(SomalilandPress)-Think about Somalia and all that jumps to mind is the image of a lawless country where extremist forces have turned it into killing fields, where people are butchered, maimed and their dignities and human rights are trampled on in the name of a mangled Islam, where piracy is a lucrative business that brings brides and undreamed of wealth and luxuries to hapless maritime scarecrows.

It is a place where the President of the internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) hides in a foxhole called Villa Somalia with the protection of African Forces but gets red-carpet treatment in western countries. A place where corruption is so rife that government officials as well as clan militias and unscrupulous local contractors get hefty bribes in order to allow world donated food supplies to reach the displaced and the needy sheltered in make-shift camps. A place where the TFG’s western trained military sells its weapons to their sworn enemies due to an intricate mix of clan loyalty and endemic indifference to military values and patriotic feelings.

Somalia is a place where each of the fighting groups is so fragmented that any hope of one group coming on top as dominant force to bring stability remains a distant dream. A place where internationally-concocted peace conferences have become a profitable industry that no sooner one is held to satiate the greed of some groups, another one is demanded by groups who feel left out of the spoils of the first by starting another horrendous conflict. Topping the list of these surrealistic images is the picture of the suicidal group Al Shabab that allures disillusioned youth of Somali origin from North America and Europe to be part of what they claim to be a legendary Islamic revolution of equal status to Prophet Mohammed’s conquest of Mecca from the pagan Quraishites or to die for the fantasy of wedding virgin girls in the life after death.

Compare this to another people of Somali stock who managed to avoid all the above vices and vagaries; people who are like your next door neighbors and have worked to restore peace and stability in their territory; people who opted to consult the fine products of their culture and human mind in running their own affairs and kept Islam in God’s turf and in its dignified place of being in the hearts of people to meet the individual’s spiritual needs. It is a place where its people distanced themselves from the lawlessness and butchering taking place in former Somalia. A place where pirates are captured as criminals and put on trial, where suicidal ideologies are shunned and not adorned with grand titles and noms de guerre that are alien to the Somali psyche and culture.

This latter place is Somaliland, a country that gained its independence from Britain in 1960 and has become a full member of the United Nations before it joined the Italian colonized South in a union that brought them only destruction and misery. Almost 30 years after the union, the former British Protectorate of Somaliland walked away from the union with their towns destroyed, their infrastructure in tatters and their whole population in refugee camps. But within two decades and after several inter-clan conferences under their acacia trees, they consolidated peace and established government institutions through a unique blend of customary laws and a multi-party democratic system. Today, while world favored Italian Somalia is still in mayhem, Somaliland has an elected president, an elected parliament, a free judicial body and a vigorous free media.

It also has its national flag, national currency as well as a military and a police force. A score of universities and colleges and hundreds of public and private schools sprang up in various parts of the country. Now as I write this piece, Somaliland National Election Commission is issuing voting registration cards for the upcoming second presidential elections due to take place sometime this year. This makes Somaliland one of the first countries in Africa to apply an electronic voter registration. The three political parties in the country have lined up their candidates and are on the campaign trail to sell their agenda to the people.

The people of Somaliland have achieved this without UN-sponsored conferences and with limited international assistance. But while Somaliland finds it hard to sell its success story of peace, progress and democratization to the international community, the world pours money to the bottomless vortex of lawless Somalia; money that doesn’t feed the needy and shelter the poor but lines the pockets of irredeemably corrupt diaspora carpetbaggers and terrorist groups.

It is amazing, however, how Somaliland people sustain such a strong belief that their resilience and determination would pay at the end, if not by gaining political recognition at least by getting the financial assistance they need for building their capacity in contributing to the safety of the maritime routes against piracy and for bolstering the security of the strategic Horn of African region against the threat of terrorism.

Given the significant role Somaliland plays in safeguarding its coastal waters and checking the spread of Islamism with its meager resources, it is clear that Somaliland can be a vital geopolitical partner for the United States and the EU. The fact that a high profile Somaliland delegation is currently in Washington DC at the invitation of the State Department, is a good indication that the Obama administration is quickly learning that Somalis might not be the same people after all and that spending American tax payers’ money on the good people in Somaliland might put the horse before the cart in dealing with the intricate situation of that Horn of African country and might win America grateful friends who see it as beacon of hope and freedom and not as infidels worth killing.

By Bashir Goth
Email: bsogoth@yahoo.com

__________________________________________________________________________
Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial

1 COMMENT

  1. Is it you Mr. Goth who wrote the pro-Somaliweyn article in gedonet recently scathing a Kenyan journalist for suggesting Somalia should be evenly divided between Ethiopia and Kenya? if thats you then you are a hypocrite with multiple loyalties, your article asking Rayaale to step down peacefully is also another indicater of your "selective" Somalilandisim. The problem is not that Somaliland tried and failed to get international recognision its the fact many seemingly pro-Somaliland are in fact double agents a wolf in a sheep's skin and the Republic will never see the daylight of recognision until we Somalilanders expose the filth of fifth columnist amongst us, only then we can rise to the top, until then carry on Bashiir Goth, Raage Oomaar, Daahir Rayaale Kaahin and the rest of the useless bunch in Hargeysa.

    • Mr. Elmi,

      Sir, you got it wrong, in fact Mr. Goth, was defending the right of Somali against a Kenyan writer who advocated for partition of Somalia between Kenya and Ethiopia.

      So please sir , research your fact before making this kind of unfounded accusation.

      We the Somaliland community are very proud of Mr. Goth contribution to Somaliland causes and many of us can attest to that.

  2. Stopstopstopstop Mr. Elmi, and apologise to our countryman. Mr. Bashir Goth is not what you think, and we should not attach each other so openly in the media. If you write to him and express your feelings [political feelings] you might change drastically when you heard him. Please redeem this comments of yours and apologize. Boqoljire

  3. This is amazing article… Thanks Goth for your support to Somaliland, although it is responsibility of every Somalilander but you did extraordinary job.

    Thanks
    Al-Mutairi

  4. Typical Somalilanders kill the messanger but refuse to see the truth that many are not pro-Somaliland out of conviction. Why dont I let Mr. Bashir Goth speak for himself through his articles on allgedo online

    "You must know Mr.Kipkorir that with the exception of Mogadishu every other town in the Somali region whether it is in Somaliland, Puntland, Baidoa or even Kismayo at the border of Kenya have better degree of security than your cosmopolitan Nairobi. In Hargeisa for example like any other town of former Somalia"

  5. "I am not sure whether you are intentionally trying to reopen the old wounds of the division of the Somali people by the colonial powers and test the resolve of the Somali people to reviving their dream of greater Somalia, but if that is your intention then rest assured brother that unlike you Somalis know that in the 21st century they would be in a better shape to have greater Africa than greater Somalia"

  6. Can you explain to us what the writer means by greater Somalia at this day and age and whats with calling the late terrorist Sayid Maxamed Abdalah Hassan a hero?

    Saaxiibayaal ha la kala saaro kuwa aaminsan qadiyada iyo kuwa u taageera adeerkey baa madaxweyne hada ah marka uu tagana calanka somaliweyn baan la soo baxayaa

  7. Who do you talking to Mr. Elmi? This is Boqoljireh, and I have addressed you, but why Mr.Kipkorir and Nairobi has to do with our remarks above? Boqoljireh

  8. I like the title, well put!

    Elmi, you are a typical a somaliland media man coz they always quote the misleading words and leaves out the content in which these words were mentioned.

    I have googled the article you mentioned and it was a kokoyo saying let somaliland be under ethiopia and somalia under kenya. and that is a silly opinion and it was right to speak as somali vs kokoyo to reply to him.

    is bashir a pro-greater somalia. No, coz in the last sentence he said:

    ” Somalis know that in the 21st century they would be in a better shape to have greater Africa than greater Somalia.”

    Did you understand what that means?

    if you are more national than bashir, show us how many articles you have?

    regarning Abdullahi hasan, pick up any copy of somaliland constitution, in the introduction it apprises all mujahidin of this country like ahmed guray, sayid abdulla hasan and the SNM. I disagree with sayid abdulla on many points (likewise the SNM) all have their mistakes but we’re all proud of them coz they were freedom fighters specially when talking to foreigners.

  9. This is amazing article… Thanks Goth for your support to Somaliland, although it is responsibility of every Somalilander but you did extraordinary job.

    Thanks
    Al-Mutairi

    I agree thanks

  10. Somalilanders please stop the argument and help your country, it does not matter which party you belong. Thanks to Bashir Goth for your articles on Somaliland as well as Rageh Omaar. We are very proud of Bashir Goth, Al-Mutairi and Rageh Omaar.

  11. This article is good apart from the use of the word ''Islamism'' which was coined by heinous Zionists intent on ruining Islam's image in the World. Mr Bashir, please be wise an refrain from falling into their trap.

  12. Boqoljire or whatever, you completely misunderstood Bashir and his previous – he was never against Somaliland in that article, Bashir always writes from his heart he doesnt just write because he enjoys writing, he speaks from his heart and you going to far.

    All he was saying is that Kenya can not claim other Somali territories because Kenyan writer did not call for Somaliland recognition instead the "annexation of Somali lands" by Kenya and Ethiopia. How could you support that? I am Somalilander and I would never support Kenya that annex a tiny bit of Somali soil – its all in our blood no matter whether we are Somaliland, Djibouti or Somalia. This is common thing we all share.

    Today if Ethiopia claimed us and our port, Somalis from Somalia would be ready to defend us as much as we stand with them against foreigners but we cant be one nation for the time been we need to build the foundations (education, common goal etc).

  13. Goth is saying International community should help Somaliland financially if it doesn't help to recognize Somaliland. His articles support Somaliland but he seem some one who picks on Somalia. A lot of international support toward Somalia is usually keep individuals like Somalia politicians and it's true but I disagreed if he want world community to cut off given an assistant to Somalia.

    Instead, world need to give support to the needs, the displace people, women and children who need it. Somaliland and Somalia may not be one nation but people shouldn't think that they would stick together if attack from outside. If one of the neighbors try to take Somalia or Somaliland area, then we would have no choice but to fight our commant enemy at the same time be difference in political.
    As mr. Elmi, stop crying when your eyes see words like greater Somalia without reading it's intention of its use. Remember soneone is hero is another person is enemy and people have choices whom they think their heroes.

  14. Elmi, sometimes it's better to stay quiet and let people think that you are a fool than to talk and erase all doubt. You have hit rock bottom and you are continuing to dig. Pls stop embarrasing yourself and the rest of us. If you want us to believe that you are more patriotic than Bashir or Rayale, I am willing to pretend that you are if it will shut you up.

  15. Abdi am not seeking your approval here and as usual with qat induced minds like yours missed the point while fixated on the messenger. Somaliland does not need ocassional or part time Somalilanders who wave the flag only when it suits their agenda, sure glad you proud of Raage Oomaar who refuses to let the word Somaliland slip from his tounge or Bashiir Goth who is a turncoat but why blame him alone our entire nation is made of part time Somalilanders who call themselves Somalis yet want the world to take them seriously. Give me a break

  16. I do not understand why Mr. Bashir Goth needs to put down people in South Somalia to beg US!!! I really don’t. Let us face it, it is true there is relative peace, not because Somaliland government but tribal agreements that has been there for centuries. Somaliland politicians are corrupt, unemployment rate is 100%, there is no democracy but a clan dictatorship. what success is he talking about? How he hates Somalia when every politican in Somaliland holds diplomatic Somali passport? somethign don't ad up here.

    Mr. Elmi’s hates Somaliweyn, i don’t get it!!! We live in a world where countries with same continent are uniting for their common good. What Somali benefits from dividing few million us that live in Horn of Africa- when their next door neighbour is seventy million and above? If we look at it, every Somali generation inherits political, social and economic problems from preceding generations because of emotional, revenge and short sighted reasons.

    Elmi, you are not making any sense at all bro. Somaliweyn is our strength, not our weakness. Sad to see how far we go for clannish reasons in 21st century!

    • brothers, its the time when we hold hands each others to our common goals instead of arguing worthless issues.can any of you tell me the difference between somalis,east to west you are somalis when it cames to our physical appearence , our religion, and our language.B rothers good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results, bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. let us have good legacy .our thoughts determine our destiny.our destiny determines our legacy.iam your constant compassion .iam your greast helper or heavest burden. i will push you onward or drage you down to failure . iam completely at your comand .iam easly managed-you mus merly be be firm with me .iam the servant of all grat men ,and alas, of all failure as well. those who are great, i have made them great . those who are fialure i made them fialure. iam not amachine. you may run me for aprofit or run me for ruin, take me ,train me ,be firm with me, and i will place the world at your feet. be easy with me and i will disroy you . who am i?

  17. Runsheeg you are right to defend the South Somalis from other's insults, just as I do. However, you are wrong to talk badly about Somaliland and its people. You advocate for the return of Somaliwayn yet can't stand the successes of Somaliland!! So you are just as clannish as the other people you are accusing. Somaliland neither needs other people's praise to succeed, nor its progress is dependent on other's approval. And for your information, our politicians use SOMALILAND DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS and not the defunct one.

  18. Abraham,

    My tribal background is Waqooyi Galbeed. I am not bashing Somaliland, I am telling the truth about the government there and the success Mr. Goth is talking about. There is no tangible success there.

    Every region from Middle Shabbelle to Awdal is occupied either by single clan or multiple clans that have developed traditional clan system of coexistence. It is easy to stabilize these regions. But south of Jawhar, is multi cultural and tribal, and also the nation's source of economy. It is more complicated.

  19. Abarham,

    At the absence of national system, the single inhabitant clan of Waqooyi Galbeed and Togdheer revived its traditional clan system to establish peace; that is a commendable success every Somali should acknowledge unless he or she is in denial or clannish. But the northern provinces’ clannish politicians that worked with Barre Regime and are using this honourable traditional clan effort for their advantage by transforming it into a political entity, Somaliland, did not accomplish nothing but are destroying what has been achieved by the traditional leaders and undermining Somali people’s struggle to overcome tribalism and establish national system based on justice and free from clan nepotism, corruption and all the vices that comes with tribalism.

  20. Those who still belive Siyad Bare's ideology of Somaliweyn are somehow out of touch of reality and really stuck in a period that the mojority of the Somali speaking communities do not want to go back.
    Their whole argument, when argueing against Somaliland's withdrawal from the Union, involves around tribelism. This shows that they really lack analytical side of their brains. It is like if they have been brainwashed from all realities and then planted one thing into their brain 'Somaliwey'.
    I really don't see the point of trying to explain anything else to them. One some one is not using his or her brain fully and therefore can not analyse things that are present, they are incompetent and thus can be diagnosed as morons. The aimless slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people that happened and is still happening in Somalia is the most viable example of this illness.
    Many people need to engage a debate on how to solve this problem, first.

  21. Once I have seen Bashir's article in various websites, I have determined to write to him because I was disappointed seeing how he is promoting Somaliland on the expense of our brothers in Somalia, but the constructive and rational comments in this website have encouraged me to voice my views in here.

    It seems the syndrome that has afflicted a number of Somalilanders particulary short sighted politicians has infected our writer as well .
    The syndrome : Own currency, own flag, elected president , own passport, two elections and look at south Somalia what they have ! Come to us don't go to them! Sickening! Don't they know that they are inadvertently alluding that we are part of Somalia by referring it alwayst and associating and comparing everything with it! Any group of people could form own currency, own flag, I can do that within my village! But to be recognised, it needs tough diplomatic efforts and approaching countries and entities on the basis of mutual interest!
    Let us mind our own business and leave Somalia (if we are not at leat helping them). What is your concern whether they are helped or not? Maxaa kaaga 15 ah?!

    Maxamuud Yare
    UK

  22. Cont'd..
    Somaliland is captive of inept politicians and a large diaspora society that lack will and vision.
    Friends, we have departed from South long time ago and wonder why mentioning again and again!
    But there is a harsh reality to face! Somaliland cannot be an oasis of peace if your next door is burning. Peaceful Somalia is the interest of Somaliland!
    It is a simple geopolitical factor that all countries of the world are aware of.They strive to extinguish that fire before it reaches them!!.

    Somaliland ha jirto , Ilaahayow u gargaar walaalahayaga Soomaaliyeed meel ay joogaanba cidi noogama dhowee!

    Maxamuud Yare

    UK

  23. Yare

    Infact History attest that Somaliland never harm the people of Somalia but helped them instead, understand that its the only place that has sheltered a number of 40.000 refugee with a limited resource and an assistance to provide to them, understand that its the only place that has let the South re think what a kind of future they should shape for that Boy whos a victim of guns and wars. Let state some facts is that its Ironic to help somebody and see him hes stabbing u back, its ironic to never mention the Genocide happened to our People worse yet u seee someone start the BLEEDING once again. So the truth that we're different is not because we are from another planet or ALIEN but because we solve our issues by what Mr. Gosh has indicated quote " But within two decades and after several inter-clan conferences under their acacia trees, they consolidated peace and established government institutions through a unique blend of customary laws and a multi-party democratic system"