Mistakes and miss-steps in Seemale of Ceel Bardaale

Ibrahim Mead
Political analyst ,Ottawa, Canada
December 9, 2011

Author’s note:

We may make mistakes but we have to learn from it and get your feet on the right path there after No shame in this. In fact it is a virtue. Just recognize it, confess and then move on, fine.
I am not criticizing or condemning any body. As a matter of fact I condemn the criminals who murdered innocent lives from all sides in Ceel Bardaale, in Bahoodle,in kalshaale and in Ceerig avo and else where in our beloved Somaliland

The security of Somaliland is a duty not only for the government to safeguard it but for every citizen young and old. It is a duty to protect and guard the stability and security of our count ry because it is the interest of every body even the counterfeiters. How ever there is the rig ht way to do this and the wrong way to wreck the boat!

“O ye who believe, If a sinner ( faasuq) comes to you with any news Ascertain the truth, lest ye may harm people un wittingly And after words become full of remorse for what ye have do ne.” (Alxujuraate v. 6 ch. 26)

“The believers are but a single brotherhood, so make peace and reconciliation between your two contending brothers; and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy” (Alxujuraat) have we followed that Godly call in the above verses from the holy Book?

What has happened recently in Seemaale of Ceel Bardaale and what has happed in Bahoodle and in Kalshaale and in Ceerigavo are and were all shocking to all of us. It is and it was unfor tunate that lives were lost from all sides, from all of us, as Somalilanders

Perpetrators of these crimes, who ever they are ought to bring to justice. Disputes between the brotherly communities who are destined to be there where they live, and will continue to live together until the earth is taken back by the owner must be managed and resolved inte lligently, honestly, fairly and correctly. This endeavor needs COOL HEADS, HONESTY, KNOWLED GE OF THE PROBLEMS, and AND JUSTICE AND EFFORT. Cool heads being number one!
In this occasion as a citizen I am hereby sending my solemn condolences to the families of the deceased from all sides from all regions of our Republic

Regarding the very recent unfortunate incident in Seemale the government got it wrong in handling it! The way they approached the incident and the way they summarily rounded up the elders, the Religious leaders and the politicians of one particular community because the crime happened in their area were just wrong and unheard of! To condemn our top solder guilty by association is insult to us all! Let us grow up here.

This kind of reaction never happened in Bahoodle, never happened in Kalshaale, never happe ned in Ceerigavo, never happened in any where in the Republic!. It only happened in Gabiley! This is a new frontier! The government hastily, hysterically, stamped the community of Gabiley Region Guilty by association with out any prove! This is a bad precedence! This is contrary to the call of Allah as quoted above! Where are we going!?
I am not laughing at all! Only a counterfeit Somalilander may laugh!

In a criminal case where lives were lost, the first order is to secure the crime scene and start collecting evidence with out prejudice and with open mind. Sabotage must not be ruled out! In criminal investigation you must not jump the gun!

Secondly a puffer zone must be established and if it was there it must be re-enforced to sepa rate the two contending communities to thwart revenge and save other lives. This did not ha ppened in Seemale! Absence of these precautions caused us more lives lost although we do n’t mention this at all!
This time it was from the other party which lost men. Their Properties destroyed, produce burned, live stock taken away and Ceel Bardaale community displaced! No mention of this as well!

No one from the government side or from those who jumped on the government wagon ackn owledged this escalation of events! The government thus far remains hysterical!
What a tangled web we weaved when first the government took the wrong way of solving this incident


Crises management

There is a right way and a wrong way to manage crisis
Crises by nature are messy business. Sometimes, they branch out from unforeseen events, and in retrospect some could have been predicted, but always they present a new challenge. Absent of knowledge and vigilance and cool heads makes solving or handling a given crises despondent

There are steps to carry out in order to properly manage crisis at hand
First:
the entity dealing with crisis should be prompt, addressing the public immediately following the discovery of the crisis, but must have the right information before they do that. Spur-of-the-moment is not the answer. Hysterical and haphazard in handling a given issue is counter productive and may produce an opposite effect!

Second:
that entity in question should maintain honesty because the public is more willing to forgive an honest mistake than a calculated impartiality, lies or deception!
The number one asset is TRUST. We must build and maintain trust with the concerned parties in conflict. Trust is based on full transparency

Third:
you must be upfront for the (right) information because the media as well as the public will create their own rumors if no reliable and on the fact and not on the emotion of the moment information is not given to them by the entity dealing the crisis.
Here the government of Somaliland turned the wheels of rumors where every body who hat es the other vented his poisonous propaganda and jumped on the government wagon!

It is important that the government cares, about all the victims of the crisis from all sides. The author believes they do. The government must never give the impression that the arbiter in impartial for they are the trusted arbiter!

Finally:
maintain two-way relationships. This is important because the government can learn a lot by listening from all sides. These steps are necessary in order to manage crisis in the right way. If you shut down one party you may never get the full story.

Communication to, and from all sides in disputes for example, is Key.
At minimum, balanced, fair, clear and immediate communication to all sides is the right answer.
Lack of fair, truthful and balanced information fuels anxiety rather than defuses it.

The very people the government would seek help and cooperation was detained, demeaned and demagogued! Communicating to those who are affected by the crisis is very important. I hope the government sets foot on the right way to solve this incident

Some crises are local, others are national. There is a right way and a wrong way to prevent or manage crisis. The differences must be clear to us. Spur-of the day emotions is counter productive and it does not do the desired job.
Peace and prayers for the Mother and my Allah support those who are safeguarding our sta bility and security. Let us be united in that front and other fronts of national significance.

The end