What countries support Somalia's federalism model and why?

[Prince of Lasanod]

What countries are backing the federalism project, and why?

There are three different forces pushing the clan federalism project. Somalia’s neighbors, Ethiopia and Kenya, are the leading proponents of a clan-based “federal” formula. Addis Ababa and Nairobi have effectively replaced the central government of Somalia in the realms of security and politics for the last two decades. As such, they have been actively involved in the design and implementation of clan-based federalism in Somalia since the late 1990s. According to Matt Bryden, Ethiopia shared a position paper at the partners’ forum of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in 1998 in which it designated five or six clan-based regions in Somalia. Bryden quotes from the paper, showing that Addis Ababa prescribed “local administrative structures [that] could constitute building blocks” to the restoration of peace and statehood to Somalia, and that “an important role should be played by civil society – the emergence and role of which should be encouraged by the international community.”8 Bryden notes that the international community “reluctantly accepted” the Ethiopian proposal. Bryden’s interpretation of the proposed clan-division is that regions would be divided up into territories dominated by the four armed clans: Darod, Digil & Mirifle, Hawiye and Isaaq

Strategically, although they sometimes pursue different objectives, Ethiopia and Kenya seek a weak and friendly Somalia as a neighbor for two reasons. First, they believe that if a strong state emerges aspirations of what they call ‘irredentism,’ or a greater Somalia, might return.

Who first originated the idea of federalism?

Federalism, according to Watts, is defined as the “combination of shared-rule and regional self-rule within a single political system so that neither is subordinate to another.” In Somalia, this system has been proposed at the inter-state and intra-state levels. At the inter-state level, some politicians and scholars have suggested that a federal system between Ethiopia and Somalia would address the wider conflict between the two countries. According to British Cabinet documents, Emperor Haile Selassie was the first to propose a federation between Ethiopia and Somalia. According to the document, the “Emperor’s recent speech at Gabredarre, in which the idea of federation between Somalia and Ethiopia was put forward, produced a sharp and hostile reaction from the Prime Minister of Somalia.

In his 1956 speech the emperor proposed that Somalia be absorbed into his empire, arguing that a Somali state was not viable. Years later, at the height of Somali nationalism, I.M. Lewis also came to the conclusion that the long-term solution to regional conflict would be to create a federation between Somalia and Ethiopia. Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, during the Somalia-Ethiopia war in 1977, has also proposed that Somalia, Ethiopia and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen to federate in order to end the war and unite the socialist regimes of the region. As recently as 2007, Hussein Aideed, former deputy prime minister and interior minister of Somalia, declared that Ethiopia and Somalia should abolish boundaries and create one passport.

The first attempt to design a ‘federal’ institution took place during the Kenya Reconciliation Conference in 2002-2004. The issue became controversial when a committee was tasked to draft a constitution. The committee broke into two groups. Those managing the conference put together a harmonization committee led by Professor Abdi Samatar. Eventually, Ethiopia, Kenya and IGAD intervened and sided with the group led by Somali warlords. The Transitional Charter that resulted from the conference included articles and clauses explaining how a federal system would be achieved. The current draft constitution is also based on the previous charter and adopts a ‘federal system’ for the country

It's clear that our enemies who want to balkanize Somalia are the ones supporting this model.

 

[Reign]

Federalism is the only way foward for a clan based society like Somalia.

 

[The_Cosmos]

Somali society supports federalism more than anyone else. When you have a nation bitterly divided among clan lines, then federalism becomes the only feasible way forward. Plus, many leading nations are federal states. America, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Australia, India, Switzerland and so on.

 

[Prince of Lasanod]

Somali society supports federalism more than anyone else. When you have a nation bitterly divided among clan lines, then federalism becomes the only feasible way forward. Plus, many leading nations are federal states. America, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Australia, India, Switzerland and so on.

Somalia is too small, too poor and too homogeneous to embrace a federal model. How can you compare the most powerful country in the world to the worst? It's ridiculous. Ethiopia practical controls SL, PL, SW state and share JL with Kenya. Dividing the country along clan lines will simply make the situation worse, it doesn't fix it. The only hope Somalia has of ever prospering is with a strong central government, which is why Ethiopia and Kenya, who should have no say about Somalia, are against it. Federalism pretty much institutionalizes the Balkanization of Somalia and is a disaster waiting to happen in the long term.

 

[The_Cosmos]

Somalia is too small, too poor and too homogeneous to embrace a federal model. How can you compare the most powerful country in the world to the worst? It's ridiculous. Ethiopia practical controls SL, PL, SW state and share JL with Kenya. Dividing the country along clan lines will simply make the situation worse, it doesn't fix it. The only hope Somalia has of ever prospering is with a strong central government, which is why Ethiopia and Kenya, who should have no say about Somalia, are against it. Federalism pretty much institutionalizes the Balkanization of Somalia and is a disaster waiting to happen in the long term.

Let's be a bit more pragmatic, Somalia's ethnic homogeneity doesn't negate its bitter divisions. Size and wealth don't negate the fact that a central Somali government will always find itself entangled in the controversy of clan intrigues. It's easy to blame our neighbours but the reality is, this system is the only system which accommodates a society divided by clan lines. Federalism doesn't divide Somalia along clans anymore than it aldready is. a federal state is the only system that seriously accommodates Somalia's clan division, a central government doesn't.

 

[Hassan Garguute Buldanana]

Its the best and only solution.

 

[Duchess]

I thought you had something new to contribute to the discussion but instead it's the same regurgitated talking points every monkey in a suit aka faux wadani Somali politician has been saying for the last decade. Next.

 

[waraabe]

I thought you had something new to contribute to the discussion but instead it's the same regurgitated talking points every monkey in a suit aka faux wadani Somali politician has been saying for the last decade. Next.

the reason he is saying this is because khaatumo cant be a federal state