’s government as the best ever in the country. They have even shown an utter contempt for those bold enough to highlight Ahmed Siilaanyo’s clan imbalance.  Bahsir Goth – a poet, prolific writer, political commentator and a die-hard long time supporter of Somaliland causes - was singled out for harsh treatment by such media following his latest interview with VOA Somali language in which he rightly described Ahmed Siilaanyo’s distribution of government posts an exact copycat of Empaghati’s infamous 4.5 power sharing modeled for Somalia. It is inconceivable for a whole clan aspiring for a nation state to stonewall such injustice and toe the line behind this utter nonsense. Such blind following of clan line could play out in the hands of an already suspicious community on the intentions of Somaliland project.

As for those non-isaaq clans particularly those from Awdal, it is not a time for recriminations. Getting one pathetic minister here and there for your own sub clan should not obscure the goal congruence of the whole community, as that seat could be lost to another sub clan in a moment’s notice.  If I were one of the two Awdalities appointed for these meaningless so-called ministries, I would have slapped my resignation on Ahmed Siilaanyo’s face in disgust and in solidarity with fellow Awdalities.

The whole Awdal communities and those put in a similar, disenfranchised position should face against this lopsided Isaaq-dominated government in unison. The new Somaliland ship steered by president Siilaanyo with the tune of ship ahoy, ship ahoy is sailing on uncharted territory and could easily hit aground anytime soon as the captain is not on full control. Some in the ship are already preparing lifeboats for the inevitability. Ever since Somaliland has declared unilateral secession from the rest of Somalia, it was obvious to many that it will be dominated by one clan. That process is now completed with the formation of Ahmed Siilaanyo’s recent one clan-dominated government. Somaliland is now under the total domination and hegemony of clan.

Mohamed F Yabarag
E-Mail: myabarag@yahoo.co.uk