President Hassan and Saacid: Need A Transformative Discussion About Tribalism Amongst Their Staff Members

President Hassan and Saacid: Need A Transformative Discussion About Tribalism Amongst Their Staff Members

By: Sufi

ACCUSATIONS of tribalism and "favoritism" (whatever the latter means in Somalia's political jargon) have been flowing thick and fast against the Rally to unseat Prime Minister Saacid and Hassan Sheikh since they have dismissed Digil Mirifle ambassadors and generals, and cut down their membership in the Somali government under a violation of the country’s UN brokered power-sharing agreement.

These accusations have come from the highest levels of our state in the form of Parliamentarians at political rallies and parliament debates, including long articles authored by the members of the Somali Digil Mirifle diaspora and its citizens in every media outlets in both locally and globally.

Yet, it should be noted that the motion against Saacid is the result of a bribery that him and his wife took in the appointment of Mr. Goobe in Chief NSA in Somalia, exposed the fault lines that exist in Somali politics about tribalism and corruption.

When Saacid and his wife, both related in marriage, started taking bribery for office nominations, it was seen as business as usual, both within Somalia and in the international community.  These caught the eyes of Digil Mirifle MPs who have been long watching the decline of Digil Mirifle members in the Somali Federal Government.  These led the revival of the rootless RRA faction militia that aimed at libertying much of the Southern Somalia against Caydiid and his militia.   

Tribalism is now becoming a recurrent theme in most of the appoitnments and staffing in Somalia government offices. President Hassan and Saacid are the ones that leading these malpractices in public offices.  Both are not a transformative and ethical on discussions about tribalism in their offices. Nor is it one of personal conviction, followed by concrete results in the ordering of the Somali society. 

To think clearly about tribalism requires the President, the Prime Minister and all of us to see this country on a split-screen- maintain in our sights a post-tribal Somalia, while squarely looking at Somalia as it is.

How can Somalis start trusting this President, when his Chief of Staff is related to him in Hawiye, his most trusted is Minister of State another Hawiye from Shiiqaal, and his assistances like Kampala is also another relative. 

Hassan Sheikh and Saacid’s practice and acts of tribalism undermines the ideals of a fair and just society; one which informed the raison d'être of resistance against colonialism, dictatorship, warlordism and later the transition struggle.