Tag: tribalism

SOMALIA: WHY THE BEST SOLUTION TO CLAN RIVALRY ISN’T THE SOLUTION

Somalia wouldn’t be expected to become a rule-based modern state in the foreseeable future – it needs many generations of statecraft experience to outgrow persistent socio-economic realities. Clans and groups of religious infighting will always be there as long as society remains primative and unenlightened. Predominantly, opinions advocate for eradication of tribalism in Somali society. Daraawiish Movement of Sayyid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan in the 1880s1900s tried to address the issue of tribalism through religious indoctrination. It became a hard nut to crack and the problem had emancipated into a more vicious cycle of inter-clan conflict, revenge and counter-revenge. Areas he reigned and built his power-base are still reeling from historic tribal mayhem with no visible path to peaceful reconciliation -Dhulbahante, Isaak and Ogaadeen are examples of Daraawiish’s legacy permanently prone to interclan warfare. SYL (Somali Youth League), the National Political Party for independence, tried to bury “HAYB” (clan identification), only to be re-ignited and exploited by European neocolonialists of Italy, Britain and French. Emperial Ethiopia took advantage of this Somalia’s weakness. The regime of General Siyaad Barre had pretended or attempted to do away these centuries-old clan ways of nomadic life and allegiance. They failed abysmally with devastating result of vicious civil war that destroyed Somali state in the end. It is our observation and assessment that Clan Power-sharing Formula of 4.5 would stay here for a long time, even after direct popular elections. Why? It would be the only guarantee for minority political representation. We know many would disagree with our assumptions, however, time will tell.

So the best solution to the chronic tribal problem of Somalia is the policy of eliminating clan relationships once and forever. However, that has been proven unimplementable and fundamentally a mission impossible as it is also misguided and impractical.

The alternative policy to best solution to clan problems in Somalia is to work out a state policy that treats tribalism as co-existing with modern chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension etc by devising regulations and laws to deal with it- accept the existence of the illness and treat it by medicine and diet (in this case, legislations). For instance, any person holding public office must be subjected to severe sanctions against abuses and acts of tribalism, nepotism and corruption. There must be laws as well in the private sector regulating and addressing crimes committed in the name of clan allegiances.

All what we are saying here is, let us learn managing our clan system in better ways, humanely and fairly until we grow out of it.

WHEN WILL THE AGE OF REASON OR ENLIGHTENMENT OCCUR IN SOMALIA?

By Ismail Warsame
Opinion Columnist

European nationalities, nations or countries had entered the Age of Reason often known as the Enlightenment. European intellectual movement of 17th- 18th centuries had begun to deal with issues of reason, religion, God, nature, science etc. This had become the basis for European advanced political, economic and technological progress. It is the basis for Western democratic self-government and social contract, introducing the separation of the state and religion (church) and installation of checks and balances in government (Parliament, Executive and Judiciary.)

In a different era and much earlier, from 8th century to 14th (622 -1258), there was an age called the Islamic Golden Age with the manufacture of Islamic gunpowder, among many scientic and technological achievements.

Here is Wikipedia entry of that period: [The Islamic Golden Age (Arabic: العصر الذهبي للإسلام‎, romanized: al-‘asr al-dhahabi lil-islam), was a period of cultural, economic, and scientific flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 14th century. This period is traditionally understood to have begun during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (786 to 809) with the inauguration of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, the world’s largest city by then, where Islamic scholars and polymaths from various parts of the world with different cultural backgrounds were mandated to gather and translate all of the known world’s classical knowledge into Syriac and Arabic“.]

There was steady decline since then. People of Islam got bent inward to internal bickerings and scramble for spoils of Jihad wars. Eventually strong thinkers, theorists, philosophers of Europe took over the lead to pave the way for European superiority in all fields of human endeavors. “European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition” played critical roles. It was heavily influenced by 17th-century philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Newton, and its prominent figures included Kant, Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith.

Where do Somalis fit into the story?

The most progressive system Somalis had ever devised is tribal Customary Law (Xeer.) That is the case and we should note here to use it for reference. But, there are so many noises in the country by people who are either totally ignorant or miseducated and don’t know what they are taking about. What system of governance are they looking for? They know nothing but tribalism and they still have the instincts of primative society: Survival. Under this regime, the Xeer is the ultimate and most advanced system of self-government. Are such people equipped to critique insanely advanced system like evolution of power, decentralization, federalism, confederalism etc.? Empirically (by experience), we know most Somalis are inclined to understand either one of the following through own culture or life experiences.

  1. Tribal Xeer (customary law);
  2. Rule of the strongman (centralized, city-state, dictatorship).

Tribes or clans act as checks and balances of power in a shared tribal government, until a strongman or tyrannt emerges as it had happened in the country in October 1969. So, since Somalis have yet to enter the Age of Enlightenment, let us try to work out ways to improve our tribal system, and stop criticizing more advanced system of federalism. By Somali tribal standards, 4.5 is one step forward. But I warn you, I am neither saying it is good, nor I am advocating for a tribal system. But, since you are stuck in the old ways and don’t want to reason with the experiment of new governance ideas and societal transformation, you will have to deal with the 4 5.

And since nothing else, except tribalism, exists in the way of Somali native system of self-government in the history book, tell me which one of the above two rules you would prefer to live in.

[Updated since posting]

https://amazon.com/author/ismailwarsame

For laughter

A native of Sanaag Region was having a good time with hostess in Hargeisa. Her house was a comfortable joint to rest and relax during the day with the availability of cold Coca-Cola, his favorite drink. One day a lady from Sanaag Region had opened a shop in Hargeisa. A friend of his persuaded him to show sympathy and support to the new country lady by exchanging the place relaxation. He agreed. When he ordered a bottle of cold Coca-Cola, the new lady offered him a warm one. He was soo disappointed that he kept saying tribalism was too warm to offer one even a bottle of cold Coca-Cola (“qabyaaladi kululaa!”) Said Faadi, the Director of Gara’ad Port relayed this story to WDM.

https://amazon.com/author/ismailwarsame

PS: Note the Somali phrase “Qabyaaladi kululaa” is more powerful than the entire English text above.