By: Mariam Boonde of Gosha.
Kismaio/ Somalia.

It’s true as Charles Onyango wrote in his previous article about Somalia that a crisis could turn out to be bigger than the Congo imbroglio and do greater damage to the wider Eastern African region, is brewing in Somalia.

The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which at one point sucked in Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, and Zimbabwe, was, in real terms, small and primitive.

Small, because none of the countries in it were economic or undisputed military powers in their neighborhood.

Primitive, because it drew in too many bandits and criminal militias, one reason it resulted directly and indirectly in the deaths of nearly four million people.

The long civil war in Somalia had, bizarrely, reached equilibrium with clan warlords controlling and preying on their respective turfs. Within that set up, some of Africa's most efficient mobile phone networks and free trade areas thrived alongside a very booming army trafficking and drug dealer business that rose incredibly in Somalia for the past 16 Years.

These warlord fiefs were, of course, hell for ordinary folks who didn't carry guns. Women were raped, genitally mutilated and well orchestrated slow genocide to secure smooth Ethnic Cleansing against Somali Sedentary and originally Bantu groups alongside all visible minorities because of their fertile territory, their culture, tradition and Religion in some cases with impunity, and there was hardly any education or medical care in the occupied Regions, while tangible developments were conducted in the Central and North Eastern regions home of the Armed Bosses. It was all quite unsustainable.

Seemingly and pretending more organized, puritan, and with a zero tolerance for crime not committed by their Militias , in June and July this year the Islamic Courts Union rode the wave of discontent, scattered their own warlords, and imposed a degree of order unseen for nearly a decade in the areas they came to control to save face for their former USC and to change Face in the political Arena of Somalia and mainly to oppose Abdullahi yusuf’s Militia to become the legally recognized Somali National Armed Forces so to avoid strong and legitimacy to the so called Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

But with strong allegations that it has links to Al Qaeda, the ICU has many people running scared. One of the main beneficiaries has been the beleaguered federal government in Baidoa, which now allegedly enjoys the protection of Ethiopian forces and has gained the attention of The International Community that has been ignoring for a while in a see and wait policy but ultimately decided to support The TFS in order to kick the emerging UIC out of the Somalia political ground because of their affiliations to the Regional and International Terror Groups.

Eritrea, which has fought two bloody war border wars with Ethiopia, is accused by Addis Ababa of backing the ICU, as a proxy against its giant eastern neighbor. Now the Islamists have declared holy war against Ethiopia. As a result of that it’s seen that already refugees are streaming into Kenya, as defeated warlords regroup to confront the Courts.

The problem is that because Somalia is highly militarized, and the refugees include many defeated troops, still armed and seriously dangerous to any society; so Kenya could soon have a glimpse of what happened when the Interahamwe were routed in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide and set up militarized mini-states in eastern Congo.

Somalia, however, is more explosive than Congo was because the international stakes are higher. Ethiopia has become a key ally in the West's war against terrorism because, true or not, the West sees it as the great Christian frontline against the southern advance of "Islamic radicalism", and to avoid Somalia being used as bargaining tool by Egypt, Sudan, and Libiya in order to subdue Ethiopia’s long tern interest to fully benefit from The Nile Waters.

Because of the fear of energizing its internal opposition, the Meles Zenawi government finds it strategically more creative to fight the war for its survival inside Somalia, not on home soil. At the same time, to the extent that there are Arab-radical Islamic forces active in the Horn and northern Africa, they must have taken the peace settlement in Southern Sudan as a great loss. Apart from oil, this is another reason the Khartoum government has taken a hard line in Darfur. It needs to keep the region firmly under its control if only to compensate for the loss of the south. It is therefore rewriting the ethnic map of Darfur, to make a tribally based settlement impossible there.

INFORMED DIPLOMATIC sources allege that in this bigger Arab-Islamic battle against what is seen as a concerted attack from the West, they too have decided that Somalia is where the definitive battle will be fought. There are claims of Egyptian and Libyan military elements working with the Courts. These aren't anything like the Mickey Mouse forces that faced off in the DRC.

The World not well aware of the cause and motivation of the 16 years old Somali War and its roots from the grounds which is nothing but well armed Militiamen from the Central and North Eastern parts of Somalia occupying forcibly the Regions of Lower Shabelle, Lower and Middle Jubba and the Gedo so to conduct Ethnical Cleansing of the Indigenous from their Regions and finally take and claim the ownership of these fertile Regions by any means possible, so the World might soon have to choose whether to save Darfur, Somalia, or even Ethiopia. It's a choice the international community doesn't relish, so it could decide that the only hope of maintaining any peace is for the status quo in Darfur and Somalia to remain.

There are lots of hidden realities behind the political seen of Somalia to discover  and it needs plenty of time for the International Community to understand in order to solve Somalia political problems once for good and so the stability of the Horn of Africa.

By:  Abaay Faama Eenow.

One should be wondering how a Maay or Jarreer-weyne or any of the others so called Others became low-class citizens or refugees within their own Country trying to survive the stunning violence, poverty, lack of education, trauma, oppression they live under, and what it would take for the world to see and recognize how their sufferings and plight is directly connected to the actions, past and present of Hawiye and Darood who have given themselves the world a plenty of airtime to promote their agenda of land expansionism  policy in a legitimate well-orchestrated propaganda that is going smooth and unchallenged !!.

 There is always about fiction civil war propaganda in the World media and when in actuality is a declaration call for genocide against the unarmed Somali Maay population, vs. the well equipped SRRC Ethiopian backed and USC Arab backed Groups, that no one minds to see again and again as the haunted starvation pictures coming back as another East African event caused by the unending continuous civil war! Whose Civil-War? And for Gods sake what civil war?

 As the Hawiye and Darod each fully aware their endless mischievous works in which repeating itself as a good cause for their own clan that will pass once again unnoticed with lots of contracts and money to gain from, war means money was always the case of Somali aggression. Again despite the terrifying pictures we’ve seen in 1992 -1993, they do not see it as a crime against humanity but see themselves as a good planners who is being rewarded by their legitimate reserved rights to govern over the unarmed subjects whom they consider an inferior ethnic groups, and on their behalf can work together with the international community to receive Aid packages after they starve them to death.

 Their ideology reminds me back in 1992 when a Somali-Canadian women from Toronto at CBC TV. Who belong to Darod Clan related to the current President of Somalia Abdullahi Yusuf described Canada as a stolen Country. It is common among themselves that say; ‘the strong is permitted to steal the poor’. And we are stealing one for ourselves. They have good skills in telling fiction stories in a ways that international community convincing them how humane they are for these helpless people whom they pretend to be one of their own, when in reality they don’t even speak the same language. They may look alike for the Arab, other African or White-man but everything else differentiates them as a two separate nation.

 Again we are compelled to follow their agenda for now, because of the miracle of their newly acquired wealth and power in the past 46 years, in addition we are deprived of wealth and education and can’t match their skill to market their newly packages of history and clan settlements in Somalia advanced by airlifting thousands of them as well as using a sophisticated modern weaponry system to push and eliminate the indigenous people from certain areas. While able to provide certain indigenous people that will endorse their agendas, traitors who are willing to sell their peoples cause for money and government positions.

 The Somali Maay Populations plea for help was never legitimate or a matter worthy of discussion as the nomadic invaders always brandishing them as a virulent and intolerant nationalism sweltering from a peaceful land, when in reality there was no peace for the past 46 years of killings, rape, lootings, land grapping, and every abusive action ever existed. See and compare to Somaliland!

 The intolerance showing by the two contested parties in Somalia towards each other always doesn’t say about the will and situations of local populations in their battle ground of Hinterland, because the work is always done covert and discreet. Their missions are always perfected and agreed upon both sides not to leak details or nature of the facts informative reports relating the ethnic cleansing of the Somali Maay population to their media outlets, while their Islamic or Federal politicians doing the rest by nourishing the international communities their common side of the stories, with no contradictions.

 The war was always about East block and West block in the past. Now between Islamism and Arabs on one side, and Christianity and Western with Ethiopia on the other side. Which means money and weapon from both sides to the contested parties, while the well off Somalis of the contested parties flood to the borders as soon as they create such situations, while claiming refugees themselves in the neighboring countries and the real victims dying of starvation are left behind.

 In the meantime a new settlement is been created in Hinterland, new people coming from Central and North Eastern Somalia are claiming new lands. A new aim, new goal-posts and new geopolitical settlements are constantly being shifted from one area to another every year updating the international community the newly rewritten history as the newly fact finds of Hawiye or Darood who are already winners in their safe regions and recently gained and expanded their people to a new territories.

 In five years also the well-off refugees who left for America, Europe, Australia and Canada as refugees are coming back with a new passports, dollars, and new influence to further their new claim of the newly found land whom they originally arrived as Camel raiders or clan militias killing the locals by shooting or depriving them their food, and later claimed as one of them and left to America through U.S. Embassy in Nairobi in their stead.

Who could plan better than Hawiye and Darood for both worlds? Didn’t someone said before, I believe it was my grandfather who use to say that; ‘Their double edged knives cuts both ways’, and eventually will cut both the Western and the Arabs who are feeding snakes as a domestic pet animals. Look Marehan and Habargidir Islamists shooting one another in a land they were trying to appropriate from others in the past 16 years "Brothers from Galgaduud". Watch Dhul - Bahante mercenaries hired by Abdullahi Yusuf threatening the Somaliland security and Majerten endings.

 For the Hinterland Population a hectic and stormy circumstance lies ahead of them, and living with their violence for years will eventually lead to anger and retaliatory actions they’ve learned from their invaders. Darfur in Somalia will surely be inevitable in the near future inside Somalia, so for God sake: “don’t let the Maay population slaughtered while their hands tied behind their backs”. Try them; it is not about a rising tide of nationalism sentiments but about rejecting a slavery and humiliation. They can temporarily exchange their ploughs for guns for the sake of their children and their existence.

 This is not provocation to Hawiye or Darood nor plans to invade Central Somalia or Northeastern Somalia, but to contain their aggression against the peaceful population in Somali Hinterland to live in peace and independent. We hope our calls for help to the outside world for the first time shouldn’t upset you as it upset you before when Somaliland parted their way, a proceeding the Somali Maay Population fully supports and taking it as a fair and equal stance for their rights. As for Hawiye and Darood the facts will remain the same, as they are known to be as groups the truth alien to their culture and existence.

 With so much of our blood on their hands, the guilty parties never admitting their crimes and yet their swords tend to draw more blood of our Population for over a half century period of slavery is finally changing our mood like it did to the Somaliland population, while strongly voicing our deepest resentment the role the Italians played over those years by hiding the facts, and being accessory to the crimes committed by Hawiye and Darood whom they handed over the power to them to represent their interests. 

 Italians never gave up even after the Soviets changed the name of the game. And History can never prove us wrong that Somalia Maay Population was never been given their independence in July 1960. In reality no Somali person from southern side was ever been liberated by being placed under Hawiye and Darood leadership. Now the trouble is my telling the truth is running contrary to their teachings while I am trying to enlighten people shorn of history, common sense and could get a bullet in the back of my head by just saying this from both the contested parts of ICU and TFS that’s facing my people as common brute enemies.

 Better late than never, no matter how brute those forces are and firepower they carry, not only approaching on the horizon but already inside our house, while both their guns directed at our faces trying to profiteer from our disasters dead or alive, their violent, chaos and anarchy missions bungling their NGOs contractors a huge amount of money they can invest in Central and Northeastern part of Somalia and in Dubai these days.

 These Hawiye and Darood invaders who occupy our lands are not obligated in any under international laws or Islamic laws that binds them to fulfill duties such as safeguarding the rights and safety of the invaded lands and its civilians. Because they are not considered Invaders, in 46 years they’ve been confusing everyone, once attacking neighboring countries for land claims, assassinating a president, broadening scientific socialism ideology among the camel herder revolutionists. Relocating as experiments of airlifting their clan groups from their territories and planting them in other territories.

 Overthrowing a dictator for a power struggle, warlord era, creating refugees, Islamic and federalism, and finally they became our land-lords and we slaves in our own lands with help of International community. Their failed efforts; the International community kept failing and cannot at least point out to the facts that we are modern slaves enslaving by their own kind but different colonial type that’s causing upheavals in our own lands. They say; ‘we are all Somalis’ homogeneous, with one flag, one language and one religion, that makes us wonder which is that religion?  Flag or language they are talking about?

 If those occupying forces from Central and Northeastern part of Somalia are providing recruitment and training grounds for terrorists within Southern Somalia Hinterland territories , we the Locals of Maay population and the people we share with are not responsible their actions. Somalia is very easy to understand but no one wants to understand.

 For example If Islamists attack Baidoa right now, the casualties will be immense for the Mirifle locals, not Hawiye and Darood, the power seekers and their militias from Central and Northeastern part of Somalia who are mistreating local people as prisoners while enjoying Ethiopian protection for a price. Now the troubles are more than misleading and illegal international funding activities taking place in Baidoa is seen as good cause for local women and children in the area when in reality they are excluded and deprived from the wealth of their own country as well as the one gathered under the banner of their name. Who is Abdullahi Yusuf? whose president is he? neither we elect him nor select him? He was selected by fellow Warlords for more deals.

 Now, try them! The local Baidoa people, the place where he is in control, does he speaks their language? do they like him? And what did he do for them since his arrival except killing them? They can’t even write their names, and no schools are open for them, while In Mogadishu, Central and Northeastern Somalia, Hawiye and Darood students are going Universities.

Why in Gods name they didn’t invest for ½ a century period in this part of the country, if it really belongs to them?  Where did the money go? The International Aid? The public stolen properties? The Counterfeit monies circulating in the country over the years? The livestock that’s been exchanged with counterfeit shillings and shipped to Arabia? The Mango trees that’s been burned for coal over the years. The telephone lines that is been sold as copper in kilos to India and the Philippines. The farming equipments and trucks sold to the neighboring countries.

 Why don’t they invest it in Southern Somalia if it really belongs to them?

Barre Shire Hiraale, Darood, Abdullahi Yusuf Darood, Morgan Darood, Indha Adde Hawiye, Hassan Dahir Aweys Hawiye, Abdiqassim Salad Hawiye.

How come you all speak and sound the same like the rest of you in Central and Northeastern Somalia and not sound like me. I speak Maay and my mahatiri accent tells that I am like anyone else in the Area from where they claim to belong to them. "Hinterland."

 Ethiopia should take back their Darood trouble maker Citizens back into their International borders, and we will sign that there will be no more land claim ever coming from our side. The Digil and so-called low caste others who are often excluded their rights will be in control soon, and the mass graves that lie across our regions they buried in order to bury with our history will be brought back on the front lines by our forces, then the sorrowful of their double standard of morality once making them wear Islamic shirt, Arab shirt, and once United Greater Somali shirt will be clear to you who is behind all the troubles in The Horn of Africa?

 We don’t want to fight you Ethiopia but we will fight against all fighting armies of Hawiye and Darood Islamists, suicide bombers, warlords in Mogadishu, drug barons settled in Barawe the past few years as well as the militias or mercenaries of Abdullahi Yusuf from Central and Northeastern Somalia and renegade citizens that do not represent Somaliland within their ranks who are in name of Darood or blunder sharing brought them in Baidoa.

 Their psychological inability to grasp what’s past and present-new in the country will likely cause you to fail as failures like them. If you keep seeing us like Hawiye or Darood, and will eventually make you lose as well the thread of history. We hope our existence won’t be raising any more complex questions such as “don’t The Somalis really one? Or don’t they have one religion?

There is more hidden political agenda in the Somalia Issue, which needs to be addressed with caution in order to stop the continuation of the past political mistakes committed by the former Somali politicians as well as The International Communities. let them see these pictures in the archives and say; they are not guilty of any crimes.