By Dr Ali Bahar; Head of Awdal State Movement
INTRODUCTION
The persistent escalation of military violence by the Hargeisa administration -the SNM remnants and their supporters is very likely to deeply entrench in a proliferation of vicious regional conflict. The mission of Awddal State movement (ASM) is to end this authoritarian regime and its oppressive system.
Awdal State Movement (ASM) was created to promote the idea of uniting its communities for one cause; that Awdal must govern its region independent of SNM authorities, without negotiation. The fundamental political strategy is enshrined on the mission of how to better help the communities in Awdal to cultivate and create their own leadership and self-governance. ASM aims to change all the vicious and bloody schemes of the clan ruling in Hargeisa and their supporters from Awdal. ASM will put an end to this thin layer of control over Awdal that is nothing more than a style of neocolonialism- self-organized tribal group, which is an advanced detachment of the former colonizer- and now actively engaging subtle subjugation of socio-economic order, and adulteration of the cultural heritage of the State of Awdal and its people. However, such layer of control is uneven and is rather sitting insecurely on top of an explosion- an extremely resilient order they cannot sustain controlling it any longer.
The people of Awdal will not rest until they achieve a lasting victory and form their federal Somalia member State. ASM administration is intended to create a new socio-economic order and political strategy that will end the clan monopoly in the region. ASM would establish a government that represents the people, protects the peace, and is unwilling to be the party of the secessionist group.
The contention is that the problems Awdal is facing are much bigger and deeper than just changing a political party every few years, so long such an oppressive system exists in the region. It will take organized efforts from the Awdal community to defend itself and dislodge this strangling power and free themselves.
ASM argues that it was the invasion by SNM and the continued attacks by the self-styled regional authorities in Hargeisa that caused the leadership breakdown and the lack of economic development in the region. The regional authority in Hargeisa has employed tenants of their own armed military, comprised of unofficial tribal militia orchestrated by president Bixi and his tribal cohorts. Such power is financed by the authorities of SNM and the president of Djibouti to destroy the daily livelihood of the Awdal community, making it difficult to re-organize and build their leadership and self-governance. We, ASM, reject and condemn this egregious and heinous repugnant act supported by some international governments and organizations. The best way to tackle such tactics is to repair the community relationships to circumvent the drawbacks of divide and conquer tactics. We are calling for an Autonomous Awdal State that remains as member of the Somali federal government.
Background:
Awdal is a resourceful region with a long coastal ocean and with the distribution of terrestrial ecological systems of grassland, savanna, tropical dry forests, and mountainous regions with rich minerals and precious rocks waiting to be mined. A region blessed with supreme landscape of agricultural lands, wetlands, and with vast waterways has been reduced to being one of the poorest regions in the whole of the Horn of Africa. According to recent reports from the region, “The mountainous zone consists of a string of mountains, known as Golis range, extends from east to west across the region and is about 700 –1000 meters above sea level. The zone is characterized by topographical features such as deep Gorges, valleys, and dry water courses, with and without springs, that all end up into coastal zone. During the rainy season, the water courses carrying rainwater run-offs from mountains go into the sea. The run-offs washed down good soil from mountain tops and, in the process, cause environmental degradation and deterioration of roads passing across the mountains into coastal towns; they also leave behind deep sandy soils in coastal plains that make road transportation a big challenge. The last and the third topographical feature of the region, next to the Mountainous Zone in the south, is the Ogo Plateau zone. It is about 1100–1300 meters above sea level. Most of the major towns and villages including the regional capital, Borama city, occur in this zone and has high population density in the region.”
The people of Awdal know their history and the significance of Awdal to the rest of the world. The Awdal region is a global strategic region which has defense, economic, and strategic significance. The global trade ‘Choke Point’ is the nine-nautical miles between the port of Zeila, Somalia, and Aden, Yemen. Most of the worldwide oil goes through this narrow segment, and anyone who controls the ‘Choke Point” has a tremendous influence on global trade. The people of Awdal is currently under occupation of this one-clan entity calling itself Somaliland.
The Attack of SNM militia to Northern Somalia Population.
In the 1990s, Somalia fell into the hands of unruly warlords, who put every region and its environs in hell. These warlords were the first symptoms of the disease that eventually ravaged the whole Somalia. The UN, US, and other international communities, who lacked the understanding of Somali clan-politics, have empowered the warlords by legitimizing their control of their selective regions in the country at large. The SNM administration in Hargeisa, northern Somalia, has created a terror in the northern region of Somalia. What is more shocking today, more than three decades, is to see men employing the same tactics to remain in power forever. The men who started this ravaging violence back in 1979 between rural communities in northern Somalia are continuing relentless hostilities towards the people of SSC and Awdal to kill, imprison and torture-that is their style of governing. Until these men and their entire system forced out of politics, peace will never return to the region as they will never relinquish power in peaceful manner.
The regime has already taken over the area, plundered its economy, and repeatedly appointed non-elected local governors to Awdal Region; only for the purpose of executing its conspiracy to displace Awdal inhabitants. The nature of the violence that Somaliland is carrying out inside the region is a total war, an all-out effort to kill and subdue civilians, especially the youth. It is designed to disfranchise and displace people from their homes. Case in point is what is happening today in SSC regions and its surroundings. The truth of the matter is that these men have had the opportunity to lead their people but could not govern and they failed miserably.
Read more: Crisis in Awdal: Violence, Poverty, and Border Restrictions
By Dr. Ali Bahar:
Head of Awdal State Movement (ASM).
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