The Somali Peninsula

Does any one remember the death and destruction unleashed by the invading Ethiopian Army on Mogadishu between 29 March and 1 April 2007?  In just 4 unforgettable days, the invading army commanded by Colonel Ghebre incinerated a heavily populated area in the Capital estimated at 10 kilometres.  A Committee appointed by the Hawiye Elders to assess the damage came up with the following harrowing statistics, including the following Death:                                     1068  (children, women, elderly and young men) Injury:                                    4344 Displacement:                        1.4 million Crimes against humanity:         mass detention, torture, and rape, dead bodies paraded and refused proper burial Property loss:                        $1.5 billion worth of public & private properties destroyed Hospitals:                               6 destroyed  Schools:                                  275 schools catering for 155,300 pupils Univ

Today, 25 May 2018, marks the 55th annivaesary of the foundation of the Organization of African Union (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). This year, like the 54 years before, we are being asked to celebrate the Africa Day also alternatively known as African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day. But what is there to celebrate for? The biggest and richest country in the continent is mired in endless conflict, bloodletting and endemic poverty, coupled with the most egregious assault on human dignity imaginable. Yes. You guessed it. It is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This country is blessed with all types of resources and assets that make nations wealthy: human capital, fertile land, forests, water, mineral wealth. Yet the majority of its population depend on external handouts to survive and on the UN for protection. How many countries in Africa achieved the the 6 Education for All (EFA) goals? None. In fact, Sub-Saharan  Africa (SSA) has one-seventh of the po

Three weeks ago the President of the Puntland State of Somalia, Mr. Abdiweli Gaas, paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). During his highly publicized diplomatic tour, President Abdiweli spoke on a wide range of topics. In one of his widely disseminated speeches, the Professor blamed the catastrophic collapse of Somalia in 1991 on excessive and abusive centralization of power by what he referred to as ‘the Mogadishu city-state’. He confidently and categorically declared that calamitous era over, and proclaimed the birth of a new, federal Somalia. ‘Somalia is not Mogadishu and Mogadishu is not Somalia,’ he stated in a triumphant note. The flamboyant Professor is not known for measured and responsible statements. But this time around he seemed to project a more confident leader who knew what he was talking about. However, yesterday the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) proved him wrong. PM Khaire informed the nation that when it comes t

The New Scramble for Somalia: The Role of Diaspora Somalis with Dual Citizenship Hassan A. Keynan* Becoming an American citizen through naturalization requires taking the Oath of Allegiance, loudly. The first part of the Oath of Allegiance reads, “ I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen. ” Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo did exactly that when he took the  Oath of Allegiance  and became a US citizen some 30 years ago. On 8 February 2017, he was elected President of the Federal Republic of Somalia (FGS). President Farmaajo is not alone. His administration is packed with diaspora Somalis holding dual citizenship, who returned from Europe, North America, and Australia. Diaspora Somalis from these continents  represent less than 30 percent of the estimated 2 million Somali immigrants abroad; and a