Somali Region and its Political Instability: a new Perspective of its Political Resolution

This paper tries to argue that the political turmoil in Somali Region being its apex needs a immediate political resolution. In this paper, a new perspective of political resolution for the Region is going to be discussed. In this I will present a bird’s eye of the political and social problems in the Region. Major factors responsible for these problems will be also briefly discussed. Finally, I will discuss on how the political crises in the Region could be addressed.

Somali Region is known for its political instability, maladministration and recurring atrocities. The Region faces persistent human right violations, lack of security and humanitarian crises. People in the Region are victim of ignorant and authoritarian quasi regional politicians. Hence, the Region goes deep in to system failure. The public institutions in the Region are weak and in- effective to provide basic social service to the inhabitant of the Region. As an effect, the Region has the lowest socio-economic development indicators comparing to other Regions in the country. In 2007, about 80 percent of the school age children were not attending in the schools due to absence of either school facilities or infrastructures. In addition, the basic health service, according to the Regional heal health bureau was about 50 percent, which seems highly inflated figure. More than 73 percent of people in the Region particularly, pastoralist communities did not have access to safe and drinkable water (Somali Region, 2008). All these socio-economic problems have been attributed to the un-ending political crises prevalent in the Region. The Under-development and poor economic fabrics in the Region is the cause and effect of political instability in the Region. Thus, the marginalised and impoverished poor pastoralist and agro-pastoralist are paying heavy price for the political instability in the Region.

As asserted by some authors, political stability is a pre-condition for achieving a meaningful development. This clearly indicates that political instability hinders to get development done at any scale. There is no effective regional governance and strategic development plan developed by the weak regional administration. Regional institutions have no capacity to render basic services. Although, peace and security is the pressing issue in the agenda of the Regional Government the outcome is very scant and rebel groups are expanding rather disappearing. As incumbent Regional President Daud Mohmaed repeatedly said in the Regional Parliament, ONLF leave alone its eradication, has proliferated in to Afder zone that used to be free from armed struggle movement. This it self serves as indicator for the failure of ongoing military intervention in the Region. Therefore, the solution is not at the barrel of the gun rather political resolution. To solve political crises is un-easy task as there are multi actors with variant interest involved. In Somali Region it is clear that there is absence of political and democratic infrastructures, hence this complicates the problem. There is no multi-party system in the Region. Even, the one party rule in the system does not operate under rule of the law rather informality and breach of the law is common behaviour of the Regional officials. The worst, there is armed struggle going in the Region since 1995 that caused high death toll and displacement of the local people. The Federal Arm and Regional Administration use this political instability and military conflict as an excuse for its mal-administration practice and abuse of its discretionary power.

There are opposing views on how this crisis could be resolved. Some argue that the Region is under-occupation by the Ethiopian imperialism. In their view, the only means of ending this crisis is to liberate the Region from occupiers. This political ideology is shared by all militant and freedom fighters such as ONLF and others. Their political philosophy goes inline patriotism and liberty. Some others view that peaceful Political resolution is the only viable option for addressing these entrenched political and social problems in the Region. This group argue that there has been armed struggle in the Region sine long period that did not bring a durable peace and security to the Region. Hence, there is need to change the political strategy and utilize the new political opportunity thereby taking political opportunity offered by this federal political arrangement. In the same token, this arrangement could have been served as a new beginning for the development of the Region. They strongly argue that the Region lack all necessary infrastructures to stand its own feet so that no need to hasty a political freedom that might not last long as there are no necessary political and social infrastructures in the Region. There is no inclusive political system in the Region particularly in the armed struggle. The illiteracy rate in the Region is very high. The social set-up in the Region is fragmented and divided inline of rival clans. All these factors stand in the way of achieving a sustainable freedom and liberty. However, according to the existing political and socio-economic situation, having no common political ideology shared by all people in the Region and also considering geo-political set-up of the Region, political resolution is most viable option for resolving the political crises in the Region.

To have a political resolution might seem difficulty due to the political complexity and political divergence of the political actors in the Region. However, although political resolution is a difficult task but it is unavoidable and inevitable in order to achieve working peace and instability in the Region. In this process Government particularly federal government should have to play a key role in the process. It should have to take the lead role to have a political dialogue with the armed movement and establishing local people owned regional administration. This should be done in a healthful manner and trustworthy environment. The Federal Government should commit it self true practice of its constitution and law of the land. Not only at the Regional level only but also at the Federal level by ensuring a political equality for all parties of the federal system in power distribution. The opposing armed forces such as ONLF and JXWSG should abandon and suspend the armed struggle and accept a political negotiation and deal with the Government. The Federal Government has to refrain from its all illegitimate interferences in the internal affairs of the Region. The political parties in the Region need to be transformed and formed in a broad based and inclusive manner. On the basis of the genuine political resolution, a true and an elected Regional Government have to govern the Region. Multi-party system and working local democracy needs to be established in the Region. Hence, parties will compete in a free and fair regional election. So that, people are given political choice to elect the party that offers right policies and development program. In this process the intellectuals and diasporas can have a tremendous role to play. Intellectuals of the Region, although are currently inactive and marginalised in the regional politicians, can have vital role and contribution for the success of the political resolution in the Region. On the other hand, diasporas will have also a remarkable role in the process of solving this political disorder in the Region. The actual role of Diasporas in the affairs of the Region is ambivalent; that is positive and negative role. The positive role that they play particularly in limited areas is their financial and material contribution in the scant development intervention in that particular. A case in point to mention is Diasporas run Development Associations that proved to be effective Diasporas contribution to the education sector in some places. This kind of experience need to be applied in order to achieve a sustainable political resolution in the Region. The negative role by the diasporas is instigating and inflaming the political conflict and feeding in the clan division in the Region by providing financial and material support to the warring parties. Hence, if diasporas are organised and provided a proper mechanism, they have the capacity to effectively contribute in the process.

To put in a nutshell, if it is not reversed soon, the current political disorder and fracture in the Region has and will have catastrophic effect on the socio-economic and political fabrics of the Region. Hence, there is a pressing demand for ending this sub-humane situation in the Region. Ending this tragic social and political problem in the Region requires active involvement of all prominent political actors. Although, this may seems un-easy task to accomplish but it is politically viable and feasible political process. The impoverished poor pastoralists are the victim of this crisis. People in the Region are denied their basic right of peace, security and living as a human being guaranteed by the current federal constitution. Before, this crises reaches where there is no return, all prominent actors in the Region are expected to rethink their role in this crises. Therefore, enough is enough. Inclusive and genuine political resolution is the only remedy for this political crisis in the Region. Let us break the ice and work together to resolves this crisis and start a new beginning for the political setup of the Region.

The writer can be reached through this Email: Adenjama170@gmail.com