Sunday January 14, 2024
In this article, I am responding to Nimco Ali's article published in 'The Standard' UK on 9 January 2024. Click HERE for a link to her article.
Recently, there has been an influx of commentary videos and articles coming out from non-Somalis detailing the delicate Somaliland and Somali issue and calling for the severance of Somalia as a country. I don't know why outsiders have suddenly taken an interest in Somaliland. However, it is unsettling as it's been common for foreigners to foment and stoke the fire between the state of Somaliland and the country of Somalia, as outsiders would have a lot to gain from the severance of Somalia as a country.
After reading Nimco Ali's article on Somaliland gaining independence, I found many points of contention and misleading information that I felt necessary to speak on and inform. My first point of contention is Nimco Ali stating that Somaliland first gained independence in 1991. Although it is true Somaliland declared itself separate from Somalia at this time, an important part of history has been brushed aside, and in order to analyse this, it is vital to look at the conception of the Republic of Somalia as a whole.
Both Somaliland and Somalia gained independence in 1960. British Somaliland (North) gained independence five days before Italian Somaliland (South). When British Somaliland was granted independence on 26 June 1960, rather than declaring itself as a country the day it won independence, Somaliland politicians and leaders journeyed from the North to the South and waited days until Somalia, the South, was also given independence so they could join together in arms to create the Republic of Somalia. Scenes of the parades and celebrations of this monumental moment are still remembered in the people's hearts, as it is well understood amongst the previous generation of Somalis that North and South Somalia are stronger as one and should not divided, despite the North being granted independence first.
I fail to comprehend Ali's claim that the UK should involve itself in Somali affairs for this reason. It was the colonisers of England and Italy who separated the land in the first place and the people of Somalia who united it together once given independence. My understanding (alongside most Somalis) is that England has no right, as it was once the coloniser of Somaliland, to once again involve itself in the affairs of the Somali people and make a detrimental decision in recognising Somaliland as independent, which will have drastic effects on the Somali people. We were granted independence, and we decided to unite; the UK choosing to recognise Somaliland would be reminiscent of its previous colonial historic powers and goes against the wishes and betterment of the Somali people. A former coloniser should not have the right of that power over Somalia.
My second point of contention in Nimco Ali's article is that she claims that if her grandparents were alive today, they would be ecstatic to see the MoU deal made between Somaliland and Ethiopia. However, Nimco Alis's grandparents were alive in 1960 to see this moment in Somali history, and it was well understood in her grandparent's generation, the concepts of 'Somalinimo' and Greater Somalia (Somaliweyn). Her grandparent's generation also witnessed the fight for the unification of all five Somali states, not just British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. It also must be understood that many Northern Somalis, like her grandparents, fought in 1977 and 1964 against Ethiopia to reclaim the Somali Galbeed region. So I must disagree. If Nimco Ali's grandparents were alive, they would not be ecstatic to see this deal take place as they would understand that Ethiopia has done nothing but stoke the fire of Somalia's troubles and has been a menace to Somalia's prosperity and success for a long time. They certainly would not be happy about this deal as they remember well the fight against Ethiopia to reclaim Somali lands – both in 1964 and 1977. This deal grants Ethiopia access to Somali lands. Furthermore, if her grandparents were alive, they would understand that Somaliland and Somalia are stronger together and the country must not be severed.
It is also worth mentioning in Nimco Ali's article, she blames Somalia for experiencing violence and chaos. She says Somaliland was free from this, so they deserve recognition and independence. However, it must be noted that the brutal civil war that plagued Somalia from 1991, the most devastating conflict in modern African history, came to a halt in 2006 as a result of the Islamic Courts Union, the ICU, gaining control over many regions in Somalia and bringing peace and stability. This organisation took giant leaps in the face of a seemingly endless war and managed to do things like:
● Outlaw guns unless you had a permit
● Revived 16 police stations
● Issued travel visa (the first time in a decade, allowing an influx of aid to come into Somalia, thus initiating a sanitation campaign which cleaned up the city of Mogadishu for the first time since the war)
● Reopened the seaport (for the first time since the war)
● Established a coast guard, practically ending pirate activity and illegal fishing, bringing back law and order in Somalia's previously anarchist state.
However, Ethiopia invaded Somalia during this time. It dismantled the Islamic Courts Union, consequently destroying the newfound peace that Somalis worldwide saw as a beacon of hope and a reminder that peace and prosperity can be brought to the Somali people once again. The Ethiopian military rolled into the country with tanks. It destroyed the ICU, killing many Somalis in the process, thus eliminating the valuable peace the Somali people deserved after over a decade of a brutal war.
After Ethiopia's invasion, a radicalised version of the ICU was birthed, this time militarised and furious. This organisation goes by the name of Al-Shabaab and is an infamous terrorist group which has been reigning terror on the Somali people for the last 20 years.
So, the violence that Nimco Ali blames Somalia for experiencing is also a direct result of frontline countries such as Ethiopia stoking the fire of Somalia's troubles as it is known they have a lot to gain from the chaos in the country.
How can anyone rejoice at Ethiopia once again bringing themselves into Somali lands and involving themselves in the Somali people's fragile affairs?
Nimco Ali also references Zach Goldsmith a few times throughout her article, a conservative member of parliament and a confessed Zionist.
Goldsmith once tweeted that "Israel and Somaliland are like long lost brothers." I am unsure if he is aware that Somalilanders would be heavily offended by this comparison. Like Palestine, Somalia (North and South) has a shared experience of being a frontline country with many allies worldwide taking their land from them and committing heinous war crimes against the indigenous people of those lands.
Ethiopian soldiers are known to have raped Somali women and children and killed many innocent civilians in the Galbeed region that they currently occupy.
Interestingly, this is something Nimco Ali herself has spoken out against previously. In 2021, she tweeted, "I love how Ethiopia have put a Somali on Newsnight to reject the claims of rape of Somali Ogaden women." In 2012, she also stated, "Ethiopia has committed war crimes in Somalia, and their interest in the Horn is not for peace but self-gain.."
Her ironic past statements tell the true story of Ethiopia's deal with Somaliland. This deal has not been made to benefit the Somali people in any shape or form, North or South. Ethiopia is acting out of self-interest and taking advantage of the Somaliland people's desperation in their attempt to gain independence as a country. It is a shame that Nimco Ali is now disingenuously going against her past statements and claiming that Ethiopia's deal is something that the Somali people should be happy about when she clearly understands Ethiopia's intentions.
Another important aspect of this complicated matter is after the deal Ethiopia has made with Somaliland to rent the Zeila coast to Ethiopia, the people of Awdal (who are indigenous to the coast being rented) in Somaliland have come out and protested ferociously against this deal, chanting the Somali national anthem in arms and making clear their discontentment with Somaliland's leader Muse Bihi. The people of Awdal have stated that they will not allow Ethiopia to build bases on their beaches as they understand Ethiopia's hand in destroying Somalia throughout history.
So, a question must be raised: will the Somaliland government force the people of Awdal to accept Ethiopia, their enemy, in their land? This is something that we've seen this government do before when they invaded and fired at the people of Las Anod as they rejected joining Somaliland in their journey for independence and made it clear that they want to remain a state in Somalia.
Musa Bihi's previous invasion of Las Anod and his current making the people of Awdal submit to his deals which goes against the sovereignty of Somalia and the wishes of his own citizens, is reminiscent of Siad Barre's strong-arming of the people of Northern Somaliland, which has traumatised thousands until this day and is the very reason why Somaliland strives for independence and are now making drastic decisions that they have no right making, in their journey to do so.
The people of Somaliland declared themselves separate from Somalia in 1991 due to dictator Siad Barre's forceful hand in making them submit to his authority, and now, ironically, Muse Bihi has done the same to the people of Las Anod and is doing the same to the people of Awdal with this Ethiopian deal.
A possibility that has been brushed aside is what the outcome of this deal will lead to. Ethiopia has been striving for access to a coast for decades, and it is clear that they are willing to do anything to gain this access after undermining Somalia's sovereignty. After the temporary contract is completed, do the people of Somaliland believe Ethiopia will pack up their bags and go back to being a landlocked country once again? This is naïve, and it is undoubtedly likely Ethiopia will refuse. It is prepared to fight Somaliland to remain in Zeila after the contract ends, so we must review our options. Take it from the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed himself, who boldly stated that Ethiopia had a "natural right" to access the sea and is prepared to gain this access through peaceful means or, if it comes to it, to "use force."
If Somaliland is given independence, it will have no protection against Ethiopia if this happens, and remaining a state in Somalia is currently protecting the region from Ethiopia forcefully taking the coast.
After reading Nimco Ali's article, it is evident that it has been littered with inconsistencies and disingenuity in her desperate attempts to legalise Ethiopia's direct disrespect of Somalia's sovereignty. I challenge her claim that Somalia will be better off with its states being severed and its country being ripped apart. She provided no further explanation or details after making such a bold claim in her article, and I challenged it because it was clear. All Somali people know, as her grandparents once did in 1960 when both regions unified, that Somalia must remain as one in order to maintain itself as it is surrounded by frontline countries that savour the moment the country is weakened so they, like vultures, can take advantage. This is something we've seen before happen to Somalia at the hands of Ethiopia and Kenya, and it will likely be something we see again if Nimco Ali has it her way.
I urge Nimco Ali to reevaluate her stance and reflect on her past self, who knew well Ethiopia's history of oppression of Somalis, as exhibited in her old tweets. I urge the UK and any other foreign country not to act hastily and allow Somali people to make decisions for themselves.
Lastly, I recommend the Somali people not to allow divisive tactics to sever the nation that our grandparents fought hard to protect and keep intact; the country is surrounded by frontline nations that will jump at any opportunity that Somalia is weakened so they can take advantage of our land, resources and our people.
Mahad Yaqub
Goldsmiths University London
Journalism (BA Hons)
[email protected]