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[Courtesy: Judge Andrew Napolitano]

As we continue to further explore the primitive nature of the Somali society, which professes to believe in Islam, though unfaithfully, but in reality are pagan tribalistic, we open to read the pages of recent history of the Civil War. Although national peace/reconciliation was never done, Somali Civil War ended with the defeat of Hawiye clans. Puntland State of Somalia was established in 1998, while Hawiye clans were still fighting each other in Mogadishu and beyond. Puntland State became a model governance option for all regions of South-Central Somalia. A Somali Federal President, Abdullahi  Yusuf, hailing from Darood clan, was inaugurated in October 2004, replacing General Mohamed Siyaad Barre (Darood) at Villa Somalia after 13 years of stateless Somalia. Northern Dir clans declared unilateral secession from Somalia in 1991, following the collapse of the First Somali Republic.

Disappointed after defeat, Hawiye clansmen had campaigned to unseat the founder of the Somali Second Republic,  Abdullahi Yusuf. For the purpose, they had created Al-Shabab extremists in South-Central Somalia. Their misguided intellectuals had organized three anti-unity and anti-peace centres, namely Hawiye Action Group (HAG); Somali Concern based in London, UK, and United Somali Alliance based in America. Most relatively high-profile Hawiye politicians belonged to these groups. They were successful in unseating Federal President Abdullahi Yusuf in 2008.

However, a compromise presidential candidate had to be found in the name of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed (Hawiye) in 2009. Hawiye inter-clan infighting started immediately, leading to the selection of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in 2012 to carry out Hawiye unilateral plan of marginalising other Somali clans to turn the tide around their defeat in the Civil War. He failed them, leading to the election of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo (Darood) in 2017 as the federal president.

Like they campaigned against Abdullahi Yusuf,  Hawiye clans under the failed leadership of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud started a tribal/militia/political war against Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, this time with the help of other Somali clans. They had succeeded, leading to the re-election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the current Federal President, in 2022. Still primitive in mentality and unreformed, it looks that he is entertaining historical grievances against Darood clans and trying to re-ignite the Civil War in Somalia. He is repeating his past First Term mistakes. He is a spoiler of peace and a source of disunity. He is bound to fail again because he is waging an unjust war against his own country people.

Interestingly, foreign powers have been historically putting fuel into the fire by meddling into Somali internal affairs in order to plant disunity and discourse. Now, supposedly, Muslim countries of Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, the Emirates, and others are adding their names to the historical list of Ethiopia and Kenya to destabilise Somalia. They should read former British prime minister Tony Blair’s recent memoir that Somalis and Afghans have similar characteristics of expelling successfully all intruders and invaders, not matter how powerful they may be.

In the past, successive Somali governments hired or received foreign experts for multi-sector development programs in the Republic. These foreign advisers were treated differently in terms of compensation, standard of living, and accommodation, from native employees doing the same work.

This double-standard continues to date. In the private sector, an Indian or Bangladeshi manual construction worker in Garowe is paid four times more than than his Somali counterpart. Hired Kenyan employees in Somalia have preferential treatment and compensation packages than native employees of the same competence.  The private sector, like Somali public services, is infested by nepotism and cronyism. One interculator told us that when business owners couldn’t find suitable or qualified individuals among their respective subclans, they are likely to seek foreign workers instead of hiring someone from rival clans. Amazing! Also, because Somalis are quick in modelling business and enterprises, business owners are afraid of other Somalis imitating them.

One may argue that Somalis are less skilled. However, whose fault is it if potential native workers aren’t given the chance of skill-training.

Because this exercise or mistreatment of the Somali employee has been going on for decades, causing induced psychological impact on the Somali character, he/she could think that they were inferior, contrary to what used to be a proud Somali character, who believed that nothing was higher than him except God. If this double-standard is allowed to continue, the issue could have huge irreversible psychological damage on the Somali character and self-worth.

As a result, in dealing with foreign entities or persons, you would notice that even the leaders of Somalia at all levels of government have double standard – one for their own natives, and the other, for foreign persons. This is a serious issue that needs due attention and studies, for it would affect all Somalis negatively for generations to come.