By Dr. Ali Bahar

Society is produced by our wants, and government is produced by our wickedness. The former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections; the latter promotes it negatively. The former is a patron, the latter is a punisher.
Thomas Paine in his book, “common Sense.”

We are watching with shock and awe and are disgusted with what has transpired at the port of Berbera. It is really an embarrassment to all Somalis everywhere, particularly those who hail from Somaliland, to witness Somali men taking such horrible action against these desperate Somalis. To see educated men abandoning women and children under the merciless sun of Berbera port is painfully disturbing conditions. But then again, such behavior of Somali men is what failed the Somali nation and forced these people out of the country in the first place.

It is inconceivable to many, but are we witnessing a new race theory in Somaliland that is similar to that of the “Ayran Race”? My hope is less grandly; we can only hope that it’s a political style aiming to increase one’s political influence at almost any price, a style which involves seizing any opportunity, as an entitlement, to exercise unnecessary power that amounts to nothing less than the worst hatred one could imagine, whenever such opportunities arise. Such actions, nonetheless, displayed an unbridgeable antagonistically formulated ideology that opposes anything Somali, including these mothers and their children.

Racism comes in different forms, and I am sure Somalis all over the world are facing one form of racism or another every day, but the incident in Berbera-port spells even more troubling future for the Somalis. The Hargeisa government is welcoming all nationalities but Somalis from certain regions of Somalia to enter Berbera Port, a blatant inhumane and an outright racism in its worst form. It is an understatement to describe it as “shocking”, and I hope all Somalis are outraged by this inhumane action, where Somalis who are escaping the terror in Yemen are denied an entry back to their homeland. It is one thing to ask for resources from the UN to manage the exodus of refugees, but it beats the common sense to deny entry and throw these Somalis( children, women and elderly) back to the ocean for the sharks.

Regardless of whatever intentions the port authority and local administration had , this is not the time, nor the place to exercise a secessionist sentiment; though there is never a room for it. Thousands of different tribes, of all Somalis, live and have businesses in Somaliland. It is, therefore, quite possible that many of these returning refugees from Yemen are joining their own families and relatives in Somaliland. They may never ask for financial support or resettlement from Somaliland, as some of the women at the ship clearly and eloquently stated their case calmly to the authorities. ” we are Somalis, why are you asking for our tribes- Soomaali baan nahay, maxaad noo kala soocaysaa”  responded one of the women on-board the ship when asked about if she is Isaaq! What is also inevitable is the fact that there are thousands young people who were born in Somaliland, or made their homes in many cities in Somaliland, though their parents may hail from regions outside Somaliland. They have the right to invite their families, including these fleeing refugees, to their homes and shelter them. Don’t they have the right to have their loved ones to join them in Hargeisa, Borama, Burao, or anywhere in Somaliland? It doesn’t look that way from what we see now. Do they have the right to run for government office, parliament and president? Only time will tell.

What is striking and hard to believe in this saga, is that the fact that some men who are at the helm of the Somaliland authority today, owe a lot to the Somali people. There are so many in Somaliland government and politicians, who had benefited from and were able to realize their childhood dream because of the opportunity and support provided by the Somali nation. They are today’s doctors, engineers, government officials, agronomists, professors, and many with whom our nation invested on yesterday, but unfortunately turned their back and walked away when our nation fell on its knees. If that is not treason of its worst form, I do not know what it is. If this is not a moral assault on future generations or an outright attempt of concealment of history from today’s young generations and to deny their common birthright and heritage, I do not know what it’s. If that is not an unpatriotic act and betrayal of a nation when it is on its knees begging us to help her to stand up again, then, I do not know what it is.

For many years before she, our Maandeeq was brought down to her knees by her own sons and daughters, Somalia, the nation, was nursing so many of her children regardless of what region or tribe they came from. She could have done even better had it been utilized to its potential. She was the symbol of freedom and hope for those who came as refugees from Kenya, Ethiopia and Jibouti. Whether it was offering free education or financial support, the nation has done a lot with its meager resources to educate its people. It was the spirit of that nation that helped the Somali script to be written in 1971-72 campaigns, as we know it. It was the spirit of a nation when the government introduced the national service program to help educate those who were not able to read or write. It was the spirit of a nation when we dealt with the infamous drought of 1973-74, when the government succeeded to resettle thousands of affected population from the north and saved the lives of thousands who would have died otherwise, as it happens nowadays. Ironically, many of today’s secessionists were the beneficiaries of that generous caretaking of their nation. Call me naive, but why men and women who had been given the opportunity by our nation to be educated free of charge from elementary through college with full medical care, would advocate for her death? They advocate for the disfigurement of their nation and are launching war against their own people; a war against their own brothers and sisters; mothers, fathers and children. Why this anger?

The questions we should also fairly ask is: does this horrible assault against these desperate refugees represent the sentiments of all who live in Somaliland? The answer is NO.

Somalilanders, just as is the case in all other clans in any region in greater Somalia, differ in their views about anything and everything. They are governed by their individual different principles, major among them, though not limited to, include nationalistic sentiment and loyalties to nationhood; clannish or local interest, grievances, disappointments, disapproval of and the feeling of let down or failure, as well as one of total blind support and acquiescence for the current government. These differences are expected of any group of people, and Somalilanders are no different. Such variables will definitely factor into the formulation and presentation of the nuances in the ways and the whys these communities live and operate in their respective daily routine. It is, therefore, profoundly irresponsible to misrepresent such human character and complex social dynamics reflective of the masses residing in a region as big as Somaliland. Their social welfare is defined and shaped by various factors and aspirations that are necessary for their different roles of engagement and adaptation to their environment. One cannot but easily observe at first glance that there exist different sub-classes and sub-clans within and under the one-big-clan umbrella of Somalia.

It follows then, what is clear is that the Somaliland people are outraged by this act, and many of them are appealing to the Hargeisa authorities to let these desperate Somalis back to their soil. A lot of young people in Awdal, in particular, have already announced that they are ready to receive these fleeing refugees if they manage to arrive at their ports, Zeila and Lughaya. That is the real Somali character.. . Somalinimo. Kudos to Awdal!

These evidences show us that secessionists are sitting on a very thin and uneven layer of clan-dominated power control. Such hatred-driven power is insecurely keeping a lid on an exceptionally violent and resilient social order that could burst through any time. And such explosion could deliver the ultimate death of this ani-Somali sentiment exercised against these Somali refugees at the Berbera sea port.

Ali Bahar, PhD
Email: alibahar731@gmail.com