Is Isaaqland tenable?

The answer is no. No one clan can peacefully run a government while oppressing others that live in the country and share common interest. The current Somaliland government has already alienated non Isaaq clans by simply imposing a Diaspora government dominated by Diaspora Isaaqs.

Many of the newly nominated ministries have little knowledge of the situation on the ground in Somaliland and have been recruited by the newly elected president simply to reward the Diaspora who contributed to the election victory in June 26, 2010.

This ambiguous election was an orchestrated one where the poor, the young and women in Somaliland were overwhelmed by media campaigns as well as foreign NGO’s who clearly sided with Silaanyo to depose the then incumbent president, Riyale.

Somaliland people were intimidated during the election to such extent that Kulmiye party spread rumours that if Silanyo was not given the chance to run the country for a term, then a civil war started by the people of Eastern Burao and Gebiley would happen. The card of Isaaq brotherhood was used to get the emotions of the majority inhabitants in Somaliland to get majority votes for Kulmiye.

Another bizarre thing about the election was that out of the 1.1 million registered voters only 560,000 turned out for ballots on the Election Day. People were kept waiting for longer hours to cast votes and the number of ballot stations were not enough for the masses who wanted to cast their votes. The population of Somaliland is estimated to be 3.5 million.

Suddenly, international observers who clearly wanted change in Somaliland government declared that the “voting was fair and free “, therefore, eliminating any chance of argument by the then incumbent government about the voting process.

Whatever that has happened in the elections of Somaliland in June 2010 seems to be an organised conspiracy that will one day be uncovered.

The tragedy is that Somaliland unity in now in jeopardy and both Awdal and Sool regions may break away leaving the Isaaqs to fight each other over the remainder of Somaliland.