The problems that Somaliland people share in common are many. Poverty
is one. Ignorance is another. But bad leadership is unshared problem
of Somaliland people.  The effects that are immanent in each vary.

Poverty, anywhere, on any scale, is a potential strife. But poverty is
not beyond repair and remedy. Human development and its mobilization
can make miracles. No country can overcome poverty unless its people
beat it. Proverbially people who have a why to live for can find
almost any how.

Ignorance is also very strong in everywhere, but it is not a shame.
All people are born ignorant. The shame can be a refusal to admit
ignorance and start learning.

Good leadership gets eroded for a variety of reasons. But do we know
when and how disgrace and downfall begin? When we hide our lack of
faith. When biases and prejudices control our minds. When we hail
predators and robber barons as heroes and start to rant and rave after
those who are pure and pious.

Leadership is a very tough assignment. It needs maturity and
mentality. It needs vision and future-mindedness. It needs integrity
and audacity. It helps to have had on-the-job training.

History judges leaders on their handling of the national interests,
not on their passions for power and privileges. The credibility of any
leader is revealed by what he does for his country and his people
specifically when the moment is hard. This credibility depends on the
quality of nobility, ideas of dignity, of unself-interestedness, of
largeness of spirit and of a rising above spit, faction and greed.

Presidency, the highest post of any nation, will always have unlimited
responsibility. It is a profession that is as hard as a rock as
anybody might think. It is too intellectual and far rigid in its roles
and requirements for the average person. By its essence therefore it
requires an extraordinary person with extraordinary skills –   a
person that can maintain a steady course with the quality of being
honest and upright in character. .

That is a unifying skill that almost all Somaliland past presidents
did not have and the present one, Siilaanyo does not have. Siilaany’s
incapacity to pacify his policies and organize his administration is
his most personal weak power house characteristic. What Siilaanyo
appeals to is what those before him appealed to – a paranoid strain in
Somaliland politics that the past must always control the present.

The problem Somaliland finds itself in is always reminiscent of the
past, because whoever becomes a president for the country inherits his
predecessor’s awful legacy. Why everyone yearns naively in the past
legacies rather than new political patterns, cherishes over
undignified politics over the dignified polities and is not concerned
about how he could see a nation reshaped and reformed?

As anyone who is lucky enough to be a successful leader understands,
the abuse of power and evasion of national responsibility is a road to
disgrace and downfall. The better light of the faculty of ruling is
built on mutual respect, openness, honesty and a willingness to listen
and learn.

Describing how the faculty of listening and learning is important for
leaders, Niccolli Machiavelli wrote in his masterpiece novel, the
prince, “A prudent man must always follow in the footsteps of the
great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his prowess
fails to compare with theirs, at least it must have an air of
greatness. A good man must behave like those archers who, if they are
skilful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of
their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in
order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can hit the
target.”

It appears that Somaliland political leaders do not understand these
gems of truth too well and never practice them in both their political
and personal lives. If they understand and practice to learn and
listen, the picture we see these days in Somaliland should have been
better than the one we observe today.

It is not important who one is as a leader and which family hails
from. The important thing is who one has become and what one has done
for his own country. For the prosperity and progress of any country
depend much on how the rulers read their ideas and arrange their ideas
and envision the sense of tomorrow. Simple reasons explain

Right thinking leaders look at their time with a measure of suspicion
and circumspection. In conditions of widespread poverty and communal
strife, they increasingly work on how best they can get these problems
licked. They pace their policies and patch the holes and put things
together in a way that gives a good start. They think not of how to
clean the country’s roads; instead, they pick up a bit of garbage on
the road and drop it in a litter bin. They think not on how to feed
the country’s millions of hungry children; instead, they help the kid
on the corner to get a cup of milk.

Mohamed Mahatir of Malaysia did just this; he thought very small when
he rose to the power of his country. From his thinking small came
rural micro-credit and Malaysian projects, a powerful instrument of
social change, opportunities for Malaysians in Malaysia.
.
Obviously, nations will not develop unless the leadership at all
levels reaches some minimum standard of maturity. The matured leader
always picks up a talented team. If there is no talent on the team the
leadership chooses, the system does not work well.

It is by a collective effort, by bringing together the best minds in
the country, by following the reasonable norms of contacts and
cooperation that people can preserve their home, can make better and
prosperous.

Somaliland is a country that has seen great cruelty and hardship in
its time. It has seen the illusion of power and its ignorant
organization. The lessons of yesterday have been that illusion was a
laggard and blind. With this fact before us, Somaliland needs a
leadership that is too wise to understand that the problems of today
are sufficiently different and that the attempts to solve them require
fresh thinking and remedies that even the most detailed events of the
past will not provide.

The dogmas of the past are inadequate to the stormy present. The
occasion is piled high with challenges, and we must rise with the
occasions. The question is the need of this arid time is what?

The need of our time is nothing more than a leadership that is
intellectual if we are wise, analytical if we are ambitious, humane if
we care enough, considerate if we are kind, honest if we want to live
in an honorable life, prudent and pragmatic if we want to beat the
problems and the poverty we share. We need a leadership that must
think anew, and act anew. The imperative to act wisely and well is
just as urgent.

Arrogance, and the illusion to occupy positions and amass wealth
through illicit means is not a substitute for having the skills and
ideas and talent required to prevent the problems causing pains in the
first place. That is something we should be well advised to bear in
mind. If we won’t, Somaliland leadership will not flourish, any more
than a potato, if it be planted and replanted for too long a series of
generations in the same worn-out soil. What this means is that
Somaliland will always find itself in where “what is leadership” is
not the first question from impresario considering an ethic
representation.

Remember, any home filter has to be changed regularly to work right
and keep from becoming a health hazard in itself.

The ability to turn on the tap and take a long, cold drink of clean
water is something Somaliland people have not seen for so long. We may
have to begin thinking hard about what needs to be done about
Siilaanyo and his likes..

By: Jama Falaag.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Email:Jamafalaag@gmail.com

1 COMMENT

    • @Amal

      i thought you came to Mogadishu as Fowzia secretary ( you aunt) lol. where have you been.

      come get some banana with pasta and papaya and leave the dry north. we will send some mangos to hargeisa.

      • wanlawayn
        My aunt lol how is eedo Fowzia doing, I don't follow the news nowadays.
        But No thanks for your offer I think dry north is still beautiful to me 🙂 lol

    • amal
      I must disagree with you. In my opinion, it's unnatural and almost impossible for bad leaders to come out from great and honest citizens or lead them, but in contrary, bad citizens always produce bad leaders and vice versa.

        • Ilyas,
          So now you are calling Somaliland citizens Israeli citizenes lol may Allah help to cure you diseased heart.

      • Dhuguse,
        You are sort of right because leaders usually reflect their people, no wonder why we produce clannish leaders because we are clannish society.

  1. First off, the fact that this guy referred to niccolo machiavelli's work the prince as a "novel" should already tell you just how invested this guy is in research or detail.

    This Somaliland administration is the best one since the SNM freed Landers from the tyranny of Si y a a d and his nacnac brigade!

    Anyone who is anyone knows this administration has done more for the people and the country than any previous administration. What one should ask is where were these people who are writing articles now when Riyale was running the country into the shadows?

  2. I am sorry I am still laughing at "The Prince" being a novel bahahahahahahahah cough ahhhh bahahahahahaahaha man that was a good one. It was almost as good as Alex Jones rant on youtube, just nearly.

  3. Dear Jama Falaag,

    Notwithstanding your pseudology, psychology, chronic pains, in your despicable disrespect
    to all the Somaliland leaders, can I ask you this important question? Changing DR AMM Silaanyo
    and his like, who then have you in your mind to takeover to satisfy the likes of your peculiar, queer,
    isolated plastic collective firewoods! Get the hike out of here trollycaputo! Keep hiding in the KSA!
    Cheers.

  4. Leaders reflect their masses.

    Greater Leaders have greater civilians.

    Greater nations are the product of that greater civilian population.

    Somaliland has a Greater population among the Horn community.

    I will therefore correct you and remind you that Somaliland is fortunate to have the GREATEST population in the Horn-Of-Africa!!!

    Somaliland Leadership is the product of our population and they are AMONG the GREATEST in AFRICA!

    • Can i just ask if the dhulbahante clan are included in the great "Population" that supports the council in hargeisa?

      • boy ur subclan are full part of great nation Somaliland. But if some prefer council of Garowe, Mogadiscio or Addis Ababa, free for them to join them.

      • KFC i do not speak for Dhulbahante and your answer lies with Xaabsade and Xagalatosiye.

        Somaliland belongs to it's people who have chosen their Leaders by a Majority vote. Those disgruntle diaspora folks who are opposing Somaliland's existence are part of a minority opinion. Democracy allows them to continue to oppose, object and wail to their hearts content.

        1. 1960 2-Sovereign States joined to form the Somali-Republic.
        2. 18-May-1991 Somaliland Republic reclaimed original sovereignty.
        3. 2012 with the help of the international community it was agreed that those 2-STATEs will agree their future relationship.

        When the Majority Voice in Somaliland is made evident is promise you Every clan in Somaliland will be part of the Majority.

        YES there will be a minority who perceive an alternative political trajectory and they will consist of members of every clan within Somaliland. So you see i believe you already know the answer to your question and you are fully aware that even if 100% of Dhulbahante are against Somaliland their total population is not enough to form the Majority required to sway the political trajectory of Somaliland Republic.

        🙂 2013 2-STATE dialogue will conclude… I am confident i won't have any issue with the conclusion i have no idea about you!

        • your depressed you need to go to hospital for treatment your not all rite up there (brain).

  5. Surely there should be a body set up to stop outright media lies and made up stories. The media should be informing us and not making conjectures when they have no stories.

  6. If you disagree with someone's opinion, you are branded a liar. If you agree with their position, then you are best thing since sliced bread. We have to learn to listen, read and ingest all kinds of differing opinions, then make up our own minds. If you don't want to do that, then stop visiting these forums and having your blood pressure going through the roof!

  7. We want that Maamulka Somaliland solves their problems through peace. The elections were fraud committed by the subclan habarjeclo.
    We the community of Mogadishu capital of Somalia have no interest in war between habro or war between isaaq and dhulbahante.

  8. This white trash colonial village is not a country recognised by anyone other than the deluded tribal Ethiopian stooge (SNM). As a citizen of hargeisa I believe this delusional village has reached the end of the road because the Ethiopian stooge (SNM) has told lie after lie that recognition will come but after 20 years of complete nonsense there is NO RECOGNITION! I wasn't even born when these stooges from Ethiopian declared a state which looks like mud village as a country back in 1991. In 1991 till to 2012 had been a complete waste of time. Why didn't they (SNM) not done something meaningful like join the somali peace process or make peace between mohammed aidid and ali mahdi? instead of kidnaping elders from sool, sanaag and borama and bringing them to burco to sign some BS documents of separation from somalia. when I met my wife she was a hardcore separatists all she ever talks about is somaliland this somaliland that etc today the direh she wears is made of the blue flag aka somalia that's right I'm the man.

    • What is white trash, do you mean white people, if so then you ugly skinny black big toothed darood little b!tch need a slap because you are on benefits in the UK while your mother sucks for fun in garowe. Daroods are extremly useless, hargaisa is one of the most beautiful cities in east africa while gawore is a trash magnet full of one bedroom jiingadood.

      Issaq= wining
      darood= losing

  9. @Wanlaweyn…….. I am the only men left in hargeisa nearly all the fellas fled in drones to mogadishu looking for job careers and opportunities there is absolutely nothing here in (hargeisa) to live for its just a large dumpster place. The only reason I am still here is because my relatives from (London) send me like four hundreds dollars on a monthly basis.

    • With certain justified reservations, there are plenty of donors flying monies in Mogadishu!
      That's the only reason behind all these S/land dissidents go there..it's the money. Btw there
      are plenty of monies in Somaliland too and I would lyk to see that the PUBLIC sector salary
      structures and other incentives should be a top priority for the DR AMM Silaanyo's Govt to
      match the Mogadiscio donors enticements of this magnitude. Yhere's a challenge here.
      Cheers.

    • Puntland is officially a Dictatorship 🙂 Which means every so called President will in future have a way to extend his term in office.

      Let wait and see where 2013 leads, because Faroole wants to stay in power for ever.

  10. @KFC, Brotha, you seen politically confused, I get it, you're mixed and all so are 70% of Dolbahantes, and I think I may have more mixed clans in my family compared to you, however your political views and your family are two different things. Believe what you think is right.

    p.s. we are in control of our destiny, from outskirts of Garoowe, Jiidali to Kalshale which are basically almost half of outdated British protectorate Borders. and if you think the council in Hargaisa who can't even afford to train few police forces and shooting kids on streets of Hargaisa, Borama and Saylac in broad daylight plus no one recognizes them will tell us what to do then YOU'RE out of your mind.

    If I was a Garaad or Khaatumo state leader which I'm not obviously, I would ignore the few ISOLATIONIST in north west province of Somalia, they love being the center of attention. and of course I would spend my time and energy ending inter-tribal conflicts between Dolbahantes, building schools, universities, hospitals and etc. I would also make peace with neighborhood tribes such as HY, Warsangali, HJ,and MJs.