Somaliland Politicians: Lack of Sensitivity and Political Acumen

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Somaliland Politicians: Lack of Sensitivity

and Political Acumen

By Mohamed F Yabarag

March 24, 2011

 

The recent phone interviews conducted by some obscure individuals from North America with certain well known Somaliland politicians, including the man at the top of everything, Ahmed Silanyo, has unearthed the lack of acumen and political sensitivity at the heart of Somaliland’s political elite in Hargeisa. How come such politicians of a high stature, at least by local standards, can be so naïve by talking to complete strangers and bare it all for them on a very, very sensitive issue at a very, very sensitive time? If confirmed and I am not doubting the authenticity of these tapes, this is incompetency at its worst level.

 

For a few days, I ignored the whole story that was doing the rounds in almost all Somali websites, including those of Somaliland assuming that it is one of those slanging matches between local politicians on one side and SSC and Somaliland on the other. But then I became interested when the story refused to go away and tempted to have a look at these interviews in great detail to see their authenticity. To my astonishment, I found that all voices in the interviews were very familiar, except that they were conducted by men who are purporting to be representatives of Somaliland activists in North America. With amazement and disbelieve, I repeated listening to those interviews all over again and again only to find no fault at them. The voice of the president is as crystal clear as ever and too genuine to be doctored by some form or another. Faisal Ali Waraabe is as at his usual rant and raving, accusing the president of incompetency and lack of a clear leadership, among other things. Mohamed Kahin, probably under the influence of khat, has even gone further to talk in frankness and in greater detail on almost every question thrown at him by his interviewer. We are not talking here about some rookies and some hopeful politicians. We are talking about the bulwarks of Somaliland politics; people who have been around since immemorial. And in the case of president Silanyo, we are talking about a man who was involved in politics for almost half of a century.

 

In addition, the fact that government officials have failed to refute this story shows that these tapes are genuine. I am sure there are too many red faces in Somaliland’s corridors of power. Had this happened in a normal country where the law of the land and government institutions are respected by all as opposed to clan interests, heads would have been rolled by now. The chief of cabinet, Hersi Toriile, would have been the first to be shown the door, as he dismally failed his duty to recognize the identity of the interviewers. Now, there is stone silence on the issue in the government and its supporters. Had this been doctored, we would have seen the presidential spokesman, Mr. Cukuse, doing his usual rebuttals.

 

Why Somaliland politicians are so naïve and insensitive?

 

Despite the existence of three political parties in Somaliland, the real powerbase of support for politicians lies with their respective clans, meaning if a certain politician crosses party, almost all his clansmen will desert the said party. In effect, most electorates have no allegiance for political parties but for their clansmen in these parties, which effectively make these parties redundant and meaningless – they only exist by names. In the scandal surrounding these tapes, politicians in question were on the wrong assumption that they were talking to their lot – their clansmen. This is more evident in the case of Faisal Ali Waraabe interview, where the mention of his sub clan has done the simple trick that was needed to obtain information from him. The overdependence on clanship in Somaliland had gotten the better of any other system that would have spotted such a hoax interview. So long as people are identified on the basis of their clan rather than their political persuasion and allegiance, such things will become common in Somaliland.

 

In addition, there is also a great deal of incompetency in the staff of president’s office, including his advisers. He seemed to have recruited people who have never run an office, let alone a whole country and who are largely brought in because of their unwavering support for the Kulmiye party during the election campaign, which brought Ahmed Silanyo to office. For a government not completed a year in office, there seems to be more problems and scandals than solving the country’s mounting political and socials difficulties.

 

Mohamed F Yabarag

E-Mail:Myabarag@yahoo.co.uk

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http://wardheernews.com/Articles_11/March/Yabarag/24_Somaliland_politicians.html