Necessity is the mother of the Minnesota convocation

Salaanta guud wixii ka dambeeya. It is a sure thing that there recently has been a lot of noise in regards to the Minnesota convocation. We know that questions have been flying here and there as to why the convocation. As the convocation date is nearing, and of course with all good intentions, I would like to express my ideas and spell out what made it necessary. Before I put my opinion in details, let me turn your attention to the below quote which is as important today as it ever has been.

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

To elaborate a little more; this means that solutions to problems (the inventions) are born out of the need for a solution (the necessity).

To put it in our terms; Minnesota ?tol?convocation (invention) is born out of the need for solutions of the Samaroon problems(necessity).

In other words, as coming up with an idea is said to be the birth of an idea, the need to revive the Samaroon pride is the mother that gave birth to the Minnesota convention.

Having said that, it is a sure thing by now that some are asking what problems made the convocation a necessity. To put the answer in simple terms, I would like to remind my fellow Awdalites the continuous political, economical and social hardships facing the regions of Awdal and Salal coupled with the indifference of the government among others for the last decade and more.

Personal security being at the top of the security concerns, my dear Samarooni, please allow me to remind you this:

Abtirsiin markii laysku dilee dhiigii Samaroon dhulka lagu daadshay.

Markii Samaroon aamusee aarsan kari waayay.

Markii Ceelbardaale boobka lagu qaaday.

Markii la is weheshadii garta la inagu muusay.

Those incidents caused the Samaroon pride to disappear into thin air. Abuse comes in many forms, and the above are many of the abuses done against the Samaroons. That was when every Samarooni was startled and hit the reality. That was when Samaroons came to know that the more the preparedness for the unexpected the more the safety. That was when Samaroons felt the need to put the heads together to formulate a way for the betterment. And that is what made the Minnesota convocation a necessity.

Let us face it; the Minnesota convocation is all about unity and leadership which will revive our pride and dignity. I think it serves good purpose now to remind us all the pride, dignity and the legacy built and left for us by our forefathers and which we neglected to protect. The legends that made possible the Adel Empire ? our forefathers - to whom we owe much. And how their legacy is being neglected by today’s Samaroons.

Samaroons are always proud of the legacy left behind by our forefathers. It was a legacy made strong through leadership consultations and unity of people working together for a common cause. They defended their land, created an empire and maintained dignity, faith and a vibrant culture which produced great leaders and people who had stood up to challenges. They possessed pride and special love to their land.

One can write thousands of pages about the pride of the Adalites (Samaroons), but to sum up, one thing obvious from the legacy of our forefathers is that they serve as an inspiration to commemorate the contributions of our fore fathers to the history of Awdal. Compare that legacy to the present Samaroons and right away it becomes clear and obvious why the Samaroons need to get together to create unity and find leadership.

Present Samaroons

Unlike our forefathers, Samaroons today are not united. Unlike our forefathers Samaroons today are not proud to be Samaroons but instead are proud to belong to Udub, Kulmiye or Ucid. Unlike the then Samaroon heroes, today’s Samaroons never work together for the common good.

Unlike our forefathers, we don’t defend our land together let alone creating an empire and maintaining the Samaroon bright History and dignity. Unlike our forefathers, we oppose each other and cast each other let alone creating a culture which can produce leaders and heroes.

Unlike our forefathers, we accept defeat easily instead of standing up to challenges. Unlike our forefathers who denied the Europeans access to Adal we let others take our land for no cost.

Unlike our forefathers, our people were slaughtered in a day light for no apparent reason but just belonging to Samaroon tribe. Unlike our present leaders and elites who are tol-blind, our forefathers were real Samaroons who defended their rights by any means necessary.

Unlike our present time, in our forefathers’ times Gadabursiland was never up for foreign investment.

Unlike our times, Zeila was a city of the world which scholars dreamed of setting a foot on, not a city which tribes dream of showing a tribal exhibition to distort history. Unlike us, Samaroons then were one and the same.

Obviously, there are differences between the present Samaroons and their forefathers. As it is clear, we the present Samaroons are not doing something right. Our numerous faults let others off the hook and hence, Ceelbardaale affairs, the slaughtering of our people and the Zeila exhibition. We have gone on a wrong road for a long time now. It is time to turn back and find the right road.

Closely following the above points one finds that the two most differences between us and our forefathers are unity and leadership. As I mentioned before our forefathers had leadership and unity of people working together for a common cause. In contrast, the present Samaroons seem to be running all ways with no consultations to collectively solve their own problems.

Necessity is the mother of the Minnesota convocation.

Let us face it, Samaroon pride is getting degraded year in year out. Minnesota convocation is not against anybody or group. It is fact finding convocation. It is a way to revive the Samaroon pride and to fill the gap ? Unity and leadership.

It is the cure for the Samaroons if we want to live in harmony and peace. It is a must that we all support and make it happen.

As delegates are gathering in Minnesota, please allow me to remind you that we are Samaroons ? one family. We embrace the tribal political culture of Somaliland. In the same token, we must understand that in a culture of tribal politics, we can not afford to forget our Samaroon identity because we know other tribes haven’t either.

Let us all see it happen and make our people unite working together for the common cause. Let us face it; this is all about Samaroon dignity and pride. It is our life, our choice. What do we want? As far as I am concerned, I want to be a proud Samarooni again.

Keep in mind that waiting for good things to happen is counter productive. Make them happen. Discuss hole heartedly and unlock the potential of the Samaroons. Do not fear the truth and the future of our people, brain storm it and shape it. Don’t shy away the necessity. Stitch us together. Lead us come to our senses so that we become powerful again. Learn from each other. Listen to each other. Correct each other and take the destiny of our people in your hands. Fight for the best that is within our reach, even if that means disagreeing with the elders and resisting the mighty dividers.

Keep in mind that History is going to be made when you gather in Minnesota to change the lives of your people and to reclaim the Samaroon pride. Confront the reality and remember;

Abtirsiin markii laysku dilee dhiigii Samaroon dhulka lagu daadshay.

Markii Samaroon aamusee aarsi kari waayay.

Markii dowladii nabada masuulka ka ahyd maalin qudha sheegin…

We must not be a nation that can be divided by the Somaliland party illusions. We can be united and powerful again.

You were Adal. You are Awdal. And you can be Adal again.

Weydinkaa … Xadhiga Ilaahay qabsada, isku duubnaada oo hakala jabina.

The rest of us will watch you and expect the best and surely will slaughter black goats to ward off "evil eyes" and protect us from the forces of disunity.

Suleiman Abdi Dugsiye
Ottawa