THE BANADIRI COMMUNITY DEMANDS FAIR REPRESENTATION IN THE UPPER HOUSE

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu ( PPM)— In a meeting held in Mogadishu Banadiri political leaders have urged the Federal Government to have senators in the Upper House.

“I thank all those who put effort into seeking a the political representation for Mogadishu, The Banadiri community did have a senator in the Upper House. Now that Mogadishu will have 13 senators we ask for more senators to represent the Banadiri community since we are people who belong to the Banadir region.” Said Nuh Ahmed Omar, a Banadiri politician.

Another Banadiri politician  at the meeting made a distinction between “ to be born in Mogadishu and to belong in Mogadishu.”  “People in Mogadishu a are divided into reer Xamar and Mogadishawi. Reer Xamar was born in and belong to Mogadishu but not everyone who was born in Mogadishu belongs to Mogadishu. One must have a link with Mogadishu dating back to seven generations” said a Banadiri community activist at the meeting.

Banaidir community is a part of the Fifth Clan alliance made of clans deemed to be minorities according to the 4.5 power-sharing arrangement. Banadiri community lacks representation in South West State under whose jurisdiction Marka and Barawe districts come under, two distinctively Banadir districts.

“Belonging to the Fifth clan in political disadvantage because you will have no little or no political representation in areas where your people predominantly live” says Muridi Hassan, a Banadiri activist.

“What is important to know is that the Banadiri community can address their representation  rights through the Fifth Clan alliance. The born-in and belong-to criteria diminish the cause of the Fifth Clan whose members face political discrimination based on belonging to a federal member state. The criteria benefits the other four Somalia clans who put themselves above us politically” says Saleh Afrah, a Fifth Clan community organiser.

© Puntland Post Monthly, 2020

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