Somalia had been made the country of clan- based politics. The clan in Somalia became political parties in the modern world. Some of bellicose clan chiefs believe that everything must be based on clan, socially, economically, culturally and politically.
These bellicose chiefs were seeking for the last twenty years exclusive mini sate of their clans. The clan had been exaggerated, defaced, and became a tool of anti- system and anti- governing. The clan politics turn out to be daily debate, and discussions in the federal government and its federating clan based mini states. But in 2023, and 2024 reached the clan -based politics its Height peak when every clan made a flag.
Obviously, Somalia’s governing system had been distracted its direction. This year and last year were bloodthirsty and many innocent people were killed in the north of Somalia in the name of clan. In my personal view clan can work in the rural and remotest area not in the urban cities because the society in the urban is consisting for peoples, citizen, subjects and oncourse alien. These people need community interest not clans, or sub-clans.
How ever the last functioning government was ruled by the military junta for more than two decades. It was SIYAD BARE’s regime which was collapsed in 1991. No one predicted this clan-based mini states will be replaced. Apparently, clan ragtag militiamen and an Islamic zealot with fundamentalist and literalist mentality had hijacked the country and divide our nation into hostile clan mini state. The Somalia’s people needed a representative and accountable government not hostile clan based mini states. This hostile mini state took three decades. It’s unfortunate from autocratic regime to anarchy.
From fragile federal government to hostile clan-based minis states. Ostensibly, a s a Somalia’s homogenous societies, the suitability of Somalia federal form itself is lack of consensus, doubtful and controversial. Somalia is not like Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon where living diversity society, ethically, and religiously, or with the different dogma. Most of Somalia’s scholars, business people, Somalia’s traditional clan elders told me a unitary form is fit and suitable for Somalia and federal form was brought from external.
They also told me Somalia’s prying groups was dictated them and forced them. They also believe clan based mini states did not offer Somalia’s societies a tangible remedy for their public issue like security, health, education, social welfare and getting last solution for societal problems such as inter- clan and intercommunal conflict. the clan-based politics whether federal or federating units haven’t political merits. It will lead the country endless clan conflict, division, dysfunctional and dismemberment of Somalia in general and Somalia regions in particular. There will be from clan based mini state to very narrow clan state. The most people I met told me that clan-based politics will lead the country, in to anarchy, chaos and the only obstacle for state building, Somalia unity and Somalia peace and its prosperity.
However, if you look back the historical evolution and roots of this epidemic bug clan mentality you realized they had three waves: the first wave was, camel, cattle raids. Its traditional conflict. The clan raiders always came from herders of clan wandering camel boys searching of pasture and water for their livestock. Somalia’s pastoralist clans had a culture of camel raiders which is internal strife needs solving internally. The clan raiders usually storm the other clan’s nomadic tradition huts at night, shooting the people on eyesight before driving away entire herds of camel leaving whole clans members devastated. T
hey contemplate this clan as their adversary. The members of the nomadic wandering Somalia clan will take revenge. the scenario is bad cruel action with the retaliation and revenge as a rational. These models of conflict always occurred in the rural and remotest area in nomadic wandering and camel herders of Somalia. Their disputes always will be solved by the clan elders of two adversary wandering camel clans. T
he second wave of the epidemic bug clan mentality was started in the 1970s when a group of clan henchmen revolted the ruling military junta of Somalia. They formed clan based ragtag clan rebels. These clan rebels including, Somalia salvation democratic front (SSDF) formed in 1978, Somalia national movement (SNM) established in 1981, united Somalia congress (USC) founded 1987 and Somalia patriotic movement (SPM) formed 1989 and finally RAHAWEYN resistance army (RRA) founded in 1995.
These clan rebels were founded in the name of clan. They agreed to topple the military junta of SIYAD regime but they hadn’t had any plan to rule the country. They also failed lead the country, and they agreed to disagreed. They had different external patrons with the different agenda and different interest. The clan rebels were also had different interest. Some rebels had the intention of gaining a lion share of any government, while other rebels had a strong believe that they had the only eligible to rule the country because their ancestors were ruled Somalia many years ago, while very narrow clan rebel of them had a secessionist tendency.
The clan henchmen of this epidemic bug clan mentality were laymen, mob people, bellicose chiefs, and clan extremist who strong believe their clan or subclan rather than nationhood, brotherhood and peaceful co-exist of all Somalia clans. Some Somalia clans had imaginary thinking and tell their animist only their clan fought for the colonizers and brought the independent of the country so that they have total to get the lion share of all the government top positions.
Furthermore, these clan henchmen have many false stories for their clan or sub- clans which include their clan was ruled many areas in Somalia. All these tell tales had all the clans but the reality is that Somalia had gained its independence from European colonizers in 1960 and Somalia had been conquered, ruled and divided by this epidemic bug clan mentality. Its clear indication that Somalia’s clan henchmen argument about Somalia clans is unfounded because Somalia people before the colonizers were nomadic, and wandering society without writing record of their history.
In this regard, The Somalia people hadn’t any idea about state and its functions and also, they haven’t any idea the relations between rulers and ruled. In addition to that if you track down Somalia’s poem which based on Somalia culture Somalia’s poem did not mentioned state, government, king or even jury, because as the nomadic their target was how to find, pasture for their livestock, and only stated was their camels, cows, and goats so that federal, unitary, presidential, parliamentary are alien words to their culture.
The fourth wave of epidemic bug clan mentality which is obstacle for state building, Somalia unity, rational thinking was formed clan based mini states in 1992. The mini states did not move anywhere or everywhere. It was backward mentality. The clan mini state was established by accident, without pre-planning, emotionally, imaginary, bellicose and against by all. The mini states had enteral strife and external relations ambitions, and exclusive ministate based on their own clans. In generally Somalia had 18 regions during the military regime (AWDAL, WAQOOYI GALBEED, TOGDHEER, SOOL, SAANAA, BARI, NOGAAL, MUDUG, GALGUDUUD, HIIRAAN, SHABEELADDA DHEXE, BANAADIR, SHABEELADDA HOOSE, BAY, BAKOOL, GEDO, JUBADDA DHEXE, JUBADDA). The Somalia clans are five clans. The clan mini states which had parliament, president and ministers are seven clan based mini states plus Banadir region the capital city.
No clan or sub-clan have the majority of three region. most clans have one region the other region will one district or two the owner of opposite clan. The names of the clan based mini states which had bad blood relations are (Somaliland, Puntland, Galmudug state, HIRSHABELE state, Banadir region, south west state, Juba land state, and emerging newly formed state of SSC Khatumo state.
A layman on street told me “These mini states will be fighting each other until Doomsday”. Finally, I would like to analyze my synopsis rationality of Somalia’s clan mini states, mini state in the light of Islam, the interest of the Somalia nation for mini states and finally the Somalia’s Honorable partners not confuse these clan mini states, but only respect the Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and also abiding the international law and norms of diplomacy.
Rationality of forming clan based mini states
The establishment of clan based hostile mini states was irrational, emotional and it was unrealistic approach. Its picture of one clan dominating other clans and the clan which was dominated and subjugated seeking liberty and self- determination and self- rule. This idea is caused endless conflict and unsolvable clan confutation and conformation. The method of their governing system based on their feeling not the national, regional, international standards. The mini states had their own flags, presidents, parliaments and their own territorial control by de facto leader. It was initiated by emotional; hysteria, envy, revenge and retaliation and they became rival mini state living with the gun and ruled by the aggressive people with their bad character, combat and ready for attack and offensive. In addition, Somalia people need democracy not autocracy, meritocracy, gerontocracy and government based general will and will of the people.
mini state in the light of Islam
Islam which we believe strongly is the region of the worlds. the holy Quran started by the worlds and ends to the people not clans or sub- clans. Allah said (Praise be to God, lord of the world) and ends with the humankind not sub- clans (among jinn and humankind) Islam focus on the relationships between the god and the humankind. These relations will be submission and surrender to the god not clan or sub- clan so that the idea of clan based mini state is baseless and haven’t any ground in Islamic prospect.
Allah also said (and hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided) the firmly together is preaching us not divided, disintegration or dismemberment. In my personal judgement the idea of forming clan mini states a clan animism had tempted them, and enticing them with the untruthful expectations nothing else. In Muslim political thought whether caliphs in Sunni or imams in Shia both of them their philosophy based on consultation not clan. Many Somalia’s laymen who had strong believer of their wandering clan are always talking about that Quran was mentioned to the clan.
This is (O mankind we created you a single (pair) of a male and female, and made into your nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). As we mentioned Islam always giving the priority to the nations, world, people, ummah, the Somalia people are not tribes they are clans even if they are tribes the Quran give first priority to the nations and the tribes is the conjunction of the nations. The second point Somalia seeks single tribe and the Quran is taking to the plural which is tribes.
The third point Islam is talking first and foremost to the nations (like united nations). The most important is nation like Somalia nation not Somalia clans or tribes so that there is misunderstood, misconception and misinterpretation of this verse in the holy Quran. The holy Quran always preaching us unity, peaceful coexist, among all the nations around the world. Islam always talking to the general will, togetherness, respecting each other and consultations are the basic principle of Islamic governing system. Dictatorship, totalitarianism, tyranny, deposit system are unislamic.
the interest of the Somalia nation for clan mini states.
Despite some Somalia’s clan henchmen and Somalia state building supporters stated mini sates as the positive starting of building blocks but they are overestimating the menace of constantly clan confrontation, lack of community-to-community contact, artificial clan borders, divide city into two or three clans, restriction of the free movement, injustice arrestment in their occupied area and they became a tool of dismemberment and disunity of our beloved homogenous societies. The mini state became hostile mini sates, led by a group secessionist seeking false independence and extraordinary autonomous without regarding the national interest. Mini states need to reform their old political slogan which based on revolt, resistance, racist, but also abandoning clan conflict and inventing a new approach of inclusive political participation and reducing the level of injustices which increased and caused another fragmentation with in the mini state. ABSHIR BACADLE a prominent poet had said (clan is an idol which forced thousands of Somalia people to flee and became a refugee.)
respect the Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and avoid to be your state a rogue state
in my personal knowledge of international relations all the ambassadors, envoys, honorable delegations or government officers must to respect Somalia sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Respecting Somalia sovereignty is the international obligations if don’t so there will be jungle law internationally. There are many, extraordinary, exaggerations, huge propaganda, lobbying of these clan members of their clan mini states. The clam henchmen are wandering and they seeking for investment for their own clan ministate. so that before taking any decision read everything about Somalia’s hysteria clan- based politics and be Vigilant. If one foreign state support blindly, one clan mini state you be the enemy of the other clan, and you breaking the international law and norms of international relations on other side.
It also dealing with mini state without the central government meaning direct violation of the un charter of the article 4 which states (All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purpose of the United Nations) if any state break this article whether from developed countries, developing countries or member of these organization ,IGAD,AU,EU , ARAB LEAGUE , OIC, UN, hegemonic state, unipolar state or even veto power we will see as a rogue state because of reciprocity of international relations.
OSMAN HASSAN SALAH (XASAN CADE)
Researcher, human rights analyst and lecturer
Contact via
Email: cusmanxasancade2004@gmail.com
