SOMALI INDEPENDENCE DAY

July 1st, the Somali INDEPENDENCE DAY, was marked and celebrated in all regions more or less. But, this time around, there is sense of indifference by some portions of the general population. The reason may lie in the fact that a few see any benefits of the national independence in their daily lives. The bulk of celebratory activities, however, took place in the social media by individuals on their own to mark the important occasion in Somali history.

Celebrations started from 26th of June to note the date when the blue flag with white star in the middle was raised in Hargeisa for the first time in1960. It was followed by the unification of the Italian and British colonies to form the sovereign nation of Somali Republic.

But, the most bizarre social media entry was entertained unexpectedly and surprisingly by a Somali presidential candidate by the name of Abdikarim Hussein Guled, who hails politically and tribally from Galmudugh State, but personally from lower Shabelle Region. In his recent social media post in his Facebook Page (Abdikarim Hussein Guled), Mr. Guled had diminished and reduced the struggle for independence to works of a few individuals arbitrarily, ignoring the real heroes in the fight for freedom, thus committing an act tantamount to blasphemy in the eyes of most Somali patriotics. Only a person blinded by tribalism and harboring hatred for others could dare to distort national history and role of many freedom fighters shamelessly that way. This is only possible when yesterday’s student of General Mohamed Farah Caydid develops insane and unrealistic political ambitions to gain power to follow his role model in clan cleansing bordering on genocide.

Paradoxically, I met recently with one aspirant for Federal Parliament membership in Garowe, Puntland, who briefed me that Mr. Guled bragged about and told him that the latter had been in contact with every person of influence in Puntland State for his presidential campaign. I wonder how he could manage that pr outreach with such distortion of Somali history in his head. The story goes on that someone had once asked Mr. Guled “how come he could be head of state when he had failed as Federal minister of Interior and as president of Galmudugh State?”

But now, nothing surprises me in Somali politics since there is no accountability for wrong-doing and breach of public trust. Everything goes by to get elected to a high public office, even with your hands soaked in blood of innocent citizens. Somalia adios!

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