Impossible to wipe out the SNM history

Somaliland after becoming an independent state for five whole days they united with the former Italian Somalia on the 1st of July, 1960.
Somaliland State was seeking at that time a “Greater Somalia” which would have consisted of five nation states within the Horn of Africa; these included the British Somaliland, Italian Somalia, as well as Djibouti, Western Somalia which is currently under the rule of Ethiopia and the Northern Eastern Province, which is currently part of Kenya but was carved out of Southern Somalia during the Colonial Period.

The current state of Somaliland has been annexed by Britain under the name of the Somaliland British Protectorate in 1887, after signing treaties with the Somali elders representing from all Somaliland tribes. Part of the treaty was that none of the British women were allowed to deliver birth in the region of Somaliland; When labor was due, they were taken back to Britain to give birth. This was to prevent the child born in Somaliland to be given citizenship in the region. One of the other agreements was that the British flag was never to be buried into the soil of Somaliland but rather raised on top of the buildings. This was a clear message. The British flag does not belong to the soil of Somaliland. A third condition was that when they were to be asked to leave, that they would do so immediately. There were many agreements that were made during this agreement. The British Government accepted these conditions and hence it was not a problematic situation until Somaliland finally asked to leave in 1960, which British Government definitely did hence honoring the previous agreement.

Somaliland people have had a very deep civilization going back to the time when Islam entered the region through Saila city (previously called Awdal) in Somaliland. The first of delegations was sent by the prophet Mohamed (pbuh) which contained 81 people including Uthmaan ibn Affan, who later became third Rightly guided caliph in Islam.
Since then, Somaliland has been a key region in trade links between Southern East Asia, through India and back towards the Arab world. Somaliland were one of the most early civilized people in the Horn of Africa. They brought clothes, spices and a range of foods through trade. They were importing these from Asia into the Horn of Africa, taking this from Somaliland cities towards the interior land in the Horn of Africa. There are many historical poems which are highlighting these activities.

The SNM people, as they have this rich background, the current crop of Somaliland nationals have ancestors who were excellent in negotiating with the Europeans. They were different from other Somali states who were not ready to enter talks with foreign parties. This is why they refused to be called a colony of Britain and rather it was called a British Protectorate.

The people of Somaliland were famous for good character and honor over the other people from the Horn of Africa. This is why they devotedly handed their independence to the other Somali brothers from Southern Somalia. They understood the importance of a Greater Somalia, more so than their southern counterparts. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the Southern Somalia as their lack of vision led to a corrupt and greedy Government. Somaliland giving up power in the region to Southern Somalia for the greater unity shows the love and desire they had for unity. This general attitude has not changed from Somalia and it appears to be the same situation.

 

The Southern Somalia who took 90% of the government positions as well as the capital city have treated the Somaliland people as an ignorant enemy who did not understand the system of governments. Rather than learning the history of these people, they deserve to be respected. They even asked the people in Somaliland to prevent any buildings more than three stories to be built in the large cities of Somaliland but rather to be built in Somalia. The Somaliland people were told they cannot obtain legal documents from their region but had to travel to Mogadishu to obtain these documents. Heavy taxation was imposed on merchants from Berbera region. The people of Somaliland were patient upon these oppressions in order for the sake of unity to be maintained.

When Siyad Barre came into power in 1969, he began to use a heavy-handed authoritative rule, posing great difficulties on the people of Somaliland. He treated the people of Somaliland without mercy and tried to commit genocide in the region to replace the tribes there with its own tribe. The outcome of his oppression led to the formation of the SNM movement as a result of the attempted genocide of the Somaliland people. SNM in practice started fighting in 1982 through guerrilla warfare. They fought back in the Golis range mountains, countrysides and the city streets within the country and they held a base in Hawd and reserve area. SNM succeeded eventually to enter Hargeisa and Burao in 1988 and this was the beginning of the Siyad Barre regime to collapse.

 

After several years SNM captured and defeated the southern Somali forces in all the main cities including Los Canood, Erigavo and other major cities. All the Somaliland tribes they came together in Burco in May 1991 and they agreed to re-establish the original Somaliland government which was lost on 1st of July 1960.
SNM, have such a rich history and honorable background. The people of Somaliland cannot be looked down upon and so we are warning the people who are trying to create a table of negotiation between Somaliland and Somalia to once again unify- It will not happen. We say to those people who are running the mediation and talks to attempt to place Somaliland under hardship again that this will not be possible and no one can turn off the flame of development in our country. You can underestimate the memory of the pain we have experienced and you cannot wipe out the memory of the pain that sits deep within us due to the initial union of Somalia and Somaliland. 250,000 people including children, women and elderly were killed at the hands of Somalia and we are asking the Djibouti president Omar Geele and the Ethiopian Prime minister Abi Ahmed if you do not know the history, we now tell you and we advise you to research. Do not commit a crime against the Somaliland people by trying to lead to a doomed unification again. I also want to warn the Somaliland government do not fall into the trap by the international community. You cannot lead the Somaliland country to suffer another heavy loss and if you were to make a treaty in any way including the intermingling of the people, you will be shunned by the people. SNM will end up restarting and it will lead to another war.

 

Thank for reading please feel free to share your comments.
Ali Hersi.

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