Could a Benevolent Autocracy save Somalia?

[Garaad Awal]

What I meant was martial law, which is something declared during a national emergency. In Somalia’s case, it was triggered by serious security threats: a coup attempt, border conflicts with Ethiopia, and rising foreign-funded subversion. The country was on the brink of political collapse, and martial law was a response to stabilize the situation. It ''saved'' the country and changed its trajectory.

After that, the Kacaan government began to build real democratic institutions:

-Local councils, regional governors, and district-level elections were established.

- Trade unions, youth and women’s organizations, and civil society were encouraged to participate.

-Decentralization reforms were rolled out, rare for a so-called “dictatorship.”

If Somalia had truly been under a classic dictatorship, all power would’ve been centralized, and participation crushed. But Kacaan promoted broad-based representation from pastoralists, students, professionals, and workers through organized unions. That’s the opposite of one-man authoritarianism.

And let’s not forget, martial law is temporary, not a permanent political system. Many post-colonial African countries had similar periods without being labeled dictatorships. What matters is what followed, and in Somalia’s case, it was mass literacy campaigns, rural development, and institutional reform, not pure repression.

The same martial law framework was re-applied when Ethiopia backed insurgents attacked Somalia again in the 1980s. If it hadn’t been for that defensive measure, Somalia would have collapsed in the early 1980s, not 1991.

Neo-Kacaanist in big 2025 smfh.You are definitely Marexaan. Your beloved dead regime was a MOD/Jabarti clan oligarchy that was only nominally socialist with an extremely corrupt tribal patronage system.

 

[Idilinaa]

Neo-Kacaanist in big 2025 smfh.You are definitely Marexaan. Your beloved dead regime was a MOD/Jabarti clan oligarchy that was only nominally socialist with an extremely corrupt tribal patronage You clearly have no interest in actual history — everything is filtered through clan paranoia and tired conspiracy tropes. What I’m presenting is political and historical context, not nostalgia or blind loyalty

You clearly have no interest in actual history , everything is filtered through clan paranoia and tired conspiracy tropes. What I’m presenting is political and historical context, not nostalgia or blind loyalty

Calling it ‘nominally socialist’ misses the point entirely. Siad Barre wasn’t an ideologue , he was a pragmatist who adapted to the structural and economic realities of Somalia at the time. The policies his regime implemented , literacy campaigns, infrastructure development, decentralized administration, and economic reform , weren’t about ideology. They were about building a functioning, unified state.


You can disagree with his legacy, but rewriting history with shallow clan-based narratives isn’t serious analysis , it’s grievance politics disguised as critique.

 

[AbdiBashirJR]

Federalism is solution I dont want to share a lick of that oil money with no other state

 

[Idilinaa]

Federalism is solution I dont want to share a lick of that oil money with no other state

Joke’s on you , Somalia’s economy is already deeply interconnected. Money generated in one region circulates and benefits others, whether you like it or not.

Federalism doesn’t isolate economies, especially not in a country with a shared money systems, trade routes, businesses, and mobile banking systems that span across regions. You can’t build walls around markets.

So unless you’re planning on cutting off all trade, remittances, and movement , which would only hurt your own region , you’re still part of a shared economic system whether it’s federal or unitary

 

[manlikeyman]

we need a decentralized autocratic unitary state with different areas being allowed to develop different identities (for example - muqdisho as the political hub like riyadh, harar and zeila as the religious hubs like makkah and madina, hobyo and garacad as oil hub like dammam and jubail)

 

[AbdiBashirJR]

Joke’s on you , Somalia’s economy is already deeply interconnected. Money generated in one region circulates and benefits others, whether you like it or not.

Federalism doesn’t isolate economies, especially not in a country with a shared money systems, trade routes, businesses, and mobile banking systems that span across regions. You can’t build walls around markets.

So unless you’re planning on cutting off all trade, remittances, and movement , which would only hurt your own region , you’re still part of a shared economic system whether it’s federal or unitary

I’ve had enough of zoo politics #GalmudugExit

 

[Idilinaa]

I’ve had enough of zoo politics #GalmudugExit

You say you’ve had enough, but you're still here posting obsessively. That contradiction says a lot.

What I don’t get is why people like you, who clearly hold deep resentment toward the broader Somali identity, insist on lingering around Somali spaces 24/7. If you truly felt the way you claim, wouldn’t it make more sense to disengage entirely?

Also, if you're obsessed with politics , and not with development, integration, or business like I am , then your priorities are already completely misplaced.

The truth is, while you're online stirring up nonsense, the average Somali is out there building, trading, innovating, and connecting across clan and regional lines. They don't live on forums, they live in the real world.

 

[Garaad Awal]

I’ve had enough of zoo politics #GalmudugExit

The most zoo province of Somalia. Triple digit casualty numbers in regular clan skirmishes in desert ass places like Galgaduud.

 

[TheLand]

Key word is “Benevolent Autocracy” don’t calcaal and bring up predecessors and shift the goal post.

Do you think it could?

You don’t get it. You seem to think Somalia needs some kind of top down approach, no offense but I find this laughable. We had that for 2 decades and in the end it lead to a violent rapture. The problem isn’t systems related, it’s spiritual and identity related. There is a clear spiritual rot in Somali society which shows up in politics, tribal violence and even terrorism. That requires a revolution to re-orient Somali identity and finally decide who we are and what we want to be. Who is President, democracy, dictatorship, even religious theocracy is likely not enough. It’s something deep inside the people. Without addressing that everything else is just for show.

 

[Idilinaa]

The most zoo province of Somalia. Triple digit casualty numbers in regular clan skirmishes in desert ass places like Galgaduud.

Mudug and Galmudug more broadly, is actually a very resourceful and resilient region. It has red, iron-rich arable soil ideal for cultivating a wide variety of crops, vegetables, and grains.

That’s why extensive farmland has been developed there, and why the region has made strong strides toward food self-sufficiency.

There’s even a detailed thread documenting this progress:

Galmudug’s Farms and Progress towards self sufficiency

Galmudug markets rarely ever import food from hiiran and both Shabelle regions anymore. Local farms in Galmudug for the past few years with the support of Galmudug’s ministry of agriculture and projects sponsored by donors/World bank,etc, managed to grow all sorts of crop ranging from onions...

www.somalispot.com

On top of that, the region has opened several salt production facilities connected to company marketing those products in Mogadishu, creating jobs for thousands and injecting capital into the local economy.

They actually started salt production plant in 2021/2022 in Mudug. Interestingly was after a bunch of local Salt miners in Hinlabi got together to collect investments from Somali businessmen

Hinlabi salt miners

The company that owns and distributes the production in Xinlebi

National Salt Industries Company Ltd | Kulmie Business Directory

Wellcome To National Salt Industries Company Ltd

www.kulmie.com

Again, like I said before , while you guys are running around cosplaying as this and that, acting like demented trolls online, Somalis in every region are out there actually building, working, and living productive lives. You’re stuck behind a keyboard talking nonsense about places you’ve never been to, while the people you mock are the ones planting, producing, and feeding the country. That’s the difference.

 

[Idilinaa]

You don’t get it. You seem to think Somalia needs some kind of top down approach, no offense but I find this laughable. We had that for 2 decades and in the end it lead to a violent rapture. The problem isn’t systems related, it’s spiritual and identity related. There is a clear spiritual rot in Somali society which shows up in politics, tribal violence and even terrorism. That requires a revolution to re-orient Somali identity and finally decide who we are and what we want to be. Who is President, democracy, dictatorship, even religious theocracy is likely not enough. It’s something deep inside the people. Without addressing that everything else is just for show.

Djibouti, Somaliland, Ogaden, NFD, and Puntland all function under top-down governance structures , yet they don’t suffer from tribal violence or local terrorism the way some assume is inevitable in Somali society.

The truth is, "top-down" alone isn’t inherently the problem or the solution. In fact, top-down systems are ''not '' efficient models for development in the long run , that’s why every modern, developed economy has moved toward some degree of decentralization and localized governance.

This idea that Somalia’s issues are somehow uniquely spiritual or identity-based ignores a broader reality, that is no country thrives under a purely top-down or externally dictated system. And that’s not a uniquely Somali problem it’s just how state-building and development work everywhere.

 

[TheLand]

Djibouti, Somaliland, Ogaden, NFD, and Puntland all function under top-down governance structures , yet they don’t suffer from tribal violence or local terrorism the way some assume is inevitable in Somali society.

The truth is, "top-down" alone isn’t inherently the problem or the solution. In fact, top-down systems are ''not '' efficient models for development in the long run , that’s why every modern, developed economy has moved toward some degree of decentralization and localized governance.

This idea that Somalia’s issues are somehow uniquely spiritual or identity-based ignores a broader reality, that is no country thrives under a purely top-down or externally dictated system. And that’s not a uniquely Somali problem it’s just how state-building and development work everywhere.

They all still have incredibly high rates of tahriib. Just this week a ton of Somali youth from those regions died trying to escape to a better life, and I suspect many many more will willingly take the same risk of horrific death. Stop it. You are grasping at straws. It’s all a shithole.

 

[Idilinaa]

They all still have incredibly high rates of tahriib. Just this week a ton of Somali youth from those regions died trying to escape to a better life, and I suspect many many more will willingly take the same risk of horrific death. Stop it. You are grasping at straws. It’s all a shithole.

Tahrib has actually decreased significantly since its peak around 2016–2018 , which is why you no longer see it dominating headlines like it used to..

I have spoken about what initially caused it and what people have done to curb it:

A lot of this is old news , because Tahribing has declined significantly and even halted in many cases. It used to be a major problem between 2016-2018. It was due to high youth unemployment , especially from Somaliland. It wasn't millions coming in or out either.

It halted or declined largely due to the job placement schemes that the government and other private initiatives have rolled out which has made many more remain these past few years.

Empowering Youth Employment Through Mobile Technology — Shaqodoon Organization

The motorcycle project implemented by Shaqodoon Organization and Oxfam Novib sought to promote safe motorcycle riding practices and improve the efficiency of delivery systems through the use of mobile-based technology, positively impacting the livelihoods of the participants and their families by cr

shaqodoon.org

Somaliland Youth Empowerment Project (SYEP) — Shaqodoon Organization

To empower Somaliland youth through strengthened livelihood and employment skills, access to wage and self-employment opportunities and youth network activities.

shaqodoon.org

Addressed it a bit in a different thread but didn't realize these were outdated figures from 2012-2014.


Jobs placement schemes in Mogadishu

https://allafrica.com/stories/201505140162.html

They even created a youth development fund to increase employment oppurtunities for the youth and give the priorities in Somaliland back in 2020.

Somaliland Youth Development Fund

Somaliland Youth Development Fund

slydf.govsomaliland.org

,

It was never about Somalia being a “shithole,” but rather about youth unemployment, especially in places like Somaliland. Many of those who left were looking for work, not fleeing chaos or violence. That’s a crucial distinction.

Since then, several targeted employment initiatives have helped reduce migration.

So no, this isn’t about romanticizing anything , the issue was real, but progress has also been real. Dismissing everything as a lost cause is neither accurate nor helpful.

 

[TheLand]

Tahrib has actually decreased significantly since its peak around 2016–2018 , which is why you no longer see it dominating headlines like it used to..

I have spoken about what initially caused it and what people have done to curb it:


It was never about Somalia being a “shithole,” but rather about youth unemployment, especially in places like Somaliland. Many of those who left were looking for work, not fleeing chaos or violence. That’s a crucial distinction.

Since then, several targeted employment initiatives have helped reduce migration.

So no, this isn’t about romanticizing anything , the issue was real, but progress has also been real. Dismissing everything as a lost cause is neither accurate nor helpful.

That last line was clearly ai. I just put it into ChatGPT and it actually confirmed it
You people need to do a better job at hiding your tracks and not plagiarizing LLM’s

 

[Idilinaa]

That last line was clearly ai. I just put it into ChatGPT and it actually confirmed it
You people need to do a better job at hiding your tracks and not plagiarizing LLM’s

Lool, so now my own words are AI? You guys are really reaching. Imagine being so desperate to discredit a point that you accuse someone of copying a single sentence from ChatGPT


I guess making a clear argument now qualifies as “plagiarism.” That's wild.

 

[TheLand]

Lool, so now my own words are AI? You guys are really reaching. Imagine being so desperate to discredit a point that you accuse someone of copying a single sentence from ChatGPT

A sentence that just happens to be well-structured and makes sense.

I guess making a clear argument now qualifies as “plagiarism.” That's wild.

Stop embarrassing yourself sweetheart and don’t do it again. You aren’t the only one doing it here, it’s an epidemic of laziness.

 

[Idilinaa]

Stop embarrassing yourself sweetheart and don’t do it again. You aren’t the only one doing it here, it’s an epidemic of laziness. View attachment 362295

Logged in and asked ChatGPT the same thing.

Conclusion, You guys are still reaching. Just because you are a lazy internet troll and can't construct coherent sentences on your own or make sound arguments. Doesn't mean i'm the same as you.

 

[TheLand]

Logged in and asked ChatGPT the same thing.
View attachment 362298

Conclusion, You guys are still reaching. Just because you are a lazy internet troll and can't construct coherent sentences on your own or make sound arguments. Doesn't mean i'm the same as you.

 

[Idilinaa]

View attachment 362300

 

[AbdiBashirJR]

View attachment 362301

View attachment 362303
View attachment 362302
View attachment 362306
View attachment 362308

Literally is my own words.

I believed you at first but the fact u entertaining this guy is making me sus. theland is a useless troll