By Abdirahman Mohamed Dirye
I’ve read what seems to be news “Somaliland-is turkey Wadani andvilla Somalia-Tripartite-Alliance Brewing Mischief” but looking into it, I found out it was mere propaganda and character assassination against our Speaker of Parliament, the highest body of the government. In fact, it was slander against a man of political integrity. Somalilandtoday.com ran the article as well but I got it for its motivation, as it’s the mouthpiece of the struggling regime whose party lost political support base. The individuals’ motivation to attack Mr. Irro, having common consanguinity, may vary, but their view on him “as otherness” remained the same. But why Jamhuriya and its clannish affiliates fell to the trap and made a character assassination to a man they resort to whenever their amateur clannish staffs are thrown into cockroaches-infested prisons for slander—I think the arrest without due process is wrong. Let’s give the benefit of doubt to the clannish laymen who falsely accused Abdirahman Abdilahi Irro of toppling Somaliland by simply meeting with Somalia’s president and Djibouti Foreign Chief and assume Mr. Irro met them, but how does a meeting with someone topple Somaliland? I can’t fathom and you either. Is Somaliland so fragile? If so, let it be then.
The Speaker was on medical trip in Turkey, but allowing the political pessimists’ perspective, of what basis the meeting can be wrong or right in regard to Pres. Silanyo? The lie, slandering article was motivated nothing by hatred and perception that Mr. Irro is going to win any elections because of his comprehensive social policies.
The country is in diplomatic crisis. Britain’s sent letter to the Guurti said they’ve stick to the timeline of the elections, and respect the NEC. The disappointment UK shown towards Silanyo-headed- regime proved Ali Guray’s claim that Somaliland’s ties with the rest of the world become thinner and thinner, and will immediately cut off if elections are delayed based on scenario of Silanyo’s Qaxo tactics. If Guurtis’s hands are lubricated to commit illegal extension then Somaliland enter an “honey” ocean. There’re plenty stories for the media to write about rather attacking a man of gentlemanlike versatility, of high caliber. He handles explosive situations with dexterity. Any disrespect of his charismatic leadership causes people to rush to his party. The more media fabrications about him, the more undecided voters flood to his camp.
On the other hand, though the gathering wasn’t confirmed so far, let’s assume it happened for the sake of argument. It can a blessing in disguise because story of the said conference reminded me of the successful story published by Sharqal Awsat about trilateral meeting among Abdirahman “Tuur, the late president, General Farah Aydid, and Omer Jess of SPM that led the ouster of Dictator Siyad Barre with less casualties and completely liberated Somaliland. Surely, without the former’s finesse, Somaliland could be under slavery oppression today. Pres. Silanyo would have lip service and rhetoric interview with BBC to uplift the morale of the masses with surrendering-eyes because Somalia’s tanks were not sparing anyone except cowards who fled to London and changed their accent to more soft womanly Southern Somalia to hide their identity from Somali embassy in London for overwhelming fear . I know we’re not that appreciative of him for clannish purposes, neither Waji Xun nor Cadaani would come back from the State and look for diamond in the wilderness but our liberator did a great job before he naturally died RIP and he deserves golden statue.
Less than a month or so, Kenya TV repeated the accusation that Somaliland is “ …safe haven for terrorists who operate in the east soil to cause mayhem in the rest of Somalia”, but the yellow papers are engaged in character assassination in furthering their dirty clan politics unwittingly damaging Somaliland’s social coherence and opening the gates of hell. Or they mayn’t understand spoken English in TVs, therefore, unaware of the regional media campaign against Kulmiye-led government in order to remove.
However, these tabloids fall silent whenever Pres. Silanyo meet his counterpart of Somalia and other officials, in contrast, they congratulate him for doing so! But their terrorizing, intimidating behavior says, “ Muse Bihi, and Bihi Yonis both can meet with Somalia dignitaries, but Abdirahman Abdilahi Irro and Eng. Faysal Ali Warabi are the exceptions!” why are they excluded to meet any official of any independent country including Somalia if they want to ? Wadanni political supporters who encounter intimidation in the workplace realized even before tabloids published these lies that questioning the health status of the ailing president with dementia and whether the former waitress is qualified to write, edit, and publish press releases to an audience of English speaking world are forbidden by law.
Is the meeting with Somalia’s officials became a privilege to certain tribes after president assumed office, or are you underestimating your readers’ intelligence! Shame on you with your biased coverage of the events, but the readers no longer believe in you.
But making such nonsensical crap to score points off the mostly widely popular leader; the next president perhaps, will reinforce Simon Alison article’s argument that “There are a lot of problems with the media itself. There is a lack of ethics and education”. No one, not even representatives of the Somaliland Journalists Association, would deny that Somaliland’s press corps is not always the most ethical” he added, this fabricated story is dangerous slander that would harm the social cohesion of the living-together communities that ran out of patience with overtaxing regime that rob, rob, and steal their money. Almost of 90 percent of Hirsi’s declarations are collecting Zakat in parallel to levying taxes across the country or income-generating enterprises for few greedy individuals.
Abdirahman Abdilahi Irro has been a victim of hatred, and misrepresentation in media formed in the climate of clannish warfare. He just not tolerated hearsay stories about him, but respected anybody’s view notwithstanding bad or good, but this one though still not responded, but it has crossed all lines of decency. And must be shredded as it has no foundation whatsoever.
These unsubstantiated stories, half-truths, and mere naked lies though dustbin fodder can be incitements for clannish hostilities in conflict-prone Somaliland and have to stop for good. “Or even the most factual. Gossip sells, as does slander, and there’s plenty of that going round” Simon stated, but it’s quite true in the light of the yellow journalism that embrace every story that seem saleable; it’s unethical, and “Un-Islamic” to level charges against someone simply because he disagrees you with on many points.
Somaliland Political Commentator, mrdirye@gmail.com
