Somaliland: Women Minister’ Increase Won’t Clean Us of the Tainted Picture
Does the recent reshuffle make any sense to anyone? Emphatically no, because it did not fire corrupted ministers, especially the two alleged ministers with Al-Shabab links: Finance minister and the Presidential Affairs Minister Hirsi Haji Ali. Instead, added more suspicious elements into the core to deteriorate. Somaliland key decision maker who remains a mystery to many since president Silanyo election has decided to make symbolic reshuffle to include women into the cabinet just to deflect the pouring accusation of terror elements into heart of Somaliland system from over the civilized world and to make the system looking gender-balanced despite the highest rate of women gang rapes in Somaliland than any other time in the past! Namely, 5000 rape case in one year alone according to local human rights organizations.
The media suppression and intimidation is all time high. This increase of female ministers, however, comes after Somaliland foreign policymaker launched foreign policy of “more talks, and less gains”; that finally hit a brick wall.
The UK government, the closest friend of Somaliland, announced the evacuation of British citizens of any color, the UK government received information that terror would conduct bombings inside Somaliland territory. The World Bank recent microloans to Somaliland businesses and EU pledge to fund Somaliland Road Authority might motivated the decision; any sham democracy like ours, women ministers are used as cover for Western aid despite constant violations of women rights in broad daylight, hypocrisy of some sort.
To strengthen and hide their true ideological identity, Islamists in Khartoum used to handshake or kiss foreign women delegates to mislead the international community, that was the beginning of Islamist revolution led by Hassan Turabi, but that familiar cheap game seems replayed out in Somaliland “theocracy-cum-tribal-cracy ” which battles with serious allegations of terror breeding ground for the entire Horn of Africa.
Somaliland has witnessed the dwindle of international advocates since the president imposed some sort of unregulated democracy-open-for –all upon us , be a terrorist or indicted criminal provided that you’ve some cash of around 20,000 USD to open your Salvation Party and finally land at your seat in power, no rules. Somaliland democracy is deliberately abused by criminal elements of Wahabi oil money to hijack the will of the people; the Hargaysa Councilor still working in the public office despite his murder of his cousin.
Wherever you go in Hargaysa, beardy dudes are there, from ministries to cigar kiosks which often they accumulate enough money or start-up capital, quit cigar selling trade and upgrade their businesses to Halal compliant.
Women to work in high public offices is a positive development if sincerity and out of social justice has motivated. But the whole world knew that Somaliland’s democracy is derailed when Kulmiye, which roughly translates the unifier (of Somalia), has come to the office.
The outgoing party, Udub, has forewarned the consequences of holding election at the time because every politically isolated wealthy Wahabist had injected millions of campaign money to Kulmiye; they realigned themselves into the society after militants were kicked out of Mogadishu. Every one shaved his ugly beard and thrown Arabian white robe to dustbin to replace with jeans and British boots.
They had sworn in their allegiance to love Sheikh Mohamed Abdi Wahab, their Saudi founder, and their Somali surrogates to death. Nonetheless, Somaliland overall picture has seriously tainted but when pictures tainted, it is hard to clean it.
However; does the inclusion of women ministers constitute women political empowerment or a simply stunt like Dr Omar Dihoud’s, minority faith in Somaliland, appointment as special advisor to the president to attract an aid or foreign recognition? If political inclusive participations process is seriously meant, why Gabooye tribes like gypsies, minority tribe whose lives are burnt alive, are not included into the cabinet ministers. Reshuffle is simply meant to bring new clean faces to the donors to keep declining Somaliland alive for another two years until blood sucker ministers dry up bone marrow of the poor people.
By Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye
Dirye is Senior Editor At African Edition Of the Democracy Chronicles at dirye@democracychronicles.com