The mental

colonized nation Somalia

By:

Ahmed Ibrahim

Before the era of colonialism, were the Somalis was pastoralists society where they historically
used to live an area about 1 044 000 km sq. under the Abyssinian empire territory also known as
Ethiopia today, which had been ruling the east and the horn of Africa in the earlier 10 th century
until in the late of 19th century. The particular land of Somalis was said to belong to Allah and
not the people living on it. This opened the entire Somali region to every Somali regardless
his/her clan. After the European colonial powers came to the region in the earlier 19th century,
The Somali region was divided among three European powers, Italy, France, and Great Britain
and one African emperor Abyssinia Empire (today known as Ethiopia).

The Somali region had been divided into two main parts, south and north. The southern part of
Somali region was under the Italian protectorate, while the north part of Somali region was under
the British protectorate, and bit of western part was under the French protectorate. After they
have been ruling the region for long period of time, they impose their rules and regulations on
the region and they issued visas and required all Somalis to carry identification cards as British,
Italian and French subjects, in order to travel between the different Somali-inhabited colonial
territories. On the ID card they identified the person by his name and after it the name of his clan.
They also planted with their clear minds with the old European concept which invented 366
years ago in the Treaty of Westphalia, that concept is sovereignty" which later makes them
isolated society. Before the boundaries between the Somali region, every Somalis has the rights
to go anywhere in Somalia. They were travelling across the whole region in order to seek water
and grass for their flocks that their lives were relied on; no one has been asked any visas or travel
documents as we are now. They have been never experiencing severe droughts; inter conflict and
civil wars based on political and sovereignty issues. Then the British who has been ruling the
northern part of Somali region gave away a bit of northern region to Ethiopia in order to make
Ethiopia pleasant. Once again one society had been divided into two parts under two different
rules (Great Britain and Ethiopia).

However In 1945 one-fifth of the world was still under British sovereignty and 780 million
people throughout the globe lived under European colonialism.

After World War II the western powers including United States provide a blueprint policy in
order to declare that all peoples have a right to self-determination.

The wind of decolonization started from Asian region through Africa continent and eventually
reaches the creamy land of Somalis in the mid of 1960s. Initially the British Somaliland gained
its independence in 26 June 1960. Following that year the Italian Somaliland gained its
independence after four days in 1july 1960, while the other two parts west and part of northern
Somali regions remains the hands of colonial (French and Ethiopia).
In 1 July 1960 was historical and remarkable day of Somalis because the reunited of Somali
society who have been separated and isolated for decades was finally reviving.

The two main parts of Somali region reunited again with cherish and love with one another but
yet the missing of the two other parts still remains the hands of colonial ( French and Abyssinia)
are in their minds and hearts.

The two regions (southern and northern) reunited and form the independent Somali republican
under a civilian government leading by R.I.P Aden Abdulla Osman who elected to be the first
president of Somalia. After 7years of his tenure R.I.P abdirashiid Ali Sharmarke won to be the
second Somalia president on June 10 1967. On October 15 1969 Mr. Sharmarke has been
assassinated by one of his own bodyguards. Following that month six days after his funeral a
military coup led by major general Mohamed said barre who at the time commanded the army
seized the civilian government and the power without come across armed opposition- basically a
bloodless overtaken.

The first ten years of his tenure he implanted a lot of policies towards the neighbor countries
especially Ethiopia in order to get back the Somali region under the Ethiopian power. But those
policies brought Somalia into a sorrow and Dark Age. Because I think the only thing that one
Somali young student deserve to get from his government at the time, was not that his
government is busy for territorial disputes rather than providing him essential living standards.

Ethiopia was the home of 70 million (over 90 million today) landlocked people, while Somalia
had the longest coast in Africa.
The Somalia president has met his counterpart from Ethiopia so many times at round table to
discuss with him the sovereignty and territorial disputes rather than economy issues. Why they
didnt discuss and focus something relating economic growth, if they were cooperate and
significantly enhance their economic growth, Im pretty sure hundreds of thousands of Somalis
and Ethiopians would be rescued from poverty. Whats morally important? Rescuing thousands
from poverty or waste a time for quarreling over bits of territory

But regrettably they were a military and the only thing that were in their minds was a war and
tension between them, nothing else that.
If they were intellectuals or MBAs holders they would only highlighted and focused to discuss
something profitable for their nations. Because if MBAs comes together at round table the only
thing that they will discuss would be a business rather than a war, but if military generals and
commanders comes together at round table the only thing that they will discuss would be a war
rather than a business or economy issues.

Unfortunately the overwhelming discussions between the two leaders led the two nations a war
in 1977 until 1978. And the reviving and enlightening future of Somalia goes back to sovereignty
issues based on clans

Today Somalia is a nation with more than a ten different systems is effectively running, and
Somalia reaches a peak of where every clan among Somalis claim sovereignty based on their
clans, different borders with one another, and different unrecognized visas and travel documents.
While European have moved on from the notion of sovereignty and indeed given up a significant
amount of sovereignty regional organization, the Somalis have not followed suit. Indeed as Prof
Kishore mahbubani said his book the great convergence

European has reached a new peak of civilized behavior by achieving zero prospect of war
between any two European states

But I would say there is a 100 prospect of war between any two Somali states now; the simple
reason proves that is whats going on puntland and galmudug today. This is the serious question
we need to ask ourselves as Somalis is why they remains mentally colonized by a European
concept of sovereignty.

As Somalis we have been politically decolonized since 1960 but our minds remains mentally
colonized by the European concept of sovereignty.

When one major big country with one race, one religion, one tradition, and also one language,
ignored to be unite and focus their integrated business and economic opportunities in their
country and instead focus on sovereignty claims between them and being isolated.

The only question that the rest of the world will ask as they watch Somalia is,

Can really Somalis think?....