It is election time in Somaliland and the Diaspora communities are talking the political talk. Ottawa-Awdalians are of no exception. Like any other, every now and then the Samaroons get together in groups and talk about the coming Presidential election. Yes, you guessed right, the Kulmiye “gold rush” dominates the conversations. Predictions fly here and there as to who will be picked up for the Kulmiye Vice-President. As expected, support to who ever always goes along the tribal lines and I eventually walk away nodding my head and whispering to myself; “ayaan daran Awdal.” I don’t believe how my people (Awdalians) are easily induced to accept defeat and surrendered as beggars instead of partners. I wish they (Awdalians) remind themselves that beggars can not be choosers but have to accept what is available and for sure that is despise and dominance.
Some times, I can not restrain myself from preaching and take my usual lines of the need to unite and fight for our rights. But eventually I find myself boring my fellow brothers to death and then I am forced to quit. Out of respect I change the course to the favorite topic of the party illusions and the mad cow style Somaliland politics. As soon as the S…. of Siilaanyo comes out of any mouth and with out completing the name, the bored brothers come back into life and begin analysis of the political strategies of the “habars” and the three “dhadhaars” and act like the masters of all trades. Within no time, it gets me bored and I walk away asking myself who ever cursed the nation of Samaroon. My heart replies and mentions the fact that only they are to blame.
Yesterday, while working at the office, my good friend Bahdon ignited me when he started the politics of Awdalland. I blasted like a rocket and told him that what is going on in our Awdal is neither politics nor campaigning but a shame to us all. It is a campaign to tame Awdal and further turn it into a market for the greedy. I told him that it is a pre-calculated campaign to divide the innocent Samaroons. I shortened the conversation when I told him that I would rather watch a simple cartoon movie of Tom and Jerry than talking about the disgrace brought upon to the land of Awdal. Staring at me like I am the first human being he ever saw and with hands on his cheeks, he threw to me a million dollar question. A good question which sent waves to my mind and I was like; “Wow, that is a good question.” My friend Bahdon asked me what would I do if I were Rayale? I collected my self and told him that I will answer it in an upcoming article.
My dear Awdaians, let us all face the reality, if there is any need we have it is the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground that stands true to our best hopes and ideas, the need for coming together and the hope that we begin the healing.
My dear Awdalians real change starts with honest. If we are getting stale in the present Somaliland regime, I assure you that even if change comes it will be the same old none sense we have all heard before under the leadership of Kulmiye and even worse.
This coming presidential election is unlike any we have faced before. The stakes are higher and the challenges we face as Samaroon are greater than at any time since the birth of Somaliland. We as Samaroons must choose to do what is good for us all. We must change direction into the right one for ourselves, for our great Awdal and especially for our children, or wander in the same old degrading direction we have been in the last sixteen years.
It is time to end the game we have been playing silently for so long. It is time to tell the domineering Isaaqs who have been running the show for too long that their time is over. It is time to tell them that it is time for Awdal to get its fair share of the pie. It is time to challenge the politicians to put Awdal interests ahead of their own pre-calculated political interests. But surely it is not time to beg them for a hand out. We cannot replace a group of UDUBs with a group of KULMIYEs; just swapping the Hargeysa insiders of one party for the Burco insiders of the other will not reach us any where but surely will sink us deep into humiliation coupled with poverty.
My dear Awdalians, it is time for a reform. But we must know that reform comes from within not from without. “Waan baahanahey looma bahalo cuno,” It is time for us to unite, it is time to look the politicians in the eye and say NO…NO…NO. It is time to demand our rights. It is time to garbage the Somaliland domineering political system. It is time to stop the illusionists. It is time to demand clear campaign agendas. It is time to vote for who ever are ready to support Awdal get its fair share of the power. But it is not time for us to be divided for some thing that is worthless.
My dear Awdalians united, we can defeat any, united we need neither Rayale nor Siilaanyo to get what we have rights for. United we are strong and need to beg no party for a Presidential or a vice-president candidates. United we can run the show and quard our interests. All we need is our unity. Let us all face the real thing my dear Awdalians, only united, we can leave a legacy for our children. Only united we can stand tall from the crowd. Only and only united we can revive our Awdal. Any thing less is degrading and humiliating.
Fact …. Xaqiiq … Run
To get back to the title of the article, here is the analogy:
Our cooking pot (dharigeenu) needs three foundations (dhadhaaro) to stand still. Only then, we can cook the food. Trying the pot to stand on two foundations makes it collapse and hence, there will be nothing to cook. Trying it with only one dhadhaar is surely impossible. Try it in any way you see it fit. The pot will never get balanced with out the three foundations. My dear Awdalians it is as simple as that. The Samaroon pot (dharigeenu) can not get balanced with out our three foundations (dhadhaar). To cook our delicious food, surely we need our three dhadhaars to erect the pot balanced. Any thing less is empty stomach. The fact of the matter is, without our unity; Tiro iyo Tayaba ma lihin ee ha la ogaado.
Gabagabo
Samaroonow dharigeena sadexdeena dhadhaar uun baa dheeli tiri kara. Laba dhadhaar hadii aan ku eegno, waa hubaaloo dharigaa dheeliyi oo wixii aan karsan lahayna wuu daadan amma quban. Waana calool madhan wixii ka danbeeyi. Dhadhaar qudhina waa wax aan suuro galeyn. Dhankaad dooni u jeedi, hadii aad kareyso inaad laba dhadhaar ku dheeli tirto dharigeena, ilasoo xidhiidh buraad sidaayoo abaal gud baad mudataaye.
Iskusoo wada xoori, Samaroonow sadexdeena dhadhaar maku dheeli tirnaa dharigeena. Mise waan qasanaayoo quudka yareen karsan doono weynu iska qubnaa.
Wa bilaahi Towfiiq…
Stay tuned for the next article…..”If I were Rayaale”
This article was first published on 2007-11-23
Suleiman Abdi Dugsiye
Ottawa, Canada
douksi@warsanmag.com
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