Why Somalia needs a comprehensive constitution rather than a rushed and cooked copies of articles on pages…Read More
Somalia didn’t collapse one day, it collapsed in decisions and patterns, it has made choices that seem small at that time, but were structural, let’s talk about the mistakes that led to the full collapse of Republic of Somalia as a nation in the horn of Africa.
After the independence in 1960, Somalia rushed into a national unity. a move considered to be best option. Somalia didn’t focus on building a reformed strong institutions, no deeply independent judiciary systems were in placed, The government didn’t establish professional civil service man power, with poor local government that didn’t have real checks and balances.
The state became an individual driven rather than institutionally strong nation, so when the leadership failed, the whole government system also fully decline, as it was entirely dependent on dindividual power rather than an independent structural government institutions.
During those days, democracy existed but was deeply fragile and not strong at all.
Somali Parliament became clan competition than a state resources which led to emergency of tribal centered ideological patronage than government centered. The clan based Parliament focused more on clan competition than state and national identity building, as a result, Parliament focused on personal patronage network, than building an economic growth, coalitions were based merely on short term alliances, trust in civililian Government deeply weakened among the Somali citizens as faith in the system of Governance slowly but deeply eroded.
In the year 1969, the Millitary took over power through forcefully means overthrowing the civilian government that existed, a vast majority of Somalis welcomed and cheered the new order, many assumed it as the better option For the country, but this was a rather a historic turning point in Somali’s future politics, as the whole power was now shifting from individual patronage networks to one man, the president of the Republic Somalia.
This led to the demise of political opposition groups as they were crushed by the powerfully newly formed system of Governance led the president.
The circle that surrounded the president were more concerned about amazing the president than support him with advices that could institutionalize the government for a lasting government system in the country. With the new government led by the president, civilian political culture died slowly but deeply steadily, as independent institutions were sidelined by authoritarian stability which was viewed stronger, but roted from within.
The Somali Ethiopia war was also more like a gamble, as Somalia reclaimed some territories from Ethiopia, it miscalculation of facts that this was an Improper approach. The Ogaden war, in which Somalia invaded Ethiopia with ambitions to regain the Ogaden region. The leaders at that time, didn’t consider many factors that led to 1991 collapse of the Republic of Somalia. During that time, leaders over estimated Somali Millitary strength as it was heavily dependent on Soviet alliance which could shift against Somalia anytime, this risk of global powers focus alliance shifting was over estimated.
When the Soviet Union shifted alliance, Somalia lost, which led to a more drained economy and more Millitarized society. This triggered refugees crises and shuttered national momentum, that was also another mark in the history of Somalia, which marks a real turning point in the history of the nation, as it shows the line that actually marks the start of decline of Somalia from Stability.
At this point, a whole reform was needed, resignations of the most top government leaders were needed, contrary to this, survival politics took over, the system relied heavily on Millitary strength by oppressing any political opposition or reformist groups to safe the future of the country, power was distributed unevenly and clan affiliations started to manifest.
Riveral clans felt repressed and left out in the syste formation, which led to clan armed resistance. The political Oppositions changed into clan based resistance armed groups waging a war against the government, after this move, the Somali Republic lost neutrality and openly started trying to eliminate the clan based armed fighters, a step that did little to solve the problem, but multiplied the armed resistance clans who thought were pushed to the wall and not represented in the government.
When the government lost neutrality, the trust of the ordinary civilians died, which led to a more spontaneous armed clan affiliates among the loyal citizens of the nation. When civilians loose the trust of the system of Governance, the system also looses legitimacy.
Rebel cruck down intensified in nineteen eighties, specially in the Northern part of the country, which experienced one of deadliest scenes at that time.
The government’s fight against the clan based armed groups, only created more enemies than it eliminated, the notion of feeling that some tribes were not included into the government system was increasing by the day, the clock was also ticking, a complete shift of the whole government ideological views was need, dialogues, negotiation and public referendum for a whole government reform was necessary rather than more force to sub due the armed clan rivalries, this remainds me of the Somali proverb which goes about, “hashu markay halkaa maraysay bay yax lahayd” which means, that was the day to save the nation from what we have seen over the past three and half decades.
Meanwhile, the economy of the state was shrinking, inflation rates increased, life became unbearable for ordinary citizens by the day, corruption, Nepotism and mistrust amongst the government staff spread rapidly, arrests for suspected government staff members has also increased, foreign aid was on the decline, no strong institutions to deal with such scenario existed, instead powerful individuals maneuvered everything within the government circle, which eventually led to the complete collapse of the public services, youth unemployment surged, which contributed to the existing problem as the youth started looking for alternatives sources of employment opportunities when they found out that the Government wasn’t dependable anymore turning on to side with rival militias, who engaged at war with the government.
This led to Weakening of the Somali Republic with no options for transitional
plans as the leadership had no any plan B or Transitional plans, no reconciliation, no reform frameworks were available, no negotiations or sighting for mediation from outside.
On the otherside, there were no unified opposition organizations that could replace the system when it fails, there existed a fractured society that was heavily dependent on clan malitias for survival.
In 1991, when the late President Siad Bare fled the country, gun point become the order of the day, no Constitutional road map, no negotiations, political partied were fully replaced by armed clan militias affiliates, who took justice into their hands, warlords emerged, they become the strangest actors yet they weren’t statesman but warlords who only rule things at gun point.
The whole power defaulted to the gun and the unemployed tribal youth networks continued. Killing, rape, torture and all vices took shape nationwide. The pattern was clear, power was militarized instead of negotiated, tribe identity overrode national identity, a person’s pride fell to clan background instead of merits, war was pursued, when the center broke, nothing else was strong enough to hold, but here is where purpose begins, Somalia’s story isn’t over, it vividly clear that the collapse of Somalia was as a result of weak institutions, where power was entrusted into powerful individuals rather than legitimate national government institutions.
In the year 2000, The firs Somali reconciliation was held, which resulted in the formation of the current Government in Djibouti’s Arta town, led by Abdikasim Salad Hassan, one of most honest Somali presidents, whose main aim was purely to work for the recovery of the Somali nation.
His government’s efforts were hugely undermined by clan warlords and tribesmen, who hoped more clan and group based economic gains than a legitimate system of Government could.
From that day, Somalia was recovering from the Deep collapse, this movement was characterized by clan based selected representatives and corrupt process in choosing leadership of the state, yet this is assumed far much better option than the previous warlords and powerful tribal militias who controlled people.
Somalia needs the attention of the Somali people, who need to be serious about their nation as the world moves to unprecedented scale of using force, ignoring all outstanding international institutions and norms.
The fact that Salis were fighting for more than three decades shouldn’t stress you and make you hopeless, the global superpower, (United states) had a longer civil war of about five decades and eventually emerged as the the most powerful nation in the world, and remains one nation to date. What should worry you is the lack of awareness amongst the Somali leaders who are repeatedly following the same pattern of looking for term extensions as their nation faces some of the worst crisis, lawlessness, drought, piracy, terrorism and tribalism which needs to be dealt with. The past bitter history should be considered as a lesson learnt, not as an example or a role model to copy.
Powerful individuals vanish, powerful institutions remain.
Thank you reading.
Contact us: jigjiganews1@gmail.com for advertising and business
Jigjiganews.com
Your reliable news outlet.
Leave a Reply