Is Somalia taking Kenya for granted for its own good?

December 3, 2015December 3, 2015

By Osman Hassan

A Kenya journalist by the name of Gitau Warigi wrote an article in the Daily Nation of Kenya on 22 November 2015 entitled “Somalia is taking Kenya too much for granted for her own good “. In making his points, Mr Warigi has pulled no punches to be disdainful towards Somalia, its government and people. His opening shot is to put Somalis in their place as he sees it. With Somalia in mind, he says that “some failed States reach a point where they become a joke”. As if that is not an affront below the belt, he continues to pile on more: Somalia’s behaviour as a neighbour, he adds, has became “increasingly loony” to “understand her position in the scheme of things”. Even if we have to concede, with our hands on our hearts, that there is an element of truth in Somalia becoming a “joke” among nations for remaining dysfunctional for over quarter of a century, all the same, his gratuitous derisive antics will not win him his bones of contention with Somalia if that is his intention.

Uhuru and Hassan — President Uhuru and President Hassan

Withdrawal of Kenya forces from Somalia

One of the issues that has clearly enraged the journalist is the demand of the Somali Parliament for the withdrawal of Kenya’s AMISOM contingent from Somalia, an action he refers to as ” more comical than serious”. Why? Because Somalia as a failed State is not sovereign as he sees it, and secondly it has no say in the matter as Kenya’s defence forces (KDF) in Somalia are answerable only to AMISOM and not to Somalia. AMISOM, he claims, is a creation of the UN and AU and as such cannot be disbanded without a resolution from the UN Security Council. So, love it or loathe it, Somalia has to put up with the KDF on its soil.

While he is right that Kenya’s KDF are not directly answerable to the Somali Government, that does not mean it cannot get them out of its territory. Needless to say, it was subject to the concurrence of Somalia, as an independent member country of the AU, that AMISOM peacekeeping forces from contributing countries came to Somalia. Kenya’s KDF entered Somalia, not as part of AMISOM, but through prior invasion to capture and occupy part of Somalia under the pretext of fighting al Shabaab. And it was with a view to legitimising its occupation and saving money that its forces simply changed hats and put on that of the African Union’s AMISONM peace-keeping forces – this time with the consent of the Somali government.

As such, the current internationally recognized government of Somalia, could demand from the AU, if it so wished and in line with its sovereignty, the withdrawal of any specific AMISOM contingent if it considers their presence in the country incompatible with their mandate, or not conducive to the interest of Somalia. The AU would have no choice but to oblige, for how else can peacekeeping forces remain in a hosting AU member country against the will of its government?.

There is nationwide objection to the presence of KDF in Somalia given their illicit trade in charcoal in Jubaland in collusion with al Shabaab. This is not “loony” fabricated accusations by Somalia but the independent report from the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea and now corroborated by the recent report ( Black and White – Kenya’s Criminal Racket in Somalia) by Kenya’s own Journalists For Justice (JFJ). Not only that, but as the JFJ report confirms what we in Somalia already know, Kenya’s land and air forces have committed atrocities and widespread human rights abuses on numerous occasions against the civilian Somali population in Jubaland. Either the journalist is ignorant of these facts, but more likely expects Somalia to be meekly passive in the face of KDF’s crimes.

The Land Boarder Wall

Another issue which the journalist finds it difficult to understand is why Somalia should question “Kenya’s sovereign right” to erect a 700 km-long wall along the boarder between the two countries. Clearly, he fails to understand the underlying problems with the wall. The first is that Kenya, taking advantage of Somalia’s relative weakness and preoccupation with its internal problems, is creating unacceptable facts on the ground. In this case, they are using security needs as a pretext to establish a new border, shifting it further inside Somalia. This amounts to territorial aggrandisement in all but name.

But even Kenya if wall is along the border demarcated by the colonial powers of Britain and Italy, it still poses unacceptable consequences. For one thing, it would keep apart the same people on both sides of the border often belonging to the same sub-clans. When other countries, similarly exercising their sovereignty, erected similar abominable walls, all justified in the name of security, as was the case with the Berlin Wall erected by the defunct East German Government thereby dividing the German people, or Israel’s Apartheid wall (as the Palestinians call it), separating the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, each action led to widespread international outrage. The Kenya wall should be no exception.

But the third problem with the wall is much more serious than the first two. The people in the North East Region of Kenya and those across the boarder in Somalia are mainly pastoralists who belong to the same clans artificially divided by colonial conquest. In this arid region, sometimes with frequent draughts, the nomads in the NE Region of Kenya had been able to survive until now by moving unhindered to the Somali side in search of grazing and water. The erection of the wall, and preventing these people access to their traditional grazing and watering areas in Somalia in times of draught would mean condemning them to certain famines.

Kenya may not care about their fate, and indeed that is manifest from its history of massacres and oppression of Somalis in the NE Region. But no country can remain indifferent to the suffering inflicted on their kith and kin in another country even if the perpetrator is technically exercising its sovereignty. Parallels can be drawn from elsewhere. For Ethiopia to starve the Egyptian nation by unilaterally denying them the free flow of the waters of the Nile, invoking its sovereignty, or for Egypt to close the Suez Canal to other countries, would both represent existentialist actions for one country or others and could lead to justifiable war. Somalia should not be expected to turn a blind eye when its maritime and territorial integrities are being violated and crimes against humanity committed against their own kith and kin across the boarder.

The Maritime border

The third issue which irked the journalist is Somalia’s action to defend its maritime rights and, in the face of Kenya’s predatory claims, take its case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague – an action which he finds “absurd”. If it is so absurd, and Kenya is sure of its case, what was the need to bribe corrupt Somali officials to secure a secret hurriedly-drawn Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would make the maritime border favourable to Kenya but a sell-out to Somalia?, Since Somalia lodged its case with the ICJ, why all the desperate efforts by Kenya’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Amina Mohamed, to cajole her Somalia counterparts to withdraw their case from the ICJ and accept direct negotiations between the two countries? Or the need for their Attorney General to wade into the fray and give his judgement in favour of Kenya as if he was the judge on the matter? There is undignified panic and hysteria on the Kenya side, indicative of losers. There is nothing “absurd” about Somalia to exercise its sovereignty and demand the withdrawal of Kenya’s KDF from its territory, or to defend its territorial and maritime rights.

Who is taking who for granted?

If there is one thing Somalia is grateful to Kenya, it is for hosting Somali refugees in its territory since 1991. And here, Somali leaders never miss an opportunity to express their gratitude to Kenya and pledge their commitment to have the refugees back home once the situation in Somalia is conducive to their return, rehabilitation and sustainable livelihoods. Otherwise, what else has Kenya done for Somalia that it takes “for granted for her own good” to merit ridicule and threats as implicit in the journalist’s headline? He got it wrong and it is Kenya that takes Somalia “for granted for her own good”.

Start with the economic relations between Somalia and Kenya and it is almost all in one direction in Kenya’s favour. In terms of trade, Kenya earns millions of dollars a year from exporting its lucrative destructive drug (Qat) and other goods to Somalia with no imports worth mentioning from Somalia. Inside Kenya, the hard-working Somali business community, bringing in their own money, play a key role in Kenya’s commercial sector, in particular Nairobi, generating thousands of jobs and paying millions of dollars in taxes to public finances. Somali residents, mainly North American and European citizens, bring much needed capital to the country contributing also to the economy and employment.

Apart from the undeniable environmental degradation impact of hosting refugees, the Somali refugees are not a financial burden on Kenya but indeed contributors to the economy. Whether they receive support from UNHCR or not, most receive remittances from their relatives in the diaspora. Their expenditures needless to say nourishes the economy. The Dhadhaab refugee camp, much maligned by Kenya, contributes much to the economy of the NE Region which has been left in abject underdevelopment by successive Kenya Governments since independence.

Apart from hosting refugees, Kenya’s treatment of ethnic Somalis in its territory since its independence irrespective of their citizenship has been worse than what Kenyans themselves experienced under the cruel British colonial rule that led to the Mau Mau uprising. Worst treated are Somalis in the NE Region who have known nothing else but massacres, oppression and abysmal underdevelopment and marginalisation since independence. As for foreign passport-holding Somali residents, refugees or business community in Nairobi, they are on the one hand milked both by the State and police but otherwise subjected to daily persecution, arbitrary detention and deportation even when they are Kenyan citizens. Eastleigh, known as little Mogadishu, typifies the status of Somalis as second class people. Despite its considerable contributions to the treasury and employment, it gets little in return in terms of services. Squalor, open sewages and uncollected refuse pile up in the streets representing great health hazard. These grim realities do not represent hospitality meriting gratitude unless one is talking in Orwellian double talk.

There is much that unites Kenya and Somalia. And if both countries would focus on this, but more so Kenya as the present dominant party (given Somalia present struggle with its own internal problems), it would be to their mutual benefits. Unfortunately, Kenya is engrossed in its current temporary political and military advantages as if it will last for ever and unscrupulously taking advantage of Somalia when it is defenceless and leaderless. It has yet to dawn on Kenya’s political elite that the emergence of a strong united Somalia is inevitable and only a matter of time which make any temporary gains at Somalia’s expense in the meantime unsustainable in the future.

For now, almost all the negative actions poisoning the relations between the two peoples are coming from the Kenya side, and Somalis, whether in Kenya or Somalia, have been on the receiving end. That is a sure recipe for future conflict which is in no one’s interest. Neither country should take the other for granted for their own good.

Osman Hassan
email: osman.hassan2 @gmail.com
————–
Osman Hassan is a seasoned journalist and a former UN staff member. Mr Hassan is also a regular contributor to WardheerNews.

No Comments

“Kenya’s KDF entered Somalia, not as part of AMISOM, but through prior invasion to
capture and occupy part of Somalia under the pretext of fighting al Shabaab. And it was with a view to legitimising its occupation and saving money that its forces simply changed hats and put on that of the African Union’s AMISONM peace-keeping forces – this time with the consent of the Somali government.
As such, the current internationally recognized government of Somalia, could demand from the AU, if it so wished and in line with its sovereignty, the withdrawal of any specific AMISOM contingent if it considers their presence in the country incompatible with their mandate, or not conducive to the interest of Somalia. The AU would have no choice but to oblige, for how else can peacekeeping forces remain in a hosting AU member country against the will of its government?.” By writing this nonsense, I am sure you will have won plaudits from your intended target audience: Culusow’s people. However, I would
like to remind you that since 2012 Culusow has been trying to kick Kenyans out Somalia by pretending to preside over a sovereign nation. Culusow’s malicious intention, however, has backfired and the Kenyans did not budge. This article doesn’t surprise me, however, because some Khatumites (not to be mistaken with people from SSC regions) have been singing Hawiye praises these days per their paramount leader’s wishes.
December 3, 2015 Yasin Abdi
“Kenya’s KDF entered Somalia, not as part of AMISOM, but through prior invasion to
capture and occupy part of Somalia under the pretext of fighting al Shabaab. And it was with a view to legitimising its occupation and saving money that its forces simply changed hats and put on that of the African Union’s AMISONM peace-keeping forces – this time with the consent of the Somali government.
As such, the current internationally recognized government of Somalia, could demand from the AU, if it so wished and in line with its sovereignty, the withdrawal of any specific AMISOM contingent if it considers their presence in the country incompatible with their mandate, or not conducive to the interest of Somalia. The AU would have no choice but to oblige, for how else can peacekeeping forces remain in a hosting AU member country against the will of its government?.” By writing this nonsense, I am sure you will have won plaudits from your intended target audience: Culusow’s people. However, I would
like to remind you that since 2012 Culusow has been trying to kick Kenyans out Somalia by pretending to preside over a sovereign nation. Culusow’s malicious intention, however, has backfired and the Kenyans did not budge. This article doesn’t surprise me, however, because some Khatumites (not to be mistaken with people from SSC regions) have been singing Hawiye praises these days per their paramount leader’s wishes.
December 3, 2015 Yasin Abdi
- If defending our national sovereignty makes me pro Hawiye, so be it. It means I am in good company among patriots and I am proud of it. As for the SSC people,the days when they could be wooed by invoking the Darood card or the bogy of Hawye are over. Try something else for a change.
  December 3, 2015 Osman Omar Hassan
  - Mr. Osman,
    I and everybody with knowledge of these two countries’ history will agree with you all the POINTS you raised and regardless of what some people with tribal agenda or on the payroll of the Kenyan government say. I particularly applaud when you say “For now, almost all the negative actions poisoning the relations between the two peoples are coming from the Kenya side, and Somalis, whether in Kenya or Somalia, have been on the receiving end. That is a sure recipe for future conflict which is in no one’s interest. Neither country should take the other for granted for their own good.”
    Other legitimate questions that seem to be ignored are, Why Kenya raises all this border and maritime disputes now and never raised them from 1960-1990, if it is not taking advantage of the sad state of Somalia and corrupted leaders who care only their bank accounts..?
    Why some people are so blind or ignorant the fact that this so-called borders are only 50-60 years old and are put in place by colonial powers who did them this way intentionally to create constant wars and disputes and separate families and people who always lived side by side..?
    Borders are never permanent and nations have no right to exist, they have the right to defend. Therefore, the borders between Somalia and Kenya, Somalia -Ethiopia, there is a reason they are called “Professional” or Temporary..,!, because colonial powers new they were making the recipe for future venomous disputes when they made them.
    European countries are arranged in tribes and every country has tribal identities when the Europeans made African borders they intentionally separated same tribes into different countries to create disputes in future, example is the case of the somali people..!
    I also hope That Mr. Warigi reads this article to educate himself a bit..!
    @Yasin,
    why are you so obsessed pairing with Culusow whoever Somalian who raises the question of Jubbaland and KDF.?
    you need to do some reality check, first, Culusow is a recognized figure good or bad, Madobe is a regional warlord just like Hiiraale, and Culusow if he came out like charismatic leader at the beginning of his presidency he would have the power to kick KDF or any AMISOM forces out of Somalia. Unfortunately, as all of us can see Culusow did not fill that role but that does not mean that the next leader could not do it if all the stars line up.
    Secondly, We as a people should put the country before clan and people like you are those who pioneered the destruction of the Somali nation, knowingly or unknowingly, if you are not a Kenyan undercover agent.
    Those people all died or will die refugees, no dignity, no country and punished in life and hopefully in the afterlife for the fitna they created.
    And lastly, the somali song use to go..”hay bad waxaad ku leedahay dalkaaga hooyo”….!
    December 3, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
  - Mr. Osman,
    I and everybody with knowledge of these two countries’ history will agree with you all the POINTS you raised and regardless of what some people with tribal agenda or on the payroll of the Kenyan government say. I particularly applaud when you say “For now, almost all the negative actions poisoning the relations between the two peoples are coming from the Kenya side, and Somalis, whether in Kenya or Somalia, have been on the receiving end. That is a sure recipe for future conflict which is in no one’s interest. Neither country should take the other for granted for their own good.”
    Other legitimate questions that seem to be ignored are, Why Kenya raises all this border and maritime disputes now and never raised them from 1960-1990, if it is not taking advantage of the sad state of Somalia and corrupted leaders who care only their bank accounts..?
    Why some people are so blind or ignorant the fact that this so-called borders are only 50-60 years old and are put in place by colonial powers who did them this way intentionally to create constant wars and disputes and separate families and people who always lived side by side..?
    Borders are never permanent and nations have no right to exist, they have the right to defend. Therefore, the borders between Somalia and Kenya, Somalia -Ethiopia, there is a reason they are called “Professional” or Temporary..,!, because colonial powers new they were making the recipe for future venomous disputes when they made them.
    European countries are arranged in tribes and every country has tribal identities when the Europeans made African borders they intentionally separated same tribes into different countries to create disputes in future, example is the case of the somali people..!
    I also hope That Mr. Warigi reads this article to educate himself a bit..!
    @Yasin,
    why are you so obsessed pairing with Culusow whoever Somalian who raises the question of Jubbaland and KDF.?
    you need to do some reality check, first, Culusow is a recognized figure good or bad, Madobe is a regional warlord just like Hiiraale, and Culusow if he came out like charismatic leader at the beginning of his presidency he would have the power to kick KDF or any AMISOM forces out of Somalia. Unfortunately, as all of us can see Culusow did not fill that role but that does not mean that the next leader could not do it if all the stars line up.
    Secondly, We as a people should put the country before clan and people like you are those who pioneered the destruction of the Somali nation, knowingly or unknowingly, if you are not a Kenyan undercover agent.
    Those people all died or will die refugees, no dignity, no country and punished in life and hopefully in the afterlife for the fitna they created.
    And lastly, the somali song use to go..”hay bad waxaad ku leedahay dalkaaga hooyo”….!
    December 3, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
  - OSMAN,
    Afkaaga caana lagu qabay….!!!!!, Well said, Brother.
    December 3, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
  - OSMAN,
    Afkaaga caana lagu qabay….!!!!!, Well said, Brother.
    December 3, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
  - Osman,
    The reason why you are advocating for Hawiye position is that Ahmed Madobe has declined to recognize Ali Khalif’s Khatumo project. Hawiye are obsessed with Kenya’s withdrawal not out of patriotism, but they think they can invade and capture Kismaayo. That is the Hawiye mindset. The only thing they know is hatred for Darods, including, ironically, the very Osman Hassan who is now beating a pro-Hawiye drum on WardheerNews. It is the same mindset that they have now convinced themselves that they can wrest control of Galkacyo from its Darod owners, or at least force it to be brought under AMISOM. Perhaps blinded by sub clan loyalty to Ali Khalif, what Osman forgets, however, is that when his hometown, Buhotle, was under relentless SNM attack, it was the residents of Galkacyo who offered all sorts of help. Ironically Osman is now cheering for Abdi Qaybdiid and wishes he could have captured Galkacyo from its Darod inhabitants.
    What I would like to share with Darod readers on this page is that the likes of Osman and Ali Khalif do not represent the thinking of Dhulbahante public, and even though we feel that my hometown, Lasanod, has been neglected, we still hope that cooler heads will prevail and Lasanod will get the long overdue attention it deserves. I hope Osman won’t tell me that his boss, Ali Khalif, a closet SNM and now Hawiye stooge was and is for liberation. Ali has always been in cahoots with SNM occupiers and the vast majority of the collaborators in the city hail from his sub clan.
    However, if the primary intention and audience of your article was to impress Culusow and ilk, rest assured, you have achieved that goal.
    December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
    - Yasin Abdi,
      Initially I thought your argument was based on subject matter i.e.
      the articles in question, but it’s now too apparent where you are coming from. For one, I must say that, your outburst towards adeer Osman Hassan is not warranted. Two, it’s getting too old for the public to bear, our dirty laundry on public forums.
      December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Ficil baa ku qaadaan u malaynayaa, Cabdirahman Camayow, ee nabadgelyo. Waxaan moodayey inaad web dhan kala gur iyo maagis u furatay. Balse si uu u muujiyo in wuxuu qorayaa dhab ka tahay , bal waakaase Cismaan maqaal uu ku magaayo walaalkaa ha qoro waa kii Ina Cali Shireba maqaalada Wardheer u soo gelin jiraya. Waxaa la yidhi, nin gurigiisu dhalo yahow, dhagax ha tuurtuurin. Waxaan kaloo u malaynayaa in Cismaan nin is daafici kara yahay, hiilna aanu kaaga baahnayn. Waxase meesha iiga soo baxday inaad all along riwaayad noo dhigi jirteen. Thanks for the comment.
        December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
      - Yasin, waad iga qoslisay. bal aynu si gooni ah u sheekaysanee, hoos inoogu dhig. Fb accountka fariin gaara iigu soo dir. same spelling. abdiraheem omar
        December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Yasin, waad iga qoslisay. bal aynu si gooni ah u sheekaysanee, hoos inoogu dhig. Fb accountka fariin gaara iigu soo dir. same spelling. abdiraheem omar
        December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Laba biyo hoostood iska aragtay ayagaa is og….!
        December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
      - Dhacarbe, Runtii Yasin Abdi in uu ka soo joodo goboladda SSC qoraalkiisaan ka fahmay, lkn hoos ka tuur hoose oo noo socday ma jirin. Lkn, dooda somalida ayaa caadiyan isugu soo biyo shubata hal meel. dhib weyni ma jiro.
        December 5, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Dhacarbe, Runtii Yasin Abdi in uu ka soo joodo goboladda SSC qoraalkiisaan ka fahmay, lkn hoos ka tuur hoose oo noo socday ma jirin. Lkn, dooda somalida ayaa caadiyan isugu soo biyo shubata hal meel. dhib weyni ma jiro.
        December 5, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Laba biyo hoostood iska aragtay ayagaa is og….!
        December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
      - Ficil baa ku qaadaan u malaynayaa, Cabdirahman Camayow, ee nabadgelyo. Waxaan moodayey inaad web dhan kala gur iyo maagis u furatay. Balse si uu u muujiyo in wuxuu qorayaa dhab ka tahay , bal waakaase Cismaan maqaal uu ku magaayo walaalkaa ha qoro waa kii Ina Cali Shireba maqaalada Wardheer u soo gelin jiraya. Waxaa la yidhi, nin gurigiisu dhalo yahow, dhagax ha tuurtuurin. Waxaan kaloo u malaynayaa in Cismaan nin is daafici kara yahay, hiilna aanu kaaga baahnayn. Waxase meesha iiga soo baxday inaad all along riwaayad noo dhigi jirteen. Thanks for the comment.
        December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
      - Thanks Raheem for clarifying things here…!
        December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
      - Thanks Raheem for clarifying things here…!
        December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
    - Yasin Abdi,
      Initially I thought your argument was based on subject matter i.e.
      the articles in question, but it’s now too apparent where you are coming from. For one, I must say that, your outburst towards adeer Osman Hassan is not warranted. Two, it’s getting too old for the public to bear, our dirty laundry on public forums.
      December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
  - Osman,
    The reason why you are advocating for Hawiye position is that Ahmed Madobe has declined to recognize Ali Khalif’s Khatumo project. Hawiye are obsessed with Kenya’s withdrawal not out of patriotism, but they think they can invade and capture Kismaayo. That is the Hawiye mindset. The only thing they know is hatred for Darods, including, ironically, the very Osman Hassan who is now beating a pro-Hawiye drum on WardheerNews. It is the same mindset that they have now convinced themselves that they can wrest control of Galkacyo from its Darod owners, or at least force it to be brought under AMISOM. Perhaps blinded by sub clan loyalty to Ali Khalif, what Osman forgets, however, is that when his hometown, Buhotle, was under relentless SNM attack, it was the residents of Galkacyo who offered all sorts of help. Ironically Osman is now cheering for Abdi Qaybdiid and wishes he could have captured Galkacyo from its Darod inhabitants.
    What I would like to share with Darod readers on this page is that the likes of Osman and Ali Khalif do not represent the thinking of Dhulbahante public, and even though we feel that my hometown, Lasanod, has been neglected, we still hope that cooler heads will prevail and Lasanod will get the long overdue attention it deserves. I hope Osman won’t tell me that his boss, Ali Khalif, a closet SNM and now Hawiye stooge was and is for liberation. Ali has always been in cahoots with SNM occupiers and the vast majority of the collaborators in the city hail from his sub clan.
    However, if the primary intention and audience of your article was to impress Culusow and ilk, rest assured, you have achieved that goal.
    December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
  - https://youtu.be/2BU1Q5hBcIw
    December 5, 2015 Ahmed Baasto
  - https://youtu.be/2BU1Q5hBcIw
    December 5, 2015 Ahmed Baasto
- If defending our national sovereignty makes me pro Hawiye, so be it. It means I am in good company among patriots and I am proud of it. As for the SSC people,the days when they could be wooed by invoking the Darood card or the bogy of Hawye are over. Try something else for a change.
  December 3, 2015 Osman Omar Hassan
- Yasiin Abdi,
  Osman Hassan is responding to a previous article
  on Wardheernews. Have you read that article in question? Or is it that, in the grand
  scheme of things, your only litmus test, is your clan interest card?
  December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
  - Abdiraheem,
    The following is what Osman wrote in the article (Read the second paragraph). And that mirrors Hawiye positions with regard to Kenya which they see as an impediment to their expansionist and clan cleansing ambitions. However, since Osman is not Hawiye, his interest of writing and advocating for Culusow’s position is his perception that they support Ali Khalif’s Khatumo. So the whole motivation of writing the article boils down to that if I support Hawiye against Majeerteen and Jubbaland (Hawiye’s primary target), then hopefully they will embrace us (Khatumo) and recognize the project as the sole representative of all Dhulbahante. I think I have said enough about my comment.
    “Kenya’s KDF entered Somalia, not as part of AMISOM, but through prior invasion to capture and occupy part of Somalia under the pretext of fighting al Shabaab. And it was with a view to legitimising its occupation and saving money that its forces simply changed hats and put on that of the African Union’s AMISONM peace-keeping forces – this time with the consent of the Somali government.
    As such, the current internationally recognized government of Somalia, could demand from the AU, if it so wished and in line with its sovereignty, the withdrawal of any specific AMISOM contingent if it considers their presence in the country incompatible with their mandate, or not conducive to the interest of Somalia. The AU would have no choice but to oblige, for how else can peacekeeping forces remain in a hosting AU member country against the will of its government?.”
    December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
    - Typical upside down tribal mentality, are you saying you feel more comfortable being under occupation than sharing something with your fellow compatriots, good or bad..? and by the way, you are not native of Jubba area, just because you are affiliated with some other clans who inhabit the area does not make you Jubba native. Does being white make one German..!? if going to school could make some people smarter…!
      December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
    - Typical upside down tribal mentality, are you saying you feel more comfortable being under occupation than sharing something with your fellow compatriots, good or bad..? and by the way, you are not native of Jubba area, just because you are affiliated with some other clans who inhabit the area does not make you Jubba native. Does being white make one German..!? if going to school could make some people smarter…!
      December 4, 2015 Dhacarbe Abdul
    - Yasin, please read the article by the fella from Kenya on Daily nation and Wardheernews. I bet, you, as an intelligent Somali man will have a complete different perspective. One sentence of it will be enough for you to see things in a different light: He says: “Somalia is a neighbor who has refused to understand her position in the scheme of things.” Translation: Reckon with it, Somalia as you know it, is gone, forever. Whether you like it or not. I am afraid, in our current state of affairs, no Somali can refute that.
      December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
      - Thank you very much, Abdiraheem. But I would like to tell you that I love Kenyans and hate Hawiyes. I can’t forget what they (Kenyans) did for my clan in 1991; thousands of Darods who are alive now would have perished if Kenyans didn’t save them. Guess, who was trying to eliminate them-and still dreaming of doing the same-are Hawiyes and their allies. And I am not a Kenyan agent. I am Dhulbahante (I know you as well. I am using a pseudonym) who hails from the deep Nugal Valley, so I have nothing to do with them. But after watching the behavior of our enemies, I have concluded that we can’t share a country with them. Look at what is currently happening in Galkacyo. We have given them and their allies 80% of parliament, which their numbers don’t warrant; they have a lock on the presidency these days; we grudgingly looked the other way to let the slaughterhouse called Mogadishu remain a capital, and yet they trying to uproot us from our traditional lands, comparing Darods in Jubbaland to aliens who came with Kenyans even though Darods in Southern Somalia are numerically larger than Isaaqs in the Somali republic..
        History shows that if people who share a country hate each other more they hate foreigners, it is easy for outsiders to rule such people; and that is exactly what is happening in countries such as Iraq and Syria. And please don’t tell me about the baloney that we are the same ethnic group and speak the same language; that didn’t stop them from seeking (they are still pursuing the same objective) to eliminate us from the face of the earth. So, I am not less nationalistic than anyone else, but just a realist.
        As far as SSC people are concerned, I believe we don’t have to bad mouth Majeeteen and seek Hawiye alliance in order to irritate our Majeerteen brothers; rather, we need to come to our senses and launch a dialogue with them in order to liberate Lasanod, which has been in enemy hands for too long now. I would like to tell you if Osman-a man I hold enormous respect for despite our clash here-wants to lead the process, I am ready to throw my support behind him. But the process has to go through our Darod brethren instead of trying to create alliances of convenience with Culusow and his people. To avoid a repeat of the 1991-1992 gencocide, we need to remain very vigilant, including forming strategic alliances with our neighbors. We should keep the enemy at bay.
        December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
      - Thank you very much, Abdiraheem. But I would like to tell you that I love Kenyans and hate Hawiyes. I can’t forget what they (Kenyans) did for my clan in 1991; thousands of Darods who are alive now would have perished if Kenyans didn’t save them. Guess, who was trying to eliminate them-and still dreaming of doing the same-are Hawiyes and their allies. And I am not a Kenyan agent. I am Dhulbahante (I know you as well. I am using a pseudonym) who hails from the deep Nugal Valley, so I have nothing to do with them. But after watching the behavior of our enemies, I have concluded that we can’t share a country with them. Look at what is currently happening in Galkacyo. We have given them and their allies 80% of parliament, which their numbers don’t warrant; they have a lock on the presidency these days; we grudgingly looked the other way to let the slaughterhouse called Mogadishu remain a capital, and yet they trying to uproot us from our traditional lands, comparing Darods in Jubbaland to aliens who came with Kenyans even though Darods in Southern Somalia are numerically larger than Isaaqs in the Somali republic..
        History shows that if people who share a country hate each other more they hate foreigners, it is easy for outsiders to rule such people; and that is exactly what is happening in countries such as Iraq and Syria. And please don’t tell me about the baloney that we are the same ethnic group and speak the same language; that didn’t stop them from seeking (they are still pursuing the same objective) to eliminate us from the face of the earth. So, I am not less nationalistic than anyone else, but just a realist.
        As far as SSC people are concerned, I believe we don’t have to bad mouth Majeeteen and seek Hawiye alliance in order to irritate our Majeerteen brothers; rather, we need to come to our senses and launch a dialogue with them in order to liberate Lasanod, which has been in enemy hands for too long now. I would like to tell you if Osman-a man I hold enormous respect for despite our clash here-wants to lead the process, I am ready to throw my support behind him. But the process has to go through our Darod brethren instead of trying to create alliances of convenience with Culusow and his people. To avoid a repeat of the 1991-1992 gencocide, we need to remain very vigilant, including forming strategic alliances with our neighbors. We should keep the enemy at bay.
        December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
    - Yasin, please read the article by the fella from Kenya on Daily nation and Wardheernews. I bet, you, as an intelligent Somali man will have a complete different perspective. One sentence of it will be enough for you to see things in a different light: He says: “Somalia is a neighbor who has refused to understand her position in the scheme of things.” Translation: Reckon with it, Somalia as you know it, is gone, forever. Whether you like it or not. I am afraid, in our current state of affairs, no Somali can refute that.
      December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar
  - Abdiraheem,
    The following is what Osman wrote in the article (Read the second paragraph). And that mirrors Hawiye positions with regard to Kenya which they see as an impediment to their expansionist and clan cleansing ambitions. However, since Osman is not Hawiye, his interest of writing and advocating for Culusow’s position is his perception that they support Ali Khalif’s Khatumo. So the whole motivation of writing the article boils down to that if I support Hawiye against Majeerteen and Jubbaland (Hawiye’s primary target), then hopefully they will embrace us (Khatumo) and recognize the project as the sole representative of all Dhulbahante. I think I have said enough about my comment.
    “Kenya’s KDF entered Somalia, not as part of AMISOM, but through prior invasion to capture and occupy part of Somalia under the pretext of fighting al Shabaab. And it was with a view to legitimising its occupation and saving money that its forces simply changed hats and put on that of the African Union’s AMISONM peace-keeping forces – this time with the consent of the Somali government.
    As such, the current internationally recognized government of Somalia, could demand from the AU, if it so wished and in line with its sovereignty, the withdrawal of any specific AMISOM contingent if it considers their presence in the country incompatible with their mandate, or not conducive to the interest of Somalia. The AU would have no choice but to oblige, for how else can peacekeeping forces remain in a hosting AU member country against the will of its government?.”
    December 4, 2015 Yasin Abdi
- Yasiin Abdi,
  Osman Hassan is responding to a previous article
  on Wardheernews. Have you read that article in question? Or is it that, in the grand
  scheme of things, your only litmus test, is your clan interest card?
  December 4, 2015 Abdiraheem Omar