Can somaliland become an independent state?

continued from part 4.
The wisdom is that since we are not perfect, we commit mistakes that lead to our national problems. And we cannot solve our problems until we admit and identify our mistakes relevantly. In this sixth part, I will investigate the case of Somaliland’s independence from economical perspective.
To begin with my personal observation, I have been in Hargaisa in 2004 for two days transit. In this opportunity, I have benefited to conduct a quick sample survey economically, socially and politically. One of the several misconducts I have observed was that the very few employees in either private business or public offices work only 3 hours out of 24 hours in their workday. They routinely wake up at 9:00 AM from their night sleep, and reach their offices at 11:00 AM. However, as the clock is about to progress (knock) at 11: 45 AM, an aircraft carrying sacks of narcotic drugs known as “Qaad” would land in. Eventually, everybody would leave the job for the day and harry up to pick up bundles of Qaad from the market. Some men may receive it from the airport as they may not even rely on the market. At 1:00 pm, they would have their lunch, and immediately sit down for chewing Qaad until mid-night, if not late night. Now the question is, if hundreds of industries for various products are installed in Somaliland, who will run them? With its cultural phenomenon, can any investment make Somaliland progressed? How such a region with a less population, who are idle and happy-go-lucky, can become an independent state? Even if they are recognized as an independent, how can they maintain their own livelihoods and good governance, and then, what could happen?

More shockingly, in the 3 hours in work places, they perform no practical job, but engage in talking vainly, joking around, casting sarcasms, socializing, information exchange, insulting each other, swearing, and so on and so forth. In fact, this weird culture is not limited to Somaliland, but also became common in the Southern part of the country. I remember myself suggesting the increase of the country’s legal working hours up to 10 hours per day as I was the Director General for the Ministry of Environment in 2001, in Mogadishu, but saw myself under huge attacks from all corners. It is worth to note that we, Somalis, regardless of which state, have been consumers and not producers since the collapse of our central government. Simply, we have been talkative, unkind, ungrateful, and intolerant, and good for nothing, but bad for everything. Perhaps, some Somalis (both Southerners and Westerners) believe that they are so special and disserve to be given charity (the people’s dirties – awsaakhu Naas). Many of us do not even know where a given country’s wealth comes from. At this moment, let’s bear in minds that a given nation’s wealth comes from natural resources which can be harvested and sold to those who want them. Wealth also comes from material that can be changed into something more valuable through proper application of knowledge, skill, labour, technology, and equipment. At this conclusion, we can learn that there are, at least, 2 ways to generate wealth. Harvesting natural resources and improving resources through knowledge and labour. Both need active, creative, and workaholic people; not qaad-aholics and talk-aholics.
Hammering the point, today, if somebody wants to construct an ordinary residential house in the area, he or she should hire somebody from the Southern Somalia (probably Sankadhuudhi) or from Ethiopia (Arko). Frankly speaking, if you live in Somaliland, you have one of two options to survive; either to be hardworking person who knows his personal interest, but accepts to live in isolation from the society and scapegoat. In this situation, you will be badly undermined and insulted constantly, but you will financially survive. Otherwise, you will remain as a well-respected person, but broke living with scrounge (shaxaad). For more clarification, a few people who do social services therein are labelled as low-caste families and nobody would accept their interaction, leave alone to have marriage intermingling with them. For instance, hairdressers are called “Raisle”, shoe repairers are called “kabo-tole”, furniture repairers are called “tummaal”, fishers are called “Jaaji”, construction workers are called “fuundi”, etc. All these names express how these people are despised. Any kind of job you may try is disgusted and underestimated by the community, except if you make money through hypnotism or grafting public property. Even if you sell vegetable you are among the low-caste people, but if you sell Qaad drugs, you are well-respected (but, in this case, you should lend then when they are broke. Otherwise you will go under one of those categories; most probably you will be called Midgaan because you are scrooge according to their definition). If you say this is my personal property, you will be called “midgaan’ and you will suffer from the harshest discrimination against you. Indeed, all these illicit behaviours are also available in the Southern part of the country, but originated from the North and Middle regions (where I was born). In the South, they are not even a big issue and abundant as in the North. Now, the question is, what about if Somalia divorces Somaliland by recognizing her as an independent country, but closes the land, marine and border between the two states, while the same action is taken by Djibouti? Can Somalilanders survive? I doubt!
One outstanding fact is that people usually emigrate from the Northern regions of Somalia to the Southern for living. Please let’s remember the history and connect it to our present situation. Not less than 50% of the houses in Mogadishu are owned by Somalilanders, and many of them still live therein despite the continuous wars and unrest.    
Referring to the above concern, surprisingly, drug-addiction affects our people’s behavior of hard-working and work-ethics in a way that it does not affect other nations. For instance, if you look closely at the streets in one of the downtowns of any other country (Non-Muslims particularly for this example) on a Friday evening until Saturday afternoon, you will find a large number of people roaming around. Some are going to nigh-clubs, bars, drinking wine, and dancing, while other may be going for shopping, visiting or just wandering here and there for fun. However, by Sunday afternoon, you will find all those streets and bars empty. Everybody is in his or her apartment, getting ready for Monday - working day. Nevertheless, if a Somali person is an addicted to drug, he or she cannot work at all. Moreover, such a drug-addicted person will be distractive rug-tough who could cause a complete distraction to the entire nation. What a naïve nation are we?
In short, if a country consumes everything it produces it creates no wealth; if a country consumes more than it produces it is poor; if a country does not produce but consumes it is not only dependent, but parasite over other human beings. Thus, who wants to welcome parasites one after another? Only countries that have a surplus are wealthy.
Almost everybody with sense knows the objectives behind the separation and severance declared by Somaliland; that is nothing but to engage in begging the World Bank, USA, EU, Arab League, and other donors. Unfortunately, the world is not ready to accommodate anymore beggars – enough is enough. That is why all the countries in the globe are reluctant to address the issue of recognising new poor state. To be continued, follow the next part; part 6.

Qasim Hirsi Farah
Former Presidential Candidate for Somalia, 2004.