Failed, spiteful and hatemonger politicians are everywhere!! They can be found in all colours and in all corners of the world. But still they have a couple of things in common: Most of them are failed or under-achieved politicians; they are all propagandist; they are arch-opponents against every economic and social progress; they provoke hatred and prejudice; they stir up hostility among peaceful citizens who live side by side in a tranquil and tolerant way. In these days, if you look very closely at the political dynamics in our country, you can easily detect the rise of a new phenomenon; namely the emergence of anarchist and politically failed home-grown groups with no Proper Policy Content or Principally based Policy Vision.
It has become a recurring common ritual of some elderly, revengeful and politically strayed local politicians to voice constantly untruthful stories and baseless accusations towards the incumbent president, members of his immediate family and the government he leads. They create mistrust and unsubstantiated narratives that consumes much of time and energy of many Somalilanders at home and in abroad. The main objectives of their negative approach are to mislead the public, to influence and strengthen a negative public perception towards President Ahmed Silaanyo’s government, portraying his administration as an ineffective, corrupt and ineffective government that cannot fulfil its promises and therefore not suitable to run the country.
They leave no stone unturned to destabilize the country; they are knowingly and willingly creating a climate of collective confusion and hostility among the brotherly people of the Republic of Somaliland. Some of them are driven by trials and tribulations which compel them to oppose everyone and being against everything. But there are also some others that are driven by an incurable, false and mistaken belief that again and again tells them: “You are the one and only; there is no one better than you on earth!!”
A friend and foe in one nation!! Unacceptable!!
I believe there is an urgent issue to be confronted by the Somaliland’s academics, intellectuals and traditional leaders: The people of Somaliland shouldn’t accept having a friend and foe in one nation!! Martin Luther King said: “The time has come when silence is betrayal.” For Somaliland’s academics, intellectuals and honourable traditional leaders that time is now! When you suppress the voice of your moral conscience, when you omit to tell the truth between right and wrong, who can the Somaliland public turn to? By remaining silent against those hatemonger individuals or groups who are continuously creating hatred, hostility and confusion among the Somaliland public; you may perhaps rewarding indirectly their wrong doings which is morally unacceptable! Those empty and insensible failed politicians are small groups of people who are funded and invested by mostly foreign antagonist forces that wish to destabilize Somaliland’s peace and stability through propaganda and distorted information. They are the real threat to Somaliland’s Security and Social Stability.It is during hard times that Somaliland people come to know one’s true loyalty and patriotism towards their country and people.
A constructive critique generates binding rules and trust among the society and it is beneficial to all of Somaliland citizens without exception. A well measured criticism towards the government has a valuable social purpose. It contributes to the protecting and safeguarding of the public interest on one hand. On the other hand, the government may take this criticism seriously and it may have the tendency yet to correct its mistakes. But the problem is when some people endlessly continue with a damaging propaganda, improper and unsubstantiated accusations towards the President, his family members and the government he leads; solely based upon a short-sighted and point scoring policy or gaining personal interests. This kind of behaviour puts Somaliland’s national credibility in jeopardy and it increases only the social split and contradictions among the public and it may cause an irreparable damage to our country’s interests.
The real dilemma of a large number of Somaliland hatemonger politicians is that they change very often the clan and political colour by turn. In most of the cases however, the frame of mind of adherence to a particular clan cannot coexist with a wider societal context where all Somalilanders are considered to belong to and being part of a democratic constitutional state. These gentle men voice constantly hateful political rhetoric wherein envy and clan sentiments are at the core of their arguments. They need to understand that the statehood and clan loyalties cannot coexist and most of the cases have a destructive effect on each other.
Conclusion:
Instead of being engaged with malicious, divisive and tribal minded politics; Somaliland citizens desperately need constructive, vibrant, responsible and intellectual debates that can contribute to Somaliland’s cause and case. These gentle men should be sensible and find out more non-destructive ways to express their views and to make known their discontent and disagreement with regard to the way in which the current government leads and governs the country. Come up with well considered and more constructive debates that can be part of the general cause for our nation and may contribute to the advancement of our people.
Our country is surrounded by geographically hostile and hate-breeding countries, among others, the beleaguered, rudderless and unruly neighbouring country of Somalia (often taken as the archetype of a failed state)!! At a time of rising hostility and animosity towards the existence of our great nation, we need to strengthen the key elements that work for the social fabric and public interest and bring our citizens together. We need to stress and promote the nationhood, unity, tolerance and social cohesion among Somaliland people at home and in abroad!
God Bless the Republic of Somaliland and its Noble people
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By: |Eng. Hussein Adan Igeh| (Hussein Deyr) |Hargeysa, Republic of Somaliland|