Somaliland: Faisal Warabe calls for ‘clan convention’ if NEC was not disbanded

0
205

Faisal Ali Hussein, the leader of UCID, one of the two Somaliland opposition parties, said the nation must come together in an all-clan conference to take stock of the country’s situation after 28 years of going at it alone.

Faisal, speaking at the 17th graduation ceremony of Gollis University, said none of the central or local governments organs was functioning as it should. He said Somaliland has lost its vision in 1960 when it dumped its independence on the lap of Somalia, not now that they are reaping the harvest of that ignominious act.

“Of the five ‘Somalis’ to form the Greater Somalia of 1960, we are the least developed, the least nation-like,” he said.

“We go to Djibouti and beg for a passport. To Jigjiga…passport. To Kenya (NFD), the same. and we go to Mogadishu to get their passport,” he stated.

Faisal said there was a dire need to reassess the situation and take stock of what Somaliland did right, and what it got wrong since 1991.

“It is all because of a leadership that went wrong,” he said, warming up to his theme. “We are now fragmented and plagued by clans worming into every niche of our governance. We have become more tribal-minded where we should have been concentrating on nation-building. Militants fighting against Somaliland nationhood – as it is – have emerged, fighting you side by side with our foes. A clan goes up Ga’an Libah and declares its existence is more ‘sacrosanct’ than Somaliland sovereignty,” he cried.

Mr. Faisal said he was of the belief that if they could not agree on increasing the number of NEC (National Electorate Commission) commissioners by two to save Somaliland democracy and hold upcoming elections on time, there was little else leaders can ever agree on.

“We can no longer stand on the sidelines and watch the country go down the drain helplessly,” he vowed.

He vowed that he will call the nation to an all-clan conference similar to that of 1991 in Burao out of which the Republic of Somaliland was born if the President did not add the members Waddani and UCID parties requested or did not disband immediately.

Faisal, ever the outspoken critic, is often dubbed as Somaliland’s guiding spirit and the most faithful leader to Somaliland nationhood. 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here