Monday and Tuesday marked new maturity for Somaliland politics as they marked the arrival of, respectively, a populous Somaliland clan who lived in the Qardho area of Puntland for centuries and an ONLF delegation led by Colonel Abdikari Sheikh Musa ‘Qalbidhagax’.
Qalbidhagax said that his arrival paved the way for imminent visits of the ONLF chairman, ex-admiral Mohamed Omar Osman and the Secretary-General of the front Abdirizak Mahdi Maddei, who would visit Somaliland in the coming few weeks – if not days.
Qalbidhagax, accompanied by other prominent members among whom were Ugass Abdirizak Ugass, Ahmed, of the freedom fighting group who had mended fences with Ethiopia through its new reformist leader, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, had been invited to Somaliland by UCID opposition leader, Faisal Ali Waraabe, with the full consent of the government.
A full deck of opposition, government, diplomats, Municipality and parliamentary officers and MPs gave Qalbidhagax a warm reception at Egal International airport, Tuesday.
A day earlier, Sultan Abdiaziz Mohamoud Afgudud, accompanied by Chiefs Abdullahi Saeed and Elmi Aw Abdi, was warmly received at the same airport.
Sultan Afgudud, presently the prime traditional leader of Abdalla Udduruhmin (Abdurahim), stated that his clan lived in Puntland for several centuries, originally hailing from the historic coastal areas of Heiss (Mundus) in the Sanaag region.
Their forefather, Abdalla, then a baby, left with his mother when their father, Abdurahim, was killed over a disagreement over Sheikh Isaac’s tomb.
Earlier this month, about 400 ex-Puntland servicemen, belonging to the Abdalla Udduruhmin clan, declared their allegiance no longer rested with Puntland and that they wished to join their ancestral homeland, Somaliland.
400 Puntland soldiers change allegiance to Somaliland
The Somaliland government needs to be very alert.Once an enemy,always an enemy.History has proved that loyalty to the clan is of supreme importance.No wonder the British lost the war against the Sayyid.For this reason there is doubt about the loyalty of this clan that is moving to Somaliland after centuries.This is a request for our leaders to analyse the matter & not make hasty decisions.After centuries the said clan must have inter-married with the local clans & have cousins etc.Tomorrow,with the change in local politics,the whole migration and loyalty will be reversed.