A Congress of Clowns and one Clever Circus Elephant

In a venue in Hargeisa, the UDUB State Party recently convened what they called the 2nd. Party Congress. As expected, the arrangement turned out to be a one-man-show farce whose spectators were lacklustre stooges which were, more or less, frog-marched to the venue. There were also the usual crowd of Gold Diggers and fortune seekers from the Diaspora. Dysfunctional in their host countries, these usually are men who derive inspira tion from their peers who landed Ministerial positions in Somaliland. They were hand-picked by aides close to the circus leader and their travel and stay is being financed by the money wrenched out of the hands of the poor “wadhato” mothers of Hargeisa and Burao. Add to this the tin men of the Government and the two wise men of the so-called Upper House or more correctly the President’s “Fix-it” yes-men. The men in question are three but one of them is not wise in the context of the pun.

In Orwellian terms, this was the State and the Party in perfect harmony. One is the other and the other is the one. Some days prior to this circus, one of the Ministers, an agile fellow who is clever in keeping himself in the limelight, said in a Press Conference, that the President and his Vice are the Presidential Candidates for the Government. Not the Party. I do not think this gentleman is ignorant of the fact that in democracies, which we claim to be, Governments do not propose Presidential Candidates. Political Parties do. While the Minister’s announcement was slap in the face of democracy, it is closer to the reality on the ground in UDUB’s regime, and therefore his statement was not erroneous. In essence, this congress was a dance-orchestra for the President and few hawks who currently enjoy his favour.


There was nothing exciting or entertaining about this gathering. It ran and ended the way we expected it. But what is amusing is the noise of the former errand boys who fell out of favour with the President’s household. For one, Ismail, the former arm-twister and bad-mouther of honourable ladies, is crying foul, perhaps expecting our memories of him to be dimmed by the number of years he was in limbo. When he was sacked, Ismail said that he will never spill the beans! “I will go the grave with the Government’s Secrets”, he said. Now, in a funny turn of misfortunes which brings Shakespeare’s comedy of errors to mind, he is trying to blackmail the “blackmailer” himself with an alleged knowledge of dangerous secrets. I am not sure whose pity Ismail is begging now, but I am certain of one thing. You own no secrets Ismail; because you were never entrusted with anything worth hiding. Your were the running- boy, that’s all.


The situation with Abdillahi Darawal and his gang of Presidential Candidate hopefuls is very sad indeed. After serving loyally in an autocracy for over 10 years – perhaps more; they do not seem to have learnt anything. I hope the coming few days will prove me wrong. If best wishes are worth anything in the battlefield, you have mine!