Somaliland’s track to peace and democracy: Model for forgiveness
(Part two)

By Adam Musse Jibril

The issues of reconciliation and forgiveness were both historically required in 1991 and were dictated by the existing realities on the ground. Siyaad Barre’s regime had collapsed and SNM forces, who were predominantly Issaqis by clan affiliations had come to power. This has happened in a time when the rift between the Issaqis and non Issaqis in Somaliland was wide and hatred between them was significant, as the mainstream non Issaqis were looking to the Somali National Movement(SNM) and the Issaqis with suspicion and mistrust since they had been supporters of the Siyaad barre regime from the SNM viewpoints. When this organization was at an all out war with government forces, the non Issaq clans were pressed by the regime to alienate its supporters, the aim here was clear and was a reflection of the true nature of all dictators to politicize minor contradictions between neighboring communities in order to make use of disputes on water and grazing lands. This was done under the pretext to “safeguard the country from the invaders”. And hence reconciliation endeavors aimed to put an end to the legacy of politics of divide and rule played by the regime, and to stop the cycle of clan clashes and reemergence of hostilities. As favorable conditions became apparent immediate political reconciliation turned out to be a matter of fate.

As a result, an urgent need to reconcile prior differences arose in order to reach an amicable general resolution to all conflicts in the country. It was a moment of choice either to move to the direction of continuation of the civil war or to shift towards a win-win peace accord. On the practical level, however, the issue had not been an easy one. Some groups within the SNM military leadership were not enthusiastic to the idea of forgiveness and were inclined towards a military solution. But on the other hand, enough conviction towards ending the conflict amicably was obtainable through the role played by traditional leaders as moral authorities in such situations through this process peace could be achieved via the grassroots. However some politicians and leaders of the military wing at the time had reflected their short-term political interests they had stood for.

However, the driving force behind the events led to forgiveness was not motivated only by the common sense dictated by the need that had arose but also became possible because of the wisdom and sanity of culture of peace that a Somali proverb said “peace is always needed as it is the man’s ration on travel”.

An all Somaliland community conference was called in an extraordinary situation, at a time of tension, stress and anxieties in the Somali region as a whole. Non Hawiye Somalis, Daroods in particular, have been massacred in Mogadishu and in other parts of the south, their properties were looted, and an exclusive government was declared by Ali Mahadi Mohamed without consultation with any of political forces that had existed in the Somali region, including those whose roles had been decisive in toppling of the Siyaad Barre regime. SNM which considered itself as the main factor in the downfall of that regime was also exclude.

In these multidimensional constraints the agenda of the conference has become more complex and issues beyond reconciliation within the Somaliland milieu came into account, and the question of self-determination turned out to be a pressing demand by the masses pressurizing the participants in the conference to act. And as a result the reinstatement of Somaliland has been an expression of popular choice to be included in the agenda of the conference.

The conference had taken place in May 1991, in Burao, a central town of Somaliland. The participants had been mandated by their communities who have come from the six regions of the country. From the very beginning the issue of forgiveness was taken as a methodological approach and a central part towards garnering confidence and trust building objectives. All outstanding national issues were decided to be dealt through the principles of forgiveness; such as peace-building, and power sharing issues, so that solid basis to building a new Somaliland would be promoted. The conference had finally adopted these principles, according to which the Somaliland state had been declared and was named after its previous name, the Republic of Somaliland. Worthy to notice here that at the time, intellectuals and even some politicians have underlined that this “political disengagement” from Somalia and which they saw as inevitable, would ultimately lead to a healthier and amicably beneficial economic and cultural reintegration in the future, if and when our brothers in Somalia would abandon the Greater Somalia quest, after that the integration of entire sub-region of the Horn would be a possibility.

Commenting on the ironical aspects of the Union with Somalia in 1960 and the re-establishment of Somaliland in 1991 to stand as separate state, the late president Egal Said, in a meeting with military officers of SNM in Burao right after 18th May declaration of the Somaliland independence, that “reinstatement of Somaliland Republic was fairly a right step towards the right direction, while the 1960 union with Somalia was a wrong step taken towards the wrong direction”. In 1993, I had an opportunity to ask Egal what his philosophical statement meant, answering to my question he said. “I would prefer stable and democratic Somaliland than unity with the south under the reign of anarchy and disorder. And he continued by saying “I had my experience there”.

Upon discussion on the issue of restoration of Somaliland with its territory at the moment of independent from Great Britain, two main viewpoints were considered as a base of argument: a loose Federation with Somalia or a total disengagement? And the latter idea was taken and adopted unanimously by the participants in the conference.
Under this circumstance, reinstatement of Somaliland became unrestrained overwhelming popular demand. However, dealing with reconciliation issues within Somaliland itself events had later attested that the reconciliation was not a mechanical action that one could take as he wants but a long process of life of all times, it is to deal with all kinds of contrasts and contradictions, but a process which has also its own rationale through which practical compromises can be reached.

The sound motivation behind the efforts toward organizing similar peace conference throughout the Somaliland regions: in Erigaabo, Shieck, Borarma and later on in Hargeisa emanated from desire to make the peace building process irreversible.
All these peace conferences in the regions had joined strength in Borama town in the western part of Somaliland, where the grand peace and reconciliation conference took place in 1993 which continued for five months. The participation at this time had been larger and representation was more satisfactory than previous conferences with respect to different community clans and minority group’s demands, and perhaps even more genuine than that of Burao.

In Borama, SNM had passed the power to the people in accordance to the promise they made during the struggle, an issue which the constitution and the program of SNM had clearly addressed “that after three years of SNM rule power shall be transferred to the people”.
Late Mohamed Haji Ibrim Egal, who was not a SNM member but long time political prisoner, the first prime minister of Somaliland when the country became independent from Britain, was elected president. With this unusual event, the rebirth of Somaliland became reality.

However, in 1993, the walk towards viable reconciliation and stability was still to go a long way, and enough endeavors were required to build positive peace through elimination of the structural violence, the poverty and all kinds of inequity had not yet even begun. This and other issues will be dealt in the next part. •