By Abdirahman M. Dirye
Hargeisa—on 20, March 206, the political parties’ leaders participated in the inauguration of Djibouti office in Somaliland. Muse Bihi of Kulmiye the ruling party made startling statement “Djibouti is the only country recognized Somaliland, I knew it!” he uttered. These remarks whether true or not reveals that diplomacy is closed book to him, audience literally numb from the shock. For the sake of argument, let’s say it’s true because Djibouti is sisterly country very much in common with Somaliland. But will such speech make her happy? Of course not, such startling remarks not just harm Djibouti’s interest in Somalia in which Djibouti government promised to maintain neutral in Somalia partition or unity and doesn’t want to be seen ally of one tribe over the other but also is a testament of what Muse can do once president . Dr Mohamed Rashid State Minister advised to him “you ought to study foreign policy before declaring presidential candidacy!” he read him well. Muse embarrasses himself whenever he opens his mouth.
On the other hand, these statements reinforce the people’s perception of Muse as an average person: sentimental, tribally emotionally, short sighted, media manipulating, reactionary man who falls wherever the wind blows him like scarecrow. Does Somaliland’s presidency is the job for the average soldier? This man, however, looks the most wildly unrestrained human I’ve ever seen. Whenever, he speaks, he presses the wrong button and says insane statement. In 1994, his notorious remarks of “capable of murdering Idagale tribe, in no circumstances I talk to” still rings in the minds of his maternal uncles of Idagale tribe. What a kind of person will that be?
His latest remarks maybe wakeup call for the few potential clannish voters who still insist on that Muse is the good guy in the town. He represents the beginning of military junta party whom the president gave it up out of fear that he may kill him. This guy is a threat not just to us but also to the entire region. He’s neither on friendly terms with Islamists in Somaliland nor on other tribes. He’s very arrogant, tribally narcissistic, and very antagonizing man. How can he rule unrecognized country with tougher challenges? He can say whatsoever he wants whenever he wants without considering any dire consequence of his utterances.
He threatened the late president Egal in office to kill by showing him a hole in the gate where he said I fired at the Abdirahman Ahmed Ali and can do it to you again! Therefore unless curbed, this traumatized veteran needs a rest or to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Had National Election Commission was powerful enough and binding set of guidelines in place to follow by the three candidates, they’ve disqualify Muse. But Somaliland political scene is chaotic.
He is always in the media because of his controversial remarks like “I am capable of killing…, Djibouti loves us, or I am kiligii or self-declared Mujahid“. Women should stay in the kitchen” an interview with the Horn Cable or “people from New Hargeisa to Erigavo are illiterates”. And he thinks he’s doing awful thing while in fact he undoing Somaliland achievement. The same statements made by Faisal Ali Warabi, and they call him lunatic, but what I don’t understand is that Muse Bihi does the same thing again and again they call him tribal hero. Now, he’s everywhere from the Facebook-like tabloids, and yellow papers of his tribe. But you can’t find his name in reputable publication. It’s the time his clannish henchmen dare to tell him to put brake on his nonsense.
Faisal of UCID pretended to be cool but finally made his choice and doubled his nonsensical remarks to catch him up. Every night, in the Cable TV, he releases his new album of threats like “I wanna kill Iro, or keep my dearly earned party until forced to set free, why not? Am i more cowardly than Muse? Even I have to start their nonsense genre to stay in the gossip media and be liked, wow.
Analysts think that Muse confuses individual gains with country’s strategic interest. Another explanation is that this guy belatedly realized that his rival the leader of Wadani party Hon. Abdirahman M. Abdilahi Iro earned not just the respect of the locals but the region’s. Envy of Mr. Iro commanding a lot of attention on and off stage, Muse couldn’t control his rage; rather exploded! Will you vote for such reactionary dude? Melancholy and mistrust hold voters back.
Amin (Dada Oumee), Idi of Uganda expelled embassy of Israel after they refused to give to his brutal regime a military aid. He shifted to PLO. Can we say Muse Bihi Abdi, is the new Idi Amin of Somaliland? Ethiopia has been ally with Somaliland since its onset. We both need equally.
Somaliland needs responsible leader like Abdirahman Iro of Wadani party to navigate in the turmoil safely.
Whatever angle you look at, his remarks are unpractical and dead wrong. Djibouti a country I respect so much won’t be the first to recognize Somaliland not because of Berbera port competing with theirs, no never but for good reasons. Even if it dares to be the first, that decision will not just isolate Somaliland further but also damage Djibouti global interests. Diplomacy experts believe so.
Previously, his handling of 1994 crisis reaffirmed his poor management of domestic policy, democracy based clannish power sharing system, to the skeptics. Unlike charismatic leader of Wadani party, Muse Bihi fails to create unifying image for his inherited party from alive president. Take for example, the ongoing dispute with his Sultan. Mr. Muse vowed to replace him with puppet Sultan sheepishly loyal to him. “You are great Sultan only if you are with me but otherwise none!” Ali Guray said his acts sounds much like that. Incapable of unifying his tiny invisible clan, can he unify Islamists, nepotism, and nationalists, minority unionists living together in harmony in politically sensitive environment of Somaliland? The answer is emphatically no unless tribalism gangraped you.
His startling remarks reveal his true mindset and of what man he will be in office. It’s open secret that Djibouti’s deep involvement in Somalia for legitimate interests. They sent troops to Somalia to stabilize. The more he speaks, the more he divulges his unbearable weaknesses. His incapacity to manage and lead unrecognized nation is empirically substantiated by himself. How he reached the conclusion that Djibouti loves Somaliland more than others still mystery to me probably to you. Djibouti are ethnically Somalis, I got that. But ones’ interests diverge much like Somalia and Somaliland despite shared ethnicity. Diplomacy knows no tribe or faith. It’s just mutual interests.
Ethiopia invested in Somaliland heavily in terms of security and diplomatic support. Nevertheless, what’s their take of his (un) wise remarks? Somaliland needs the whole world to give moral support to achieve its political aims. But a statement ranking one country is more sympathetic than the other creates animosity and it’s stupidity to say by so-called politician in platform like that. Somaliland needs a leader whose statesmanship spans three decades across the five continents who know what it means foreign policy and has charisma and unifying image, and that’s Mr. Iro. Vote for him or vote for the soldier than complain. The voters make the same mistake since 60s. But the choice is yours.
