ABDULKASSIM BLESSING OR BETREYAL AS PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA
carr...@my-deja.com
ABDULKASSIM BLESSING OR BETREYAL AS PRESIDENT OF SOMALIA
Prepared By: Omar Ahmed , Dubai, UAE
Somalia was in an internecine civil war for the past ten years. And despite
so many attempts failed to form a national government that can unite all the
warring factions and the interminable mesh of clans and sub clans competing
for power and recognition to be represented in the higher governmental
institutions.
The latest attempt by Ismail Omar Gelle of Djibouti, which is in progress for
the last four months, achieved the establishment of a Transitional National
Assembly or parliament, who in turn elected a president. The newly elected
president Mr. Abdulkassim Salad Hassan is not new in the political arena of
Somalia.
He is a former minister in the regime of Siad Barre, who held many posts and
was the last Minister of Interior of that regime. In exploring more about
this man, who he is, what he stands for and if he is a potential leader who
can deal the crisis in the country. Abdulkassim was born in Dusamareb, a
small town in central Somalia and one of the most inhospitable areas in the
whole country.
He is from a posturalist family. He is educated in Russia and as soon as he
completed his studies he joined the revolutionary vanguards or revolutionary
cadres of former dictator Siad Barre and quickly jumped up in the ladder by
ingratiating his bosses. During his tenure in the former regime of Siad
Barre, his acquaintances characterize him as an ideologue and strong believer
of clan ideology and supporter of his sub clan at any cost and demonstrated
his ultimate favoritism for his Ayr sub clan and unrelenting aversion to
dissent.
He was a last minute loyalist and sycophant of Siad Barre and one of the last
days of his regime, he described the USC (UNITED SOMALI CONGRESS) as a bunch
of thugs and thieves. During the struggle of throwing the former dictatorial
regime, he was indeed in-charge o the security of the country as Minister of
Interior. In the early days of his political life, he was a socialist who
dreamed the utopia of scientific socialism. He is not known as a visionary
leader but an avenger who seeks a grip on power and deals with a firm hand on
his foes.
Recently, he joined an Islamic sect known as AL-ISLAH in which he is a member
and who strongly supported his election in Djibouti. AI-SLAH is an Islamic
group, which is a liberal form of Islam. They are well organized and they
recruit only educated and well-established personalities in their
hierarchies. They control most of the education system in the country and
numerous NGO's who are actively operating in the country.
They advocate peace and harmonious relations among the communities. They
became influential and subtly were seeking to infiltrate the power of the
country, which is exactly what they did by electing Abdulkassim. They
demonstrate commendable tolerance towards women and ostensibly indicate in
accommodating them.
He belongs to the Hawiye clan family, HabarGidir clan and Ayr sub clan. His
sub clan inhabits the lower Mudug valley of Somalia. A very hostile
environment in which the people are in a constant struggle in search of water
and grazing for their livestock.
The only source of sustainability in there in subsistence level. They are
also in perpetual conflict with their neighboring clans which made them
either in the attack or in the defensive due to the arid land they live on
which is in short of water and grazing land to share for their meager animal
herds.
This merciless environment and the beseech of late notorious warlord General
Aidid lured them to south of the country in large numbers to participate the
looting and pillaging of properties in his ambitious war to capture the
power. They occupied Mogadishu and the lower Shabelle regions of the country
and thus acquired almost all government farms and properties in those regions
and most privately owned farms to enrich themselves quickly and maintained
their subjugation over the locals in these regions.
The influx of his clan in the southern regions of he country and their access
to the wealth of the nation created the acquisition of lot of businesses by
his fellow clans men. The prominent ones include a consortium of Ayr business
men who made the counterfeit money in a number of occasions at least four
times, making each time an equivalent of USD2.5-3.0 MILLION.
That means they illegally acquired USD10-12MILLION in the last year alone.
The same group had connections to Mr. Abdirahman Booraa a businessman in
Djabouti who arranges L.C.'s in Djabouti banks and shares jointly sugar deals
brought to Somalia periodically. Mr. Booraa is well known in Djabouti for his
arrogance and notoriety and is related to the president of Djabouti Mr.
Ismail Omar Gelle.
He is the man behind the election of Abdulqasim as president and contributed
significantly his campaign funds. Also, his fellow clans men are the owners
of the two private TV stations in Mogadishu (Horn Afrik & Somali Television
Network), Juba Airways is another recently founded carrier from Dubai to
Mogadishu.
The major share holders of the under construction Coca-Cola factory and the
major share holder of both Aerolite Telecommunications and Nation Link
telephone companies are Ayr, the sub clan of the new president and the most
these money is filth lucre acquired through the counterfeit money and other
illegal and corrupt ways sponsored by the same group.
Even there is a strong suspicion that he is one of the share holders of these
Mafia like group, since a number of his nephews are confirmed to be members
of the group. His clan also maintains a formidable militia in Mogadishu and
southern Somalia as far as Kismayo. The Ayr militias occupy most of South
Mogadishu and the lower Shabelle region. They changed recently their loyalty
from Salbalaar (the vague government of General Aidid) to the so-called
Islamic courts, acquiring new appellation, Islamic brothers and protectors.
This Islamic court militia headed by colonel Hassan Dahir Awes, a well
respected former military officer and Islamist who relatively contained the
militia and reduced their public threat and their indiscriminate attacks on
the public. He also rehabilitated a significant portion of the militia
forcing them to abstain eating the Qat leaves and smoking drugs. Though other
large portion is employed the by the novice riches of the clan and eventually
stayed out of the streets.
The Ayr militia also controls the Balidogle airport (former military air
base) located about 120 KM south west of Mogadishu. This airport is the
gateway to Mogadishu and southern Somalia, which is being used by the cargo
planes and passenger jets who could not use smaller airstrips. It is a source
of quick cash for the occupying militias as they extort USD20-40 for all
passengers coming or leaving the country.
They heavily charge for the cargo shipments and collect enormous landing
fees. It is the airport being used still today for the export of female
camels and the wild animals including lions, leopards, and all kinds of
birds' even tortures and many others to the Arab World. The notorious former
militia leader Farafadan died few months back of a cancer.
He was the most infamous militia thug born out the Ayr during their
occupation in Banadir. He used to terrorize the locals and even small
suspicion would have caused their lives. Since his death the airport is in
power struggle between his lieutenants and its security gets out of hand in
some occasions.
Another zone of occupation by the Ayr militia is the lower Shabelle region,
the towns of Awdegle, Merka, and as far as Brave. All the commercial
activities, employment and NGO's whether local or international are
controlled and enjoyed by HabarGidir, mainly Ayr, while the locals are forced
to pay taxes on what ever they possess and own let it food, farm, animals as
well as other things. The courts that claim as protectors actually protect
and condone the subjugation of the HabarGidir on the local people.
They receive a major financial support and training to hasten their
settlement plan in the region from Ester Abdi Arush who practically controls
all NGO's and UN agencies in the lower Shabelle region. She is the first
women warlord and she controls some of the militia in the region. She extends
assistance for the HabarGidir to remain in the area and supports them to
establish themselves in the towns. She funds all kinds of smaller project
from agriculture to fishers as well as trade, thus ensuring the settlement
and the dominance of her sub-clan in these regions while she keeps the local
people on the disadvantaged side and without concern of their plight. In
Kismayo area a prominent force of the coalition who controls are Ayr and
Merehan could not have managed in controlling that sprawling coastal city
which is one of the most prosperous districts of Somalia without the Ayr
militia.
They are the backbone of the coalition and they can even takeover the city if
Abdulkassim gives them the permission and the necessary logistics. The
coalition between the Ayr and the Merehan appears to be a marriage of
convenience, as they are traditional adversaries in Mudug and according to
the caprice nature of the Somali alliance system it can change as new
leadership appears on the horizon.
The Hawiye coalition might deem essential for Abdulkassim to consolidate his
power and that might turn the tide against the Merehan. As the government of
Siad Barre was ousted and the armed groups occupied Mogadishu, Abdulkassim
fled with his government and remained in Cairo for sometime.
When he ensured that the various factions who had taken over the power split
into clan lines, he came back immediately and joined his clan's ambition for
grabbing the power by force. He became a member of the HabarGidir central
committee and he was always lustful of fitting in as opportunity arises, and
it eventually did in Arta, Djibouti.
He never denounced the violence and the unwarranted aggression of General
Aidid on the other clans and territories. He never denounced the occupation
of Baidoa by his clan's militia and he was actually in support of all the
expansionism of HabarGidir in the Southern and Central Somalia. So, I would
say, where have you been Mr. Abdulkassim all these years, when your clan was
tormenting the country? Or are you a newborn Muslim today.
So many of your fellow clans men did overtly denounced the aggressions and
aimless wars engaged by General Aidid and the militia of HabarGidir including
the notable General Galal, who would have been definitely better leader and
more courageous in facing the mayhem in the country.
The man who raised his voice in the difficult days and responded to his
conscience without appeasing the popular emotions of the moment will rather
be rewarded than opportunists who hideout for the moments of truth and appear
when they think their selfish interests can be achieved.
His election, despite appearing democratic on the surface, was mired with
manifold allegations and all kinds of deals of bribery and promises behind
the seen; as well as manipulations by Ismail Omar Gelle, the president of
Djibouti. His primary supporters were, of course, his sub clan, who came in
large numbers with a lot of intellectuals and provided a contribution of
about half a million US dollar from the counterfeit money printed by his sub
clan. AL-ISLAH had contributed about one hundred thousand US dollars and
campaigned for him in the name of religious man in exploiting the traditional
religious sentiments of the Somali people.
The third major force was the Djibouti government which contributed about
four hundred thousand US dollars, through Abdirahman Booraa a business tycoon
in Djibouti and friend of other Ayr business group (he is known the Hoosh of
Djibouti) and created a milieu conducive to him by making the necessary
propaganda campaign and even making deals for him to other personalities like
Shatigudud, Hassan Abshir, Ali Khalif, Dr. Rajis etc. as well as other clans.
His election is worth about one million US dollar, in which most of it was
spent on buying the votes by approaching the obviously broke and venal
representatives. Other defects of the conference include the principal in
which the parliament was established, which is on the basis of clan.
This notion is contrary to values of democracy and negates the concept of
representation based on electoral and constituency, which is the basis of
democracy. It is against the civilization and modern society and statehood.
It created a total inequity among the clans and it gives some clans an unjust
advantage while it reduces others to a negligible representation that is not
proportional or equivalent to their estimation.
The other inconceivable fault, which is accepted in the conference, was the
re-establishment of the eighteen tiny regions fabricated by Siad Barre, which
is inspired by the allocation of all Darood sub clans to a region, so as to
secure future domination. No territory should be granted a regional status
unless it can sustain itself economically with sufficient population that
deserves autonomous rule.
Somalia should be actually reduced to only five or six major provinces
instead of these too many tiny regions that would never support themselves.
The denial of the newly formed regional entities during the civil war such
Puntaland and SomaliLand would be another challenge for the new government,
which I would have accommodated as it is. In summary, Abdulkassim always
showed propensity to dictatorial tendencies and is referred as cantankerous
by former colleagues.
He is not spotless politician as he served under Dictator Siad Barre, as
deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. He already indicated that his
government would comprise his cronies in the former government. His first
choice as Prime Minister is Ali khalif a similarly former minister of Siad
Barre and a man widely believed to have stolen huge sums of money from the
Juba Sugar Project, while he was Minister of Industry and Trade.
Abdulkassim will face a daunting responsibility and how courageously he will
deal with it remains to be seen. However, there is genuine suspicion, that he
will not be honest in many issues of national concern, particularly, removing
the militias of his sub clan from Mogadishu and lower Shabelle districts.
There is a serious fear that he may institutionalize the hegemony of his sub
clan in these districts or remain connive as their illegal settlement
continuous surreptitiously.
Overall, the return of the old political class in the reign of the country
will bring back the old policies and the old style of governance, which is
totally archaic and incongruous for the desires of the Somali people. There
is still a genuine doubt that he will not be able to deliver the peace,
stability, democracy, justice and good governance with accountability and
transparency demanded by the Somali people today and tomorrow.
With the above mentioned peculiarities, Abdulkassim is betrayal to the Somali
cause and what the people fought for all these years, simply because, he
represents the old political establishment which stand for repression,
oppression, corruption, nepotism, favoritism and clanism.
He represents the source of the Somali conflict and the demise of the Somali
people and the curse in which we are all busy in resolving it today.
Main Page | Latest News | Reuters News | A. Press News| Washington Post
|Contact Us
Copyright © 1999 banadir.com All Rights Reserved
September 7, 2000
Search Engines Yahoo Infoseek AltaVista Copernic Excite Hotbot Loobie Lycos
Previous News
August News
July News
June News
May News
April News
March News
February News
January News
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
ahme...@my-deja.com
carr...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Source: banadir.com.
Dear Carrabay;
That was very interesting piece!.
Ahmed Barre
M. Yusuf
waad ku mahadasantahay warbixintaan dheer ee aad ka bixisay Abdulkasim.
m.yusuf
carr...@my-deja.com heeft geschreven in bericht
<8p8rn6$dh8$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...