For the preparation of the incoming Somali Reconciliation and Presidential Election – Somali lawmakers and tribal representatives will have to explore and decide if Federalism is a right option or right form of governance in Somalia with its historic governmental failures.
It seems that a lot of our fellow Somalis misunderstand or have different expectation of the whole issue of federalism. In its totality, the concept of federalism is nothing but a tool or mechanism that can be selected or “chosen to bring together previously separate units” such our brothers in Somaliland and Puntland into a new country in which we all thrive and flourish as a united country. As it is current situation in Somalia heading into defragmented units of state; this concept of federalism seems to be the only viable option to unite or hold Somalia together, and only option for bringing back Somaliland, and prevent Puntland to split. To the contrary some fellow Somalis get twisted and want to turn the issue of federalism into land grabbing fiesta that benefits their own tribe or clan affiliations.
This is said, we must know that every federation or federal system is unique- to those that are really interested in regional or clan-based federalism would have to address many issues and correctly follow conflict prevention methods; and must propose something that will be or might be sensible to many Somalis and the international community without transgression or doing no harm to justice or to the natural law of the land.
For a quick recap on the issue of federalism and its popularity; currently, there are 193 UN recognized states, only 24 of these 193 countries have federal political systems of one sort or another. This is roughly 12.4% of the nations have embraced federalism. Most of these 24 nations didn’t started or existed as federations prior – large number of them became federations after internal conflict such as Bosnia that came out of Yugoslavia.
With that in mind, we now need to address or explore the concept of clan/ or tribal-based federalism which is mostly called ethnic federalism. Ethnicity-based federalism has been on the agenda of many ethno-political groups in Somalia as far back as pre-independence of 1960. Federalism has been a central issue in the constitutional deliberations during the transition in Somalia, and remains to be a contemporary debate even mentioned as an institutional solution in deeply divided societies such as Somalia. So by no means one should argue this is a new phenomenon in any sort. At this point in time all Somalis need to do is look back history and learn from it so that no similar mistakes are repeated again.
It is very important that, the fair and justice minded Somalis to propose an anti-conflict method and the development of a policy for ethnic autonomy, probably as a strategy for political and military support from different ethnic groups for the weak government in Mogadishu and take the pardon from the small African Union troops and the international community at large. For the incoming national reconciliation conference due in 2011 or prior, the current sitting government and parliament must initiate and announce Somalia’s federal system before the wicked-minded start dominating the debate or introduce any clannish agenda that is unfair. We must have a platform, where one of the major issues will be a right to autonomy on regional, district and local level should be given … where [an] ethnic community has majority. For example: Kismayu as a gobol on its own, the majority or the rightful owners are Bajunis and Digil tribes – so it becomes a Digil & Mirifle region state with federal autonomy on its own. Similarly, Merca with Duruqbo or gibil-cad majority, and Barawe with Tuni and Reer-Barawo majority to be independent autonomous districts. Currently the most successful federal autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland are already ethnic-based autonomous regions with self-governance with a majority ethnic group being Majarteen on Puntland and Isaq on Somaliland. Hiiraan region rightfully belonging and clear majority being Hawiye land. Rightfully the regional divides should follow accordingly, where we are all united as a family under the federal banner of Somalia with a capital and stronger voluntary multi-ethnic peaceful military support from the ethnic autonomies.
In Somali, most ethnic communities are separated and currently live in under unofficial ethnic autonomy, where the borders between the regional units already match the boundaries of relevant ethnic and linguistic communities. We all have some common dialects and all its speakers congregate together in one place, and their tribal bounders are already set. This sorts of differentiations already exist and apparent in many parts of the country. Even, most Somali cities have indigenous dialects based names such as Barawe named after its residents and the indigenous tribes call Bravans and similarly most towns in Somalia.
Candidly speaking, I myself do not like tribe-based systems – I happen to like this method of ethnic-autonomy and the reason why I like this method is many renowned political scientists support the concept of federalism and it is a tool of ethnic conflict mitigation. But, if this fails or if the ethnicity-based autonomy is not achieved for one reason or another – then the only sensible alternative will be to have centralized government state that acts as a federation where its authority and sovereignty is divided between a central level of government and regional units at lower tiers of government. This division of power must be accompanied by shared power, i.e. the regional units should be represented at federal level. The major requirement for this method of governance is to have honest and free minded individuals to run the centralized federation and there must be a strong mechanism and constitution that guarantees the sovereignty and representation of the regional units.
As a cautionary, the movement of nomads and their area of settlements should not be confused with real and indigenous territorial ethnic land ownership. When setting territorial ethnic autonomous borders, one should first examine and ask who are the natural and inborn inhabitants originating in and naturally living in the specific regions in question??? One must not ignore the hard truth in order to prevent or mitigate further conflicts. Unless this is done or satisfied, we will be entering a new different stage in conflict and civil anarchy. If Somalis cannot satisfactorily answer to this important question or resolve its related issues, we must not as a nation attempt or introduce the issue of federalism at all.
By Sakawdin Mohamed, MS, MPA-candidate
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this article lacks some deep knowledge on understanding Federalism for Somalia, I believe Federalism, Socialism and Capitalism in This World, All are Good For those it works for.
frankly speaking, Mr. Sakawdin’s Article didn’t answer whether federalism is good for somalia or not, and if it did it lacked deep knowledge and it wrongly pre-decided in Some Area
if Somalia choose to take the path of Federalism it needs to accomplish the following
- there must be new Census
- Borders must be created in between the Regional States.
-There must be Quotas for the share of Each Region is Political Power, Military Personnel and Educational Availability all based on the Census,
- Fair Budget Allocations for the Regional States,
lets analysis the above mentions Points,
CENSUS:
so the Parlement and the Government decide to apply Federalism on Somalian Soil, and they make a New Census, the new census will cost a lot for the somali Goverment, and on top of that there will be disagreements from the Hard Headed Clan Leaders in Somalia, we all know very less Number of Somali Clan Leaders are educated and will Accept the Census as declared by the Government, unless it favours their side of the clan, and No matter how clear the facts are , Hawiye Clan Will not accept that Darrod Clan has more population even if it is one single Digit, and the reverse is true too, and the argument will be un-winnable for each side, since it will be mostly based on Wisdom of an Elderly Clan Leader rather than Fact on the ground, there for we will have a new face of Civil war which is based on Populations, and we are all aware how Somalia compromised on the 4.5 System, but with Federalism 4.5 System will not exist anymore and Federalism will not even come close of existence let alone working.
BORDERS:
each of the regional state must have Borders and the Border will be based on Ethnics, there for it would be hard to Devide some towns and cities and even Small Regions between
the best Example would be, Mudug Region, Galkacyo Town,
the two Main Somali Clans who have been battling for the Power of Somalia reside there, so how would it be possible to divide it? there will be to Police Forces in Each side Operating on different Regional Policy and even Protecting different Interests each belonging to the two Regions, that would create a Constitutional Conflict.
QUOTAS for Political Power, Military Personnel, Educational Distribution.
in federalism each state must be given a Power as per its Population, unless agreed other wise,
lets consider each state has same power of vote regardless of its Population, but some Clans will have two or even Three Regional states,
for example, as we all know Somaliland and Puntland had a conflict regarding of land particularly Sool and Sanaag, the best Solution would come from the Elderly of Dhulbahante and Warsangali and Most probably they will declared their own regional State “Darwiishland”, there for the Darood Clan will have “Darwiish Land for Dhulbante, Puntland for Majeerteen and Jubba & Gedo For Ogaden and Mareexaan respectively, that will create one Clan Dominance in Somalia,that is if we say all the States have same Power Quota, Millitary Quota and Educational Quota,
anyway the fair but the harder Option is to base the Quota on the Census, and Somalia will not be able to Move forward on the issue of the census, it will be difficult to convince To Daroos, Hawiye, Isaq or Digil and Mirifle, that one of these has one single digit more than the other, and the an Educated Elderly will not accept to admit and sign the Federal Constitution which says one clan is more populated the other clan by only single person.
CONCLUSION:
Federalism is a respected and well developed System, a System which can work but Somalia is not in a possition to take Federalism by any means, Federalims will only create a New frontline which will shed a blood, will drive Innocent Men, Women and chiuldren from their homes, which will cause a Human Crises in Somalia.
Faraax,
I believe Mr. Sakawdin has proposed a great idea and how Federalism will work for the Somali people, that is when the educated nationalist Somalis become the decision makers of Somali which is the only way forward. One thing you are right of is how the issue of federalism would be a problematic for Hawiye Sub-clans who live in Mudug region and the Darood Sub-clans who live in the area of Makhire bordering Puntland and Somaliland. The other parts of Somali can be divided into great federalism especially in the Southern Somalia.
For example why not proposes Alto Juba and Paso Juba, one been (Bay, Bakool, and Gedo) which we know the Marifle (Rahanwein) people are the rightful owners and major population of this 3 regions and the other been (Jubadda hoose, Jubba Dhexe, Shabellaha hoose) which the rightful owners and major population are Digil people. Everone who lives with these two major clans knows that they are the most popular people in these area, and everyone else came these regions with their guns to robe them and we know the only places where there are wars and in these regions.
Now as for the Darood Sub Clans living in border lands of Somaliland and Putland why don’t they join with their Majeerteen Darood brethren? And the Hawiyee Sub-Clans who live at parts of Mudug why don’t they join with Central Somali states of their Hawiye brethren.
The only reason why Federalism would not work is because some armed clans don’t want to live at their rightful lands for some reasons and want to robe others. This is the story of “Cadkega ha liisiyo ama Carada ayaan ku shubaaya” so they basically holding others for hostage. So Faraax if there are real Somali nationalists, who want to move the country forward, like Mr. Sakawdin then Somali would choose Federalism so that we can live in peace for years to come or we can live under the motto of “Cadkega aanan leheen ha liisiyo ama Carada ayaan ku shubaaya” and this would not work.
abdukadir jeele you should learn more about the jubaland and who inhabits it,gedo is mareehaan ,the lower juba and middle juba is absame land together they make up the jubaland state, the marifle and digil they are in bakool and bay only, the lower shabelle is multi cultural its NOT hawiye or darod or rahanweyn its mostly made up minorities such reer brava biyamaal shaanshiye arab somali bantu jiido and so on,but you are right if we are gonna divide this tiny nation into clan lands both the hawiye of mudug and darod of ssc should unite with there own kind.
Mr. Guled Yasiin
You called upon me to learn about the history of Jubaland and Gedo, yet you failed to learn it yourself by investigating the truth.
See the Maay speaking people that leave in Bay and Bakool are called Rahenwein (Marifle) (hence not Digil) and they are the same Maay speaking people that leave in Gedo. The Mareehan sub-clan of Darood leaves only in a small town called Garbaharey which is located in Gedo, and they were given the land by Rahenwein tribe called (Leysaan)when they have been chased from Galgaduud.
As for the Jubas meaning Jubadda Dheexe and Hoose (hence, there is no such thing as Jubaland as of now)it is a land owned by the may speaking people called Digil specifically the Digil-Sub clans Tuni, Dabare, and Garre.
As for the lower Shabelle it is a land owned by the Maay speaking people of Gelledi, Jiido, Garre, Tuni, and Bagadi and Shanta Calleemoot. Yes there are also the Reer Xamar and Reer Baravo, and Jareer Communities in different towns and the Bimaal who leaves in small pockets in the region.
Mr Guuled unless you believe the failed tribal ideologists who tried to re-write history, and trying to steal a lands which they do not own, which is the cause of this civil war we are in now, you would have spoken the truth please investigate it carefully “hence don’t go by what Wikipedia says”.