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Somaliland Diaspora: Predatory Political Parasites
Greetings!
Attached (also copies and pasted bellow) please find my
new article and publish it on your esteemed website. As
always, we gladly appreciate your superb journalism and
wonderful job.
Thanks for assisting your people.
Regards,
Abdi Hussein Daud
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“In Africa,” says Professor Patrick Lumumba, “the
shortest root to ill-gotten wealth is political
leadership.” I couldn’t agree more. “If you want to get
wealth without working for it at all,” he continues,
“join African politics.” This short “root to ill-gotten
wealth” incites many Somaliland Diasporas in Europe and
North America to go back to Somalilan d and join politics
in order to steal taxpayers’ money. Why would these
individuals—wh o live in one of the richest countries in
the world (UK, USA, Canada, etc.) and have acce ss to
free high-quality education and/or high-paying jobs—go
back to Somaliland and steal taxpayers’ money? Let me
inform you who these individuals are; what kind of a
life they lead in Europe and North America; why are they
coming back to Somaliland; and the tactics they use in
order to join politics.
These individuals have lived in Western countries—UK,
USA, Canada, etc.—for twenty, thirty or forty years.
They have had golden opportunities to get free
high-quality educ ation and become doctors, engineers,
administrators, educators, economists, etc., but they
choose not to attend colleges or universities. Since
they have failed to benefit from the available free
education, they are unequipped to undertake professional
jobs. Therefore, they do unskilled jobs that require
little to no formal education: assembly line factory
workers, bank tellers, case workers, cleaners
(janitors), taxi/bus drivers, watchman/security (“waashumaan”
in Somali), cashiers, etc. Usually, they work
eight-hours a day, five days a week from Monday through
Friday. The little money they earn from their jobs
barely covers their living expenses, e.g., rent,
utilities, groceries, shopp ing, gas, phone bill, car
insurance, etc. Therefore, they live paycheck to
paycheck to make ends meet. It is a never ending cycle,
with no light at the end of the tunnel. The result:
uneducated, penniless, hopeless and, above all,
desperate. And desperate peop le do desperate things. To
escape from their depressive situation, they decide to
join Somaliland politics.
These individuals found out that joining Somaliland’s
politics is the easiest and the “sho rtest root to
ill-gotten wealth.” They know that it does not require a
university degree, skills, leadership abilities, or
experience. The only requirement is to know how to
appe al, influence and recruit their clan members. If
they have money, it is a bonus. If they don’t have it,
there is nothing to worry about. The generous
contribution from their cl an members, especially
Diasporas, would do the trick. The primary reason they
collect money is to bribe their clan elders and clan
pundits—or af-miishaaro, the saw-mouthed sage. They
usually run for a city council seat, parliamentary seat
or, commonly, aspire to be appointed to a government
position: minister, vice minister, director general,
gov ernor, etc. Small number of them tries to run for the
presidency. Regardless of the offi ce they run for, or
aspire to be appointed to, all of them depend on the
support of their clan members. That is the essence of
Somaliland’s politics.
When they meet with their clan members, they usually do
not talk about any important social issues—economics,
health, education, etc. They simply inform their
clansmen that “their clan” is marginalized by other
clans and their rights and privileges are being tak en
away. They make their clansmen feel jealous, hateful,
shameful, and fearful. When they make their clansmen
feel insecure, angry and powerless, they present
themselves as saviors of the clan. They urge their
clansmen to get their act together and reclaim their
rights and privileges. Although it is immoral, it is,
nevertheless, a very powerful and effective way of
appealing to clan sentiment. When they win the
unwavering supp ort of their clansmen, they run for an
office or seek a government position. Running for an
office just requires securing the vote of their clan
members. But to be appointed to a position requires
different route. They simply take several bribed-elders
and pundits with them to talk to the president on their
behalf.
They also falsely claim that they are educated or speak
multiple languages. Some of th em even have the audacity
to take the title of “Dr.” although they had never gone
to college or university. But simple background check
can expose their lies. Most of them do not even speak
the language of their country of residence.
As soon as they get into office, they immediately start
stealing taxpayers’ money. They know for sure that they
would never be caught, because they know that they ca n
get away with it. If they are accused of corruption,
their clan members are ready to defend them at any cost.
Therefore, they are not accountable to anyone. They buy
lux ury cars, houses, expensive suits, and take
vacations. They also indulge in their animalistic
desires.
They cut off all contacts with their clansmen who have
supported them. They surround themselves with armed
police guards or drive cars with dark-tinted windows in
order t o hide their identity from their clansmen and
family members. They tell their armed poli ce guards not
to allow anyone to visit or enter their offices or
homes. The poor clans men wander around the home or
office anticipating to be invited. But no one recognizes
them, let alone invites them.
This trend will have long-lasting negative effects in
the foreseeable future. It informs our youth in Diaspora
that they do not need to get higher-education or work
hard in order to get wealth and fame. They just need to
join Somaliland politics. At the same time, it
encourages our youth in Somaliland to leave the country
by taking the dangero us sea voyages so that they would
become ‘tomorrow’s Diaspora’ and, subsequently,
‘after-tomorrow’s politicians.’
This should stop before it is too late.
Abdi Hussein Daud
Minneapolis, MN
He can be reached at:
abdihdaud@yahoo.com
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