HASSAN SHEIKH’S VILLA SOMALIA: SYMBOL OF CLAN DOMINATION AND INJUSTICE

HASSAN SHEIKH’S VILLA SOMALIA: SYMBOL OF CLAN DOMINATION AND INJUSTICE

As Somali Digil Mirifle MPs plan to bring a motion for vote of No-Confidence against Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.  He avoids returning the country while his allies and advisers are busy meeting with Digil Mirifle MPs who are now supported by parliament members from the Darod clan.

Hassan Sheikh is now delaying returning to Mogadishu to avoid Vote of No-Confidence. The current Somali Parliament impasse started when Hassan Sheikh replaced Digil Mirifle ambassadors and Police Commissioner in violation of Somalia’s power sharing agreement.

One tribe/clan occupies majority of key positions.
At national level, perception is mostly about Hawiye, and
much more complex at state/local level. Digil Mirifle lives didn’t improve at all since Hassan Sheikh came to office.
 The President’s Office and Prime Minister’s Office practice Unfair Government Employment Practices. Government offices top to bottom with same tribe/clan/family. For a bout one week Digil Mirifle MPs including the Speaker of the Somali Parliament have been requesting under transparent government rules to produce list of all those that are currently employed at Villa Somalia (president’s office), and Prime Minister Saacid’s office.

‘In the future, Somalia would be among the most successful countries if all tribes and the government are united, but if people are to work for personal interests, it would
be one of the worst countries in the world.’ Said Digil Mirifle Protestor in London.Tribalism is key barrier to successful Somalia.  Hassan Sheikh is entirely leading a country made by his tribe only.  Only his tribesmen surround him all the time in Villa Somalia.  He will soon be out of touch by the Somali people all, like Saddam Hussein, and his presidency will end.  Why can’t he take advantage of Somalia’s ethnic diversity? Why can’t he do what he preaches?

Many Somalis had hoped and still hope a country that is built on principles of ethnic equality, democracy, rule of law and federalism. There was a reason for people to be optimistic about the future of Somalia. Those who had hoped that Somalia would become a paradise of equality justified their argument on the belief that the people of Somalia had bitterly struggled for equality during the many years of civil war.

Killing all hopes, ethnic domination is practiced on the basis of clan employment in president and prime minister’s offices and political ideology. Somalis are marginalized as a unit because the Damuljadiid/Hawiye elites want to control and have all powers. Within the Hawiye and Dauljadiid, there is some sort of power-sharing among the tribes of Abgaal, Habar Gidir, Murasade, etc. Political participation in the government was not dictated by one tribal affiliation but by whether one is a member of a sectarian party or DamulJadiid.

Filling ministries with one’s tribe—a practice mostly demonstrated by Hawiye ministers—continued up to now and many ministries in Mogadishu are dominated either by one tribe or a clan depending on where the Ministers who set them up came from. Majority of employees in the President’s Office are from Hawiye because Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is Abgaal Hawiye.  From his press/media advisor Eng. Yariisow to his chief of staff a Hawiye-Habar Gidir to his State Minister Hawiye-Shiiqaal.  No one single Digil Mirifle or other Somali tribes are employed in Villa Somali – an office that should have been a uniting symbol of justice, equality and united Somalia is controlled by one tribe and practices unfair hiring/employment practices of exclusion.

What is causing violence in Southern Somalia mainly Shabelle region is currently a public realm ethnicity which denies Digil Mirifle and Southern clans public government positions because of their ethnic backgrounds.  Public realm tribalism being practiced by Hassan Sheikh’s regime is responsible for ministries to be filled by one tribe; it is also responsible for land grabbing in Shabelle regions, Afgoye, Marka, Janaale, and etc.

He is also responsible for the rape and kidnappings of Digil Mirifle IDPs in Mogadishu camps. The on-going political violence in the Somalia is a manifestation of negative aspect of tribalism as opposed to tribalism being practiced in the villages. It is the state-sponsored tribalism, which we are more concerned about because ethnic domination at the level of nation, as opposed to ethnic consciousness in Hawiyeland, is divisive, and of parochial form that can lead to violence.

A government, which is made up of 72%, Hawiye, giving the entire key posts to Hassan Sheikh’s clan. He awarded his tribe, Hawiye, over ten Ministerial and Deputy posts in addition to his post, the Chief of Security, Chief Justice of Somali Supreme Court and the Governor of the Bank of Somalia, key ambassadors all are given Non-Digil Mirifle clans, few for Darod and Dir. Although Digil Mirifle, Darod, Dir and other clans make-up 80% of all Somali population and has higher population than Hawiye, the latter make-up large percentage of President’s staff, ambassadors and armed force generals.