بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Somaliland Elections: A Western Temptation Sowing Seeds of Divisions and Tensions
By: Shabani Mwalimu
The Somaliland region went to the polls on 13th November, 2024. The National Election Commission declared Abdurrahman Mohamed Abdullah, leader of Somaliland’s opposition, as winner after garnering 64 percent of the vote, beating the incumbent, President Muse Bihi Abdi of the Kulmiye Party. Muse, who was seeking a second term after seven years in office, trailed badly with about 35 percent of the vote.
Commending on election, the international ‘partners’ mainly from Europe along with United States signed a joint statement immediately after the polls said: “The international partners commend the National Electoral Commission for conducting a transparent voter registration and candidate nomination process and for its going efforts to maintain independence …’ We wish to congratulate Somali landers for exercising their right to vote peacefully..” We stand ready to work alongside Somaliland to further strengthen Democracy and accountability for the future. [VOA]
The Newly Elected leader ‘Irro inherits a government with significant challenges including an unprecedented level of social polarization, tensions and an inter-clan conflict in regions like Sool in the eastern part of Somaliland. There’s also the issue of economy and high unemployment rate especially among the youth. Abdul Rahman, just like his predecessor, will be far go to protect his own interests and that of his henchmen. He has no solid policies to eradic poverty in the region. Furthermore,conducting perennial elections in Somaliland is non-other than attempts by the West in whipping emotions on changes to resuscitate it and hoodwink the people.
Prosperity in Somaliland and elsewhere in the world cannot be achieved by being recognized by the United Nations but by holding elections since these are vicious colonial policies that harm the people. It is through capitalist’s attempts that have plunged the entire Somalia and the rest of Muslim countries into perpetual conflict.Furthermore, the essence of Democratic elections are none other than a big business of the few elites who decide the law and policies of their parties. The window for Western intervention in Muslim lands, such as Somalia and its breakaway states such as Puntland and Somaliland, is democracy and ‘security concerns’
Apparently, Europe and America are still yearning for Somali since the cold war to date. During the partition of Africa by the Europeans between the period of 1884 and 1914, the Horn of Africa was one of the first regions in Africa to experience the imposition of Capitalism. Somalia and its territories are one of the very many countries that superpowers are fighting proxy wars to control the strategic maritime trade routes of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. In mid-2000, some of the Gulf States, other regional powers such Turkey, Iran, India and neighboring countries of Somalia such as Ethiopia and Kenya, have been dragged by the West to advance colonial agenda to Somalia. The struggle for power between Europe and America contributed to decades of civil war, secessionist movements and break away states.
As for America, it has not ceased yearning for the control in Somalia, that is, during the reign of Siad Barre (pro–American) which remained until 1991 when the armed clans removed him, flipping the balance in the America-British struggle in favor of Britain, where after America lost control and instability took hold. Britain moved quickly to its previous mandate (British Somaliland) and announced the establishment of the independent ‘Republic of Somaliland’ in the same year. The, pro- Western leaders in Somaliland and the rest of Somalia have given ‘rights’ to oil companies from France, the UK, the UAE, and China exploring its rich natural resources such as uranium, oil and natural gas. It is worthy to point out that the American plan is to fragment the country into regions and then encourage the energy laden areas to cede and fall in line with US interests. This bears strong resemblance to America’s plan to divide Sudan.
Located a along the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland is near the entrance to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a major sea-lane through which almost one-third of the world’s shipping passes. Its coastline has made it and neighboring Eritrea and Djibouti attractive partners for foreign governments looking for sea access and a maritime presence in the region. Djibouti has become a hub for foreign military bases; China, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States all have facilities in the country. Major foreign powers, including China, Russia, and the UAE have also increasingly courted Eritrea. The UK has already exploited Somaliland during the Protectorate era. It enriched itself with our strategic location and resources.
Like any other Muslim land, Somaliland will continue facing long standing problems which come as a result of loyalty of Muslim leaders to their Western masters. Many of the conflicts in the entire Muslim land are directly resulting from foreign influence and intervention. Islam has been in presence since the 7th century in the region; however, it is deeply disturbing to see people of Somalia and its entire regions being thrown into hands of corrupt capitalist regimes which continue sowing the seeds of divisions and tensions among its people.
Since the Muslim world is led by Western backed rulers, the ummah is in turmoil. And since there is no Khilafah "Caliphate" – an independent government then the crises in Somalia and the rest of the world will persist. It is when the Khilafah implements the divined laws, the affairs of the ummah will be resolved once and for all.
* Media Representative Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya