Introduction:
The MEDIA ISSUE
CLAN ENCLAVES SECTARIANISM -Vs- ONE NATION-STATE FEDERAL SYSTEM
From late 80" Somali society has became polarized in a radical way in Clan based thinking ( Siad Barre government and outside opposition) and from 90" the only (valid) political thinking was based on manipulative Clan sectarianism/ Clan power.The Salafist Movement- which includes #Alshabaab- and the warlords first and later the puppet leaders used Clan as a means to antagonize Somalis between themselves and control as groups of Clans or sub clans and have Clan Enclaves. To make short a long story from the 2012 with the enactment of the provisional/transitional Constitution we have codified the subdivision of Somali Republic in Clan Enclaves model of federal system by name but with a quasi- Clan Confederate system in the actual practice and part of constitution.During the preparation of this dysfunctional Constitution the UN and so called international community,#ETHIOPIA-IGAD,Arab countries all accepted and promoted this wrong project of subdividing Somali Republic in Clan Enclaves. The Election of President Mohamed Abdullahi"Farmaajo" was partially a reaction to subdivision in Clan Enclaves and hegemonic control by #ETHIOPIA and later #UAE on Somali affairs and the wrong (Confederate) Clan Enclaves system ( read my post "Who owns Somalia? Alshabaab or Ethiopia-IGAD" 2012. "OIL and GAS mini CLAN ENCLAVES and ETHIOPIA-IGAD Hegemony" 2012. ).
The National Agenda of new government has angered local and regional vested interests groups like #ETHIOPIA and #UAE and they started to stand against the new government and make more polarized Somali Clans communities by using Clan Enclaves Leaders and so called Salafist politicians and those puppet politicians allied to ETHIOPIA/UAE to oppose government.But President #Farmaajo/PM Khayre have started a new way of governing and promoting a National Federal state above the Clan sectarianism advocated by so called Clan Enclaves Leaders, launched a National Security architecture which is made of a National Army,Police and intelligence and trying to gave a National finance/tax system and National development plan,National Telecom Act etc . All is just at the beginning in terms of National security and a National federal state,National economy( we have Clan Enclaves economies owned by Salafist cartels) which represents all Somali people citizens. The most controversial issue is the so called provisional constitution,the institutionalization of Clan Enclaves which has become the" means"to advocate for Clan Enclaves and make Somalis as different "People's" or even citizens of Clan Enclaves which its members share some issues and have different foreign and political Agendas.That was the state of affairs before president #Farmaajo was elected.(see my blog " The new political Map for Somali speaking people's of the Horn").
Part- 2 Trans-formative Leadership and National Culture/Values in one- NATION STATE.
It’s almost less than a month before reaching
the milestone of the first anniversary of the Election of President Mohamed
Abdullahi "Farmaajo" of 08/ February 2017.I thought it’s time to
make some recapping,see how things have changed or are the same, what are the major challenges and
hurdles waiting for this administration of President #Farmaajo and of PM
#Khayre during 2018. Usually I use my blog to write, and listen to the
feeling of the cyber communities, the real Somali people which in Nairobi are
mostly traders busy with their daily sales, some refugees who had the fortune
to educate their children in town. More to that the usual plethora of Clan
based groups who monopolize the cultural/ religious and political mind of
Somalis from Somali Republic which are manipulated in their thinking by Somali(social) media. Its a good microcosm of Somali Society. Here I
will try to take up different topics and make an inclusive short comment/analysis on some of the most important groups and basic issues.
The MEDIA ISSUE
The Somali Media is really the fourth Estate in
Somali Republic and the Somali government passed the Media law which was
redrawn different times and passed in Federal Parliament. In other words just like other developed democracies
in the West some even African countries the Media is one of most powerful
branches of society(State) but in a different ways in Somalia. The Somali media
who is mostly made of internet websites -my guess of 85%- and Somali TVS who are Clan
based and lately TVs of Clan Enclaves except the British BBC Somali and
US VOA-Somali and the Somali National Radio and TV, are all those who
make the headlines,some time the narrative, influence, filter and control the information they
get the members of Somali Clan based society. But this information is
biased, manufactured in a way that assists, promotes vested group interests who
are bent in controlling the Government, economy, Clans and present (future) Constitutional
framework of the Somali Republic. Some of this Media also bribed by foreign powers, corrupt Elites Clan Enclaves and Central government, but
camouflages, makes the news look like-quoted from the Clan politicians- which
they cover as representatives of different sub Clans based groups,
political stands and interests. Just like in the America of Trump the Somali
citizens or whoever gets this fake news Somali style is manipulated to believe
in this news and reinforce his Clan thinking on what he is already believing.
There is no need of objectivity and proof of the facts when transmitting
news and they have put role of Media in general to inform and educate the
citizens- readers/listeners- out of the window this Ad based websites and
biased TVs. The real problem is this young men had not had any Journalistic
training and not been thought ethics of profession and they are doing this to
earn a living without any Rules and Code of Conduct. There is at least some of
them specially those in English which are working to inform but always on the
Clan biased stand although they are better.Some times when there is a
political crisis looks like a warfare on the internet where the most visceral,
ancestral Clan feelings are used. This also happens in the social media
which has become one of the most used media. I guess almost 60% of Somali
Media users in the internet also use Facebook, WhatsApp, small English speaking
are on Twitter, and this cyber platforms have become one of the most sites where you
can abuse everybody if you write in Somali language or even English and promote fake news. In this morass of feelings
and pseudo analyses the reason and the main Role of media to make accountable politicians,
business people, religious groups, civil society groups, who are part of
political and social arenas; and all vested interest groups, pseudo political
groups which are all Clan based (we have suitcases parties without any Law on parties), National government and Clan enclaves regions, including the Salafist Business Cartels and Salafist Jihadist of #Alshabaab #Dacish, is totally lost. But its also
true that the Media groups and journalist in Somalia are killed in big numbers
more than politicians by #Alshabaab every year to put fear( control) on them and society
in general. They are also arrested without any charges by so called Clan
Enclaves administrations and sometime by National Federal government and its one of the times this young men inform well that one of them is in Jail. I believe media
people,institutions are one of the important groups in this day and age of Nation Building,
Institution Building. The National Federal state and international community specially UN, international
NGOs must assist this young men to have a strong,federal,democratic, professional organization and
Media Institute which gives seminars and diplomas in Journalism as capacity
building to those already working. Somali society is an oral society and great
users of culture and Media, anything connected to it can be used to
promote National values/Institution building.The capacity of state to make real Nation Building is
made greater by an objective, professional, participatory and national media which
is part of civil society and stakeholder.
CLAN ENCLAVES SECTARIANISM -Vs- ONE NATION-STATE FEDERAL SYSTEM
From late 80" Somali society has became polarized in a radical way in Clan based thinking ( Siad Barre government and outside opposition) and from 90" the only (valid) political thinking was based on manipulative Clan sectarianism/ Clan power.The Salafist Movement- which includes #Alshabaab- and the warlords first and later the puppet leaders used Clan as a means to antagonize Somalis between themselves and control as groups of Clans or sub clans and have Clan Enclaves. To make short a long story from the 2012 with the enactment of the provisional/transitional Constitution we have codified the subdivision of Somali Republic in Clan Enclaves model of federal system by name but with a quasi- Clan Confederate system in the actual practice and part of constitution.During the preparation of this dysfunctional Constitution the UN and so called international community,#ETHIOPIA-IGAD,Arab countries all accepted and promoted this wrong project of subdividing Somali Republic in Clan Enclaves. The Election of President Mohamed Abdullahi"Farmaajo" was partially a reaction to subdivision in Clan Enclaves and hegemonic control by #ETHIOPIA and later #UAE on Somali affairs and the wrong (Confederate) Clan Enclaves system ( read my post "Who owns Somalia? Alshabaab or Ethiopia-IGAD" 2012. "OIL and GAS mini CLAN ENCLAVES and ETHIOPIA-IGAD Hegemony" 2012. ).
The National Agenda of new government has angered local and regional vested interests groups like #ETHIOPIA and #UAE and they started to stand against the new government and make more polarized Somali Clans communities by using Clan Enclaves Leaders and so called Salafist politicians and those puppet politicians allied to ETHIOPIA/UAE to oppose government.But President #Farmaajo/PM Khayre have started a new way of governing and promoting a National Federal state above the Clan sectarianism advocated by so called Clan Enclaves Leaders, launched a National Security architecture which is made of a National Army,Police and intelligence and trying to gave a National finance/tax system and National development plan,National Telecom Act etc . All is just at the beginning in terms of National security and a National federal state,National economy( we have Clan Enclaves economies owned by Salafist cartels) which represents all Somali people citizens. The most controversial issue is the so called provisional constitution,the institutionalization of Clan Enclaves which has become the" means"to advocate for Clan Enclaves and make Somalis as different "People's" or even citizens of Clan Enclaves which its members share some issues and have different foreign and political Agendas.That was the state of affairs before president #Farmaajo was elected.(see my blog " The new political Map for Somali speaking people's of the Horn").
The main issue which the #Farmaajo government must concentrate its minds and resources is the Constitution #redrafting of the provisional constitution. The people-citizens have never chosen this dysfunctional and contradictory document and those forces allied to vested group interest of the African region and Arab region are trying to retain this divisive model which will bring the end of Somali UNITY and even National state if not completely changed via new Constitution.Now Somalis are Clan members not citizens of a country called Somalia,its like every Clan has its own mini-Clan-Nation and government and can run own own affairs even exploitation of National resources like OIL/GAS and fishing rights,legislating on every issue and program etc.But the Somalis have never chosen this model and nobody has asked them in referendum or any legal means but they are told by Puppet leaders that its the only way their Clan can prosper and have a future and not in a Somali Nation state as a whole.I have seen just a week ago that Jubbaland is trying to draft with assistance from #UNSOM a new Media Law. But already Somali Federal Parliament has passed a Law which its jurisdiction is for all the national federal states which Jubbaland is part.Why UN is doing this illegal tasks? They are part of the Plan to subdivide Somali Republic in Clan Enclaves? If the government will not succeed in convincing the Somali citizens that their interest is best protected in a National Federal government where some powers are devolved to regional states and there is one-Nation state and the subdivision based in Clan sectarianism is bad then things will fall apart. The government must start a huge Media campaign to educate - even telling them they are citizens - and national citizenship is above Clan member kingship and is the basis of the Unity of inhabitants of the Somali Republic and its existence.Yes Clan culture and role of clan as civil society stakeholders of society is here to stay but National state which represents the National interests of all Somali sub-Clan communities- people citizens is paramount.Every Clan whatever its size and economic power must participate and be part and get the fruits of the National state institution and resources without any social, legal constraints. All Somali citizens and inhabitants of the Somali Republic of whatever sub Clan must be equal in front of the Law from all regions of Somali Republic.The distinctions of from Clan( reer) Puntland,Clan(reer) Benadir, Clan(reer)Galmudug,Clan(reer) Junbbaland etc being given to sub-clans which is a model of sectarianism must be substituted by a regional constituency where Somali citizens-inhabitants who are born and came to live in the region state have rights and the Land is owned by the State except the "Goof" rights of the Constitution of 1961.The "Goof" rights gives everybody who live on the land be pastoralist or farmer the rights to own a small piece of the Land for his personal use.The other land must be used for under the Law and protected by the state.The #Farmaajo government must put a lot of energy and resources in the institutionalization of the Rule of the Law in Judiciary,good governance which promotes social welfare and the Somali Federal state in the new constitution must be in charge of Education,health,Housing for the poor,National resources like Oil and Gas,minerals exploitation,fishing rights,National Economy- taxation with devolved tax system for regions,Security in all sectors,citizenship etc.I believe the government must convince the Somali people citizens,Elites,Clan elders that they are best protected under one Nation federal state with devolved powers for regional and local institutions and not the Cantonal/Confederate system called Clan Enclaves states planned by ETHIOPIA.
Part- 2 Trans-formative Leadership and National Culture/Values in one- NATION STATE.
