By Abdisalam Salwe, PhD.

Somalis have always been federal or decentralized as you can imagine. Somali speaking people are scattered all around the Horn of Africa [and beyond], speaking the same language. The question is what let them speak the same language? It is because of Somali midnimo [unity of culture and purpose] based on a culture of a decentralized system.

I discussed the issue of decentralization (or federalism) in a paper I presented at “Il corno d’Africa fra Storia, Diritto e Politica” held [in] Rome, 13-14 December 2002. I was discussing how the Somali midnimo has been affected (and destroyed) by the centralization system Somalia took after the independence. [Take a read it here]:

https://amazon.com/author/ismailwarsame