We Somalis are inherently resilient but our country’s outlook is quite grim. Without a binding parliament and the lack of rule of law complicates the country’s predicament. Our highest government officials are currently at loggerheads, fighting over the elections process.
President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Rooble are throwing punches at each other, unable to see the big picture. They’re oblivious to their majestic responsibility, which is to deliver the country out of its protracted abyss.
Our country is saddled with many challenges. The most prominent one is the fabric of our society. We’re a clannish society. Our clan loyalty comes first. Everything else can wait until things clear up.
Because of this reality, conflicts among us can easily flare up, causing death and damages at times. And resolving them takes mountains of effort, but we often survive every difficulty. That’s our nature. We’re a resilient nation and don’t disappear easily; we fall but rebound. God has imbued us with this intrinsic feature.
But we can’t succeed unless we differentiate between individualism and collectivity. Collectivity is good for all of us; individualism is an egotistic need, only good for the person. It can’t benefit us all.
Somalia needs leaders devoid of tribal influences. Is it possible, though? Hard to find, but let’s aspire for them. Are our country’s president and prime minister fighting over tribal issues now? What would you say? Of course, they’re some of us, inheriting our embedded fabric. Hence, they aren’t free from tribalism, at least in the general public’s mind.
The country’s unwary, controversial elections are based on a lineage, which means each clan has to come up with its parliamentarians. In other words, clans’ chiefs select members of the parliament.
The two disputing officials’ row is premised on this issue. They see the election process differently. Each one of them wants to secure as many alliances as possible, from different clans.
President Farmaajo is a presidential candidate; he’s eying to have another term, while Prime Minster Rooble has been turning the heat on the man who selected him in the first place. The prime minister’s ambition is unclear, but some say he’s trying to get closer to opposition leaders, lest they win the presidential seat and award him a promising position. It’s an opinion.
Don’t you think it’s time for the two leaders to come together, with two cups of steaming tea in their hands and mend their differences? Some say it’s too late for that now. The only solution is to hold some sort of elections, which have been already defrauded by individual clans.
Our society has been hardened by trials and tribulations. But it may reach a breaking point if we don’t wake up and work towards a common goal. Are you hearing the word “Enough is enough?” Yes. Enough is enough. We’re fed up with endless fighting in VILLA SOMALIA.