The Galgala conflict and its misleading association with Islamic Extremism

[Xudeedi]

By Ali H. Abdulla

August 10, 2010

I visited Galgala in 2005 while doing some volunteer work at the University of East Africa in Bosasso. It is a town that is off the beaten track with no roads, hospitals or proper schools.

The people of Galgla are very industrious and are mainly farmers who use irrigation canals to cultivate all kinds of fruit and vegetable. The area is very fertile and is endowed with water resources in the form of springs that flow all the year round.

 

it took us around 5 hours to reach Galgala although it is around 60km from Bosasso, the commercial capital of Puntland. We traveled by a 4×4 vehicle that it inched its way slowly among huge boulders. There are no paved roads to Galgala which is nestled in a mountainous and rugged area. We had to abandon the vehicle and walk the last mile because of the steep incline that the driver had to perilously negotiate alone.

When we reached Galgala, we were surprised to find an oasis in the middle of the desert. Water gushes from a rock formation in the area and the people of Galgala built a small structure to protect the source from contamination and interference. They built irrigation canals from the source to small reservoirs attached to each farm in the area. The water is shared and each reservoir gets filled on a different day of the week.

 

The weather in Galgala is very cool and dry in sharp contrast to the hot and steamy weather of Bosasso. The change in weather is noticeable once one reaches a certain altitude in the steep climb to the village.

 

The people of Galgala are very generous and offered us plenty of food that tasted a lot better than the food we got used to in the polluted city of Bosasso which teemed with flies, mosquitoes and garbage.

 

We were given a quick tour of the area which is a gateway to the Golis range that stretches from Galgala in the east all the way to Borama in the west. Our guide introduced us to a lot of medicinal plants including ginseng. They told us of German doctors who visited the area regularly in search of certain medicinal herbs. Such visits alone disprove the claim of the Puntland

administration of the presence of extremists in Galgala.

 

Given its pleasant weather, water resources and scenic mountains, the area can become a retreat that can attract tourists and adventurers in the future if the Somali state gets resurrected again under a democratic Federal System that encourages entrepreneurship.

 

Today, Gaglala is in the news, not because of its beauty and pristine mountains, but because of an ugly war that can displace hundreds of innocent families in the area. It angers me a lot to witness the unwarranted aggression that the Farole and his war cabinet have launched against the peaceful city of Galgala on the pretext of fighting against Islamic extremists. Conversely, it is a great relief for us all that the defenders of Galgala have made the wise decision of vacating the village in order to spare the women and children the horrors of war. Extremists would have put up a stiff fight in the middle of the innocent civilians just as they are doing in Mogadishu where hundreds of women and children get slaughtered when AMISOM forces respond with heavy artillery when attacked from residential areas in Mogadishu, the dying capital of the Somali Republic.

 

The world should not be fooled by Farole and his notorious Puntland Intelligence Service that is on the payroll of foreign spy agencies. Somalis in Bosasso have coined a new name for the PIS: “Ashahaada la dirir”, those who fight against the concept of the oneness of God. They routinely arrest, interrogate, torture and at times rendition innocent religious scholars without any credible proof of wrongdoing.

The conflict in Galgala has nothing to do with Islamic Extremism. It is about a local population that is trying to defend its resources against exploitation by greedy individuals and foreign companies. It is about mineral resources that can be compared to the blood-diamonds that Charles Taylor is being tried for in The Hague.

 

Farole and his newly formed war cabinet deserve to be put on trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity. The Galgala war is a continuation of the war started by Farole’s predecessor who tried to use foreign companies to prospect for minerals in Majayahan without the consent and knowledge of the local population. Many people lost their lives in that conflict.

In the absence of a new Federal Constitution that regulates the exploitation of natural resources in Somalia by the regional administrations, these administrations have no right to prospect for oil or minerals without the knowledge and consent of the weak Federal Government that is being undermined by extremists and the regional administrations as well.

 

The International community should realize that the ugly scenes of blood-diamond will be replayed in Somalia unless they help the Somali people extricate themselves from the current state of war, divisions, bloodshed and piracy. Greedy, strong-men controlling vast areas known as the “lands” will only exacerbate the current situation. The current strategy of encouraging the “lands” will weaken the Somali State further and create a multitude of Charles Taylor‘s Liberia in which strong clans can prey on weaker clans in the struggle for potential mineral resources.

 

Ali H. Abdulla

Email: aliegeh@gmail.com

[Xudeedi]

Great Piece By Ali H. Abdulla

[ceelayohoyoo]

The SSDF mafia and their game plan is known. Will their people shed blood to for them?

 

 

Its taken a tight turn for the desperate SSDF leaders.

 

http://www.laasqoray.net/view_article.php?articleid=6466

[mielmi]

XUDEEDI

 

I HAVE A MAKHIRIAN FRIEND WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOUND THERE.........SUCH AS PLENTY OF NATURAL GAS AND GOLD. IS THAT TRUE?.......I AM STARTING TO BELIEVE THAT FAROOLES GOVERNMENT IS AFTER MINERAL EXPLORATION JUST LIKE CADE MUSE IN MAJEYAHAN CONFLICT BACK IN 2005..........MY BIG QUESTION, IS

ARE MAKHIRIANS GOING TO FORM THEIR OWN REGIONAL STATE OR ARE THEY GONNA JOIN SOMALILAND AT THIS POINT?

[NASSIR]

Well-written and well-argued piece--the experience of a research team member.

 

Xudeedi, the news I have is that the clueless Gen. Ilka-Jir is on a huge public pressure to produce real evidence as to the bogus claims of his boss. His popularity thus far has gone rock bottom. He has betrayed the people whose name he used for personal ambitions of political patronage.

 

 

As for the Galgala's economic potential, PL's current and former admins have never steered any developmental programs to this growing town. In fact, PL denied the town its share of aid that the international donors assigned for the region by attempting to strip it of its administrative jurisdiction and lumping it with the rest of Sanaag region, thereby denying any type of public services and whether international agencies can open up offices or visit there.

 

Its industrious inhabitants, however, proved to be entrepreneural and independent with their farming skills to the point of self-sufficiency until Faroole spread false and misleading information abt the town and denied it a market access to its booming trade.

[NASSIR]

Mielmi, I can tell you that the Diaspora invested heavily in Ilka-jir candidacy of PL's presidential election and to carry the torch in a decisive manner. One of his promises, as I remember, was that he will form a new admin or support the Maakhir movement if he loses the candidacy because Faroole's public records were all well-known and his role and ties to the organized crime of Piracy. Faroole also raided PL's assembly in Garowe right after he was fired for stealing large sums of money from the state.

 

The capital Garowe went choas and piracy took firm roots in the region following that incident in which dozens of people died. I remember the former president Mr. Ade and his VP considering proposals to move the capital from Garowe to Bosaaso. Most of the international media attribute the rise of Piracy to Ade Muse's policies but it was actually Farole who incited his sub-clan and subsidized the criminal activities in Garowe and Eyl.

 

 

All in all, Ilka-jir has failed in his mission. He lost both credibility and trust from his constituency and he will therefore be held responsible for framing the false pretext under which Galgala was invaded.

[mielmi]

XUDEEDI

 

PLEASE ANSWER MY ABOVE QUESTION.

[mielmi]

NASSER!

 

WELL PUT!!!!!! THANKS........HOW ABOUT THIS NATURAL RESOURCES THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT?.....I HAVE A GUT FEELING THAT MAKHIRIANS ARE SITTING ON THE RICHEST SOMALI SOIL WALLAHI!!!!!!

[mielmi]

GENERAL ILKA-JIIR IS A GOOD MAN WHO WAS ABSOLUTELY DUPED BY A CERTAIN GROUP!!!!!!!!........HE COMMITTED A POLITICAL SUICIDE BY TURNING HIS OWN PEOPLE AGAINST HIMSELF.

[The Zack]

Mielmi,

 

Why do use caps for all ur posts? You are yelling for nothing.

 

P.s. impeach mr. Rat teeth, impeach him.

[mielmi]

ILKA-JIIR GOT USED BIG TIME WALLAHI!!!!!!........HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE WORN THOSE FATIGUES AND POSED FOR A PHOTO. WHAT WAS HE FILMING "THE LAST ACTION HERO 2"^^^^ LOL.

[mielmi]

THE ZACK

 

THANKS WALAAL........NO MORE CAPS FOR ME. I AM JUST SO UPSET ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PEACE LOVING MAKHIRIAN BROTHERS IN GALGALA.

[Xudeedi]

^ Mielmi this indeed is a war over resources, and the region attacked, (Western Bari) is rich in minerals, gold and oil as evidenced by major exploration findings.

 

Ali H Abdulla did a great job depicting Puntland's intentions and hidden dark interest.

 

If you want to read more pertaining to the region's resources and Puntland's intention, read the link below, a piece title "Fadeexada Khayraad Boobka Puntland".

 

Thanks Mielmi

 

http://www.laasqoray.org/press/?p=7432

[mielmi]

xudeedi

 

Great article indeed.........now it all makes perfect sense.I always used to hear that the makhirians were self reliant people that work hard and are very kind people. I think now is perfect time for them to go on their own and manage their affairs.

 

Ramadan kareem to all!

[Burn Notice]

Africa Oil have spent many millions and a number of years to get this data with approval from both PL administrations and the TFG yet they are still deemed "illegal"

 

every other country in the world develops its natural resources so its people can prosper and develop its economy...so what makes Somalia so special?? it seems the problem is everyone has their own claim to them and so nothing is developed...I'm not a fan of Faroole but he was right when he asked what was the point in fighting over rocks and sand while the nation suffers