Ali Abokar: Somaliland military is above the clan identity politics
The people of Somaliland support their Defence Forces and it’s members. Let no one be in any doubt about that. Our Defence Forces are one of the pillars of the nation’s existence. Without them, there is no peace, security or safety. They are and have always been above politics and tribalism.
Even before military rankings were instituted among our Defence Forces, the chain of command was based on mutual respect, experience and obedience. This will never change.
Our Defence Forces have grown, and have become more professional thanks to the support of our friends in the international community and our neighbours in Ethiopia. They have more training, they have more logistics and hardware, but most important of all, they continue to have the confidence and support of the Somaliland population.
And rightly so, because we are going to need them. Let no one be in any doubt that the weak entity in Mogadishu and it’s subcontractors in the region, are gearing up for and will sooner or later, try to engulf Somaliland in another civil war. Do not be under any misapprehension. Our enemies have never left, and are bidding their time.
The issue with the Colonel Caare is unfortunate. It is political and tribal. We have seen this situation before and it was resolved peacefully. But, what makes this situation even more perilous is the intransigence on both sides. There has to be a give and take. We have not came this far to start bickering and fighting among each other.
What is needed is real leadership and we need to use the Somaliland formula; dialogue, discussion and consensus.
Unfortunately, our political leadership, not just from our President, Muse Bihi, but also our opposition leaders, Abdirahman Irro or Faisal Ali Warabe, seem be overlooking the main thing. Somaliland.
As the nation progresses and conditions improve, have we become complacent?. Have we returned to old ways of internal community bickering? This is unacceptable. Do we have such a short memory? Our three branches of government must work. We have to turn away from community elders outside the House of Elders interfering in everything. What on earth is the Guurti for?
We need to reform our institutions in order to strengthen the foundations of our country. We need to hold the prospective parliamentary elections. Get some youth and vigour into the system. We need to reform the Guurti. We need to protect the rights of our citizens. We need to fight corruption. We need to maintain unity among all our communities. And most of all, we need to defend, support and encourage our Defence Forces.
Somaliland is the be all and end all. We must not be distracted by petty party politics, simmering community issues and grandstanding.
This is not the task of the President alone, it is a task for all Somalilanders.
Wa Bilaahi Towfiiq
Ali Mohamed Abokar
