The ‘Ghost of Siad Bare’ has come to haunt Somalis
Somalia is currently at a crossroads, and the likelihood of civil strife cannot be discounted.
Interesting article. I agree with the bruvva about some communities from the Somali people having a natural inclination to peace and democracy while a certain community is inclined to extreme love of power, violent tribalism, bad politics and complete afrikan red eye style destruction
"Somali Democracy
Somalis earned the title of “Africa’s First Democrats” after Somalia’s founding president, Aden Adde, graciously conceded defeat in the 1967 election. Aden Adde hails from the Hawiye clan, and they have a proven track record of electoral democracy in Somalia.
In 2012, former president Sheikh Sharif Ahmed conducted the first election in the Somali capital since the fall of the state. He lost to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (HSM) and graciously conceded defeat. In 2017, former president HSM conducted elections and graciously conceded defeat. Both, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and HSM hail from the Hawiye clan.
The Dir clan also has a proven track record of electoral democracy. Under the auspices of Somaliland, northern Dir has held many elections, all one-person-one-vote, since the fall of the Somali state. Somaliland views itself as a nation-state, while the rest of the world views it as a federal member state of Somalia. In 2003, Somaliland’s former president, Dahir Riyale Kahin, conducted Somaliland’s first one-person-one-vote presidential election. This happened twelve years after Somaliland’s establishment (1991).
By comparison, Puntland has existed for twenty-three years and has yet to hold a one-person, one-vote election.
Albeit, they are currently planning to host one for the first time since their establishment in 1998.
Kahin then conducted parliamentary elections in 2005, followed by another presidential election in 2010. He graciously conceded defeat in 2010, and his successor, Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, conducted the presidential election in 2017. Silanyo’s successor, Musa Bihi (Somaliland’s current president), recently conducted municipal and parliamentary elections on May 31, 2021. Kahin, Silanyo, and Bihi all hail from the Dir clan.
From a historical analysis of Somali democracy, we can deduce that certain clans are more naturally inclined to democracy. This tradition of democracy is being threatened by Somalia’s current president – who hails from the Darood clan. The Ghost of Siad Bare has come to haunt Somalis. It was Bare’s (also Darood) 1969 coup d’état that derailed the Somali democratic experiment. Overnight, Somalia went from being Africa’s first authentic democratic country to a Marxist military dictatorship. Today, Farmaajo is doing everything in his power to derail Somalia’s new democratic experiment and postpone elections.
The current Prime Minister hails from the Hawiye clan, and he is living up to their democratic traditions"
