The Laascaanood war is slowly revealing the deep rooted clan fractures and the breakdown of law and order in Somaliland, from a promoted peaceful oasis to a region on the brink of disintegration. Laascaanood for all intent and purposes has been the glue that was holding Somaliland together. And the glue was not built on clan consensus, but on military might and intimidation. With that glue coming undone at the seams, the deep rooted intra Isaaq clan fractures is once again out in the open for all to see, and perhaps predict where it may lead to. And the rupture is once again between the Garxajis group of clans, the most dominant clan in the region, and the Habar-Awal/Habar-Jeclo alliance.
The 1994 deadly civil war between the two clan groupings, but initiated and led by the Somaliland government, hasn’t been forgotten by the defeated Garxajis clan. Indeed the war never ended, rather it has turned into a silent but a deadly war that raged in the Ceel Afweyn area. The silent war also raged in Hargeisa and Burco, but in this arena, the Somaliland police and intelligence hunted down any Garxajis, young, old, male or female, that was suspected of engaging counter Kulmiye Party activities. They were shot on sight, and if not shot, they were thrown in jail. There are so many wounded Garxajis youth in Turkey and in India that clan fundraising activities to take care of their hospital bills are often shared on online clan forums.
This raging Somaliland civil war was not allowed to be discussed in public, and never in Hargeisa, Berbera or Burco. And if anyone dared, it was assured they will never see the light of day.
And then the Laascaanood war all of a sudden changed the political mood in Hargeisa and Burco, and in particular the repressed Garxajis youth. The youth, supporting the Laascaanood uprising, came out in the open and revealed their clan suffering under President Muse Bihi, often on online group chats and Facebook talk-shows.
With Somaliland youth uprising in full swing and the army engaged in Laascaanood, Hargeisa politicians are now daring to talk about the silent civil war that is raging in Hargeisa and in and around Ceel Afweyn. MP Caanoboodhe Jama Ahmed is the latest to speak out in the open.
On his Facebook page, the MP Caanoboodhe posted the following: “The wisdom that led us to the 1994 deadly civil war is still the same and hasn’t improved. The politicians that wrecked havoc between us and were responsible for the bloodshed are still leading us. And the divisions between the same public that fought each other then are today deeper than ever before. Now that you are wondering about Laascaanood, have you ever thought about the possibility of fleeing from Burco and Hargeisa? The outlook in Somaliland doesn’t bode well. May Allah protect us.”
Of course, the 1994 deadly war the MP is referring to was the bitter war between Habar Awal/Habar Jeclo alliance against the Garxajis, and led by then Interior Minister Muse Bihi, now President Muse Bihi of Somaliland. The MP reminds everyone that nothing has changed for the Garxajis clan, and that year 2023 is still year 1994.
MP Caanoboodhe concludes not to expect much from Somaliland MPs, but to expect everything else, and to be ready for a worst case scenario, as “law and order has broken down in Somaliland.”
Daljir Media | Somalia
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