The Historic Role of Digil and Mirifle Elites in Somalia’s Federal System Under Scrutiny

[Deeq A.]

Abdulqadir Mohamed Adan “Zippo” was a senior member of Hizbia Dastur Mustaqil Somali.

Mogadishu (PP Editorial) — Shamsa Sheegow, a Somali writer, raised questions about what she believes to be the supine political attitudes of the Digil and Mirifle constituencies towards the unfolding political crisis in Somalia. “The Digil and Mirifle clans have repeatedly had the opportunity to act as neutral mediators and work towards unifying Somalia. However, each time they have had this chance, they have not fully leveraged it. This raises questions about the underlying causes of their inaction,” Shamsa tweeted yesterday.

Under the discriminatory 4.5 system, Digil and Mirifle constituencies maintain a key role in Somali politics. They boast a federal member state (South West), have political representation in Jubaland, and are campaigning for representation in Banaadir. Shamsa deplored the failure of D & M political elites to offer a third way out of the current political crisis. Aadan Madoobe, the Speaker of the Federal Parliament and a former  senior leadership member of Rahanweyn Resistance Army, supports violations of the provisional constitution by the incumbent Federal Government of Somalia. Unlike Puntland State and Jubaland, the South West State administration allowed its constitution to be manipulated by Villa Somalia through the National Consultative Council summits held in Mogadishu.

Hassan Mohamed Nur “Shaatiguud” was the leader of Rahanweyn Resistance Army.

In 2012, Baydhabo hosted a conference to form a federal member state comprising six regions. The objective, then promoted by Villa Somalia, was to foil efforts to establish Jubaland State after Kismaayo was liberated from Al-Shabaab. The establishment of South West State, made up of three regions, strengthened the political position of D & M elites in the Somali federal system.

In 2022, Abdiaziz Laftagareen, the President of South West State, signed a security pact with the Somali region of Ethiopia. His administration rejected the abrupt withdrawal of Ethiopian peacekeeping forces demanded by the Federal Government of Somalia due to the maritime Memorandum of Understanding between the secessionist Somaliland Administration and Ethiopia.

During the 1950s, Hizbia Digil E Mirifle (also known as Hizbia Dastur Mustaqil Somali, HDMS), a political party, was a significant force shaping the trusteeship politics of what was known as the Trust Territory of Somaliland. Before independence, Hizbia Digil E Mirifle proposed a federal system for Somalia. The position of HDMS, cynically misrepresented by rival parties, aimed to forestall a centralised post-independence state. Somalia’s adoption of a federal system in 2004 arguably vindicated Hizbia Dastur Mustaqil Somali.

© Puntland Post, 2024

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