But Requires Solidarity Initiatives
By Abdirizak Yusuf Ismail
Executive Summary,
Somalia was a country devastated by civil war, interference, and terrorism close to three decades. The country experienced successive incidents of violence which demolished nation’s law and order system; millions suffered a situation without respect or disobedience to the rule of the society. The challenges that remain is going to take more time and much more effort: from finding the truth of discovering and revealing past wrongdoing and deep reconciliation that provides hope to resolving conflicts left over the past. To build sustainable peace and stability, reconcile victims, perpetrators and other stakeholders, and to move from a divided past into a shared future is a difficult task in almost any post-conflict situation where institutions tend to be weak. Lascanood has experienced sequences of aimed assassinations of distinguished individuals, including politicians, businessmen, civil societies and academics, estimating over 100 deaths since 2009. The triggered killing was well-known politician Abdifatah Hadrawi who was assassinated in December 2022.
Same as the previous murders the case of Hardawi never been detained to no one. While there were many killings without any kind of relevant cases to investigate which later lifted up the tension of Lascanood inhabitants and at the same come to pass unambiguous answers surrounding the perpetrators of the killings have remained untouchable and indescribable. In the aftermath of Hadrawi’s assassination, an aggravated Lascanood residents mostly women and students carried out protests to demanded justice on December 29, 2022.
About fifteen of the protesters were killed or seriously wounded when Somaliland police security opened fire on toward the civilians who were expressing their rights of expression. The demonstration became widely and more residents contributed afterward demanding justice and somehow shouting for self-determination as a state among other Somali republic federal member states for that sake the tensions grew Somaliland forces responded to Lascanood students and women throwing stones by firing live ammunition and has taken up positions for a defence foxholes outside the city directions to disrupted announcement shelling the city.
On account of indiscriminate shelling by Somaliland forces the whole city hospitals, mosques, public residents, gas stations and business markets which finally resulted more than 200 thousand residents to evacuate from their homes to remote area and other surrounding villages. An influx of solidarity to build regional movement and concern for justice and liberty started in every side of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions which shortly established 33 SSC interim leadership committee to organize SSC state building as well as to facilitate forces to defend and liberate the whole three regions and mainly to arrange positive negotiations with Somaliland administrations in order to resolve the conflict reasonable approach. The SSC interim leaders argued to Somaliland administration to pull out their troops from the city encompassing area to the region’s boarder-line. The Somali Federal government, United Nations Security Council and the International community contended repeatedly a ceasefire and promote inclusive, Somali-owned national dialogue. In spite of many assures of a ceasefire, indiscriminate shelling has continued, damaging key infrastructure including hospitals, electricity and water supply. By some estimates, the ongoing conflict has resulted in at least 165 dead, approximately 700 injure, and over 200,000 displaced from their homes. The fighting in Lascanood has haggard extensive international censure and increased regional alarm that the conflict may cause more civilian fatalities.
Possibility of Reconciliation
Regardless of any indications or expectations to the conflict settlement until now is without the major commitment and role of certain interconnected entities and establishments such as Federal government of Somalia, Somaliland Administration, Puntland Administration, traditional elders civil societies and international community. Religion wise and cultural of Somali tradition used to mitigate conflicts in a manner of impartiality and dispassionate regardless of the issue, but currently it appeared that many respectful observances have been decelerated because of personal interest of certain politicians. In other words, there’s no traditional clemency nowadays, and that’s why most of social and political conflicts in Somalia are hard to uncover of an immediate dispute resolution. A straight reconciliation is always values itself as an independent and mostly adhere socially constructed principles in a collective decision making and broad participation of community stakeholders in all stages.
According to the Lascanood conflict was evoked by a young students and women who were in opposition to demanding justice and subsequently appealing to autonomy and self-reliance for the reason that SSC regions are member of Somali Federal regions which is undeniable in accordance to Somalia history, map and constitution, even though Somaliland is member of Somali Republic but they claimed themselves as a independent nation since the civil war broke out in Somalia 1991 and no nation have recognized for their assert.
The Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions are located between Somaliland and Puntland administrations. Both administrations are situating the claim to the regions, But the majority of SSC inhabitants are distinguished the unity of Somalia and contend to be part a Federal member states of the nation. A good deal of comprehensible aspects in an appropriate reconciliation also wasn’t on the table or not be initiated independently yet, and that’s why no effective reconciliation and no rapprochement for long-term process to dispute the conflict and build understandable trust is presented so far. For the time being there is an incompatibility of goals between the two parties, which could lead to escalate rapidly the conflict and it may likely driven by third and more parties for their political interests as well as neighboring countries who perceive their interest inside the disagreement.
In actual facts the people of SSC and Somaliland are connected and close-knit descend of interrelated families. The majority of the population of both parties is likely to be aware of the potential for confrontation and disfiguring fatalities among same related families which is morally wrong and completely felt reprehensible manners. In order to shift into a peaceful life and to strengthen reconciliation in Lascanood it necessitates the promotion of peace, understanding the truth, forgiveness, national unity and the establishment of a culture respects for both SSC and Somaliland. To resolve wisely and accomplish it requires to determine independent initiatives and independent civil society committee combined by Somali scholars, traditional elders and clerics who first recover and documented the main reasons generated the conflict and at same time to eliminate act of prejudice, anti-Semitic and discrimination within societies and instead produce sustainable diverse environment for both parties with better perspective and finally to execute forum for forgiveness. Somalia is a nation with same culture, religion, and language, with the help of these natural ground roots and federal constitution article 1.3 “The sovereignty and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia is inviolable” thus, it’s obliged to determine a national cohesion platform which protects national exclusion against clan baselines conflict.
Reconciliation is crucial task to conduct in the case of Lascanood, however, the mediators have to maintain and institute a framework where the individual victims can talk about the grief, and the first procedure serves an important political agenda to convey the resolution because it assures that victim’s sufferings are acknowledged by the federal government, related administration and SSC leaders. The second procedure is when the reconciliation remains valid because it has been mandated officially by the above parties in order to recognize the significant of a full forgiveness for everyone it concerns. With the help of federal government, regional administration, clan leaders, religion men and civil society the mediators determine a consensus, agreement and forgiveness platform. Consequently; the positive procedures might provide a successful reconciliation (Consensus) with an initial recognition of the reality of the conflict between SSC regions and Somaliland administration and elimination accord for the negative relationship that may alarm levels with another outbreak of blood-spattered violence.
Recognition of the potential dangers in the continued presence of such a negative relationship and its threat to whole regions peace and security, a threat that was experienced, and prohibition of any kind of threats that may possibly deface the stateliness of the nation. Finally to achieve a recognition of the need for an earnest, serious collective effort to change the negative nature of the current relationship between the parties of the conflict, sub-clans and their community bases into one of a positive nature through the achievement of reconciliation
The Contentions
The majority of the SSC people weren’t deeply recognise the opinion that they were included or were a member of Somaliland, which was declared independence from Somalia since 1991. It’s obvious that many Somalis remain more loyal to their clans than to the ideas of a Somali national identity. Because of traditional concepts, Somalis are divided into clans which form the basis of organization in the country’s social structure. The sizeable of these clans are the major challenges getting defensive and reaction usually because of their inability to empathize with others and that become apparently in a huge disagreements such as misreading for the relative sharing values, discrete of nomad interests and structural conflicts. Structural conflicts are caused by oppressive patterns of human relationships. These decorations are often carried out by internal forces to the neighboring inhabitants in a quick promotion and encouragement of the dispute. The disputants also have enough reason to be in conflict other than the structural problem that is imposed on their relationship.
In context of Lascanood conflict there is a difference perspective to the both parties, SSC people adhered unity of Somalia is untouchable and must be respected, while the Somaliland administration didn’t accepted or give credence to the unity of Somalia anymore. Besides that Somaliland is longing to be a self-determination to stand as sovereign state in the Horn of Africa and at same time didn’t allow the wishes of SSC regions to declare loudly their rights to be part of Somalia. Actually, it’s
impossible to swallow the Somaliland conception in regards to rights of self-determination overall and the principles of freedom of expressions as well. Somaliland’s admonition is like do as I say, not as I do. It’s an acknowledgement that the Somaliland demands are nothing but deceit. They are acknowledging that their actions are in direct opposition to their words, and they are not upholding the standards that their demands from others by any means.
Aimed Discriminating Shelling
The Lascanood city has been in a state of high tension since the unprecedented scale of the Somaliland military deployment to the region give the impression an escalation of aggression, targeting not only the frontline but also civilian areas, including public interest centers and places of worships. In actual fact there are two dissimilar ideological phenomena that could easily cause unintended consequences such as the fight for using armed forces that was given brutal orders without discrimination. As witnessed those shelling was affected a crowded areas like market where many people were present, the main hospital in the city’s, mosques and mainly public residential.
In fact, the lascanood shelling from Somaliland forces deeply affects the basics of virtue, consequentialism and deontology ethics of conflict escalations. While: The International Community carried out to call many times to Somaliland president in concerning for the fight and mainly the hastily to halt the aimed indiscriminate shelling. Nonetheless the authority of Somaliland didn’t pay attention to take seriously action on ending the bombardment but instead they increased the shelling with non-selective areas. The international community still regards the region as part of Somalia, despite decades of lobbying by regional officials on the foreign scene. Lamentably; a joint call was conducted on April 17, 2023 between President Bihi and 15 international partners, including the European Union, the United States, Turkey and the UK, noted that the ongoing conflict and lack of clarity on delayed elections are seriously affecting discussions about their engagement with Somaliland. Afterwards the 15 International partners urged Somaliland to withdraw its forces from Lascanood, and appealed to create conditions for a ceasefire and dialogue. The statement also stated the importance to allow for unhindered humanitarian access in the city as well.
Additionally, On April 20, Amnesty International issued publicly the findings of their investigation into the ongoing conflict, concluding that Somaliland forces indiscriminately shelled the town, damaged hospitals, schools and mosques and displaced tens of thousands of people. Undoubtedly the lascaanood shelling negatively and skeptically affected Somaliland administration positioning as a self-governing and their self-determination campaign.
Conclusion
The goal and the objectives of the Lascanood conflict is not a material profit, but a comprehensive understanding of the general sphere of the society, history, geo-political, environment, culture, and even current Somalia political situation as well as the Unity.
The strategy of the independent reconciliation in the civil society can be for changing and influencing the whole society, or for practicing a parallel life-style to whatever traditional culture in their very society. The neutral committee from both sides and federal government is the best mediator between the different social fabrics to enhance the dialogue and coexistence on the governmental level, other authority institutions, and even on the political parties and political institutions. Beside of our outlook and in preference to different opinions from a neutral individuals who are not associated with both parties of the conflict suggested with a view to settle down the situation is; To haul an immediate and unconditional ceasefire from the both parties, provide a reasonable environment to hold neutral dialogue and independent, Somaliland Administration pull out all their army forces out of SSC territories. Ultimately to allow the people of SSC’s to choose, decide, and pronounce their rights to be a part of the Federal Republic of Somalia as a Federal member state. Based on a non-sectarian, non-racist, non-regionalist, non-political, or nonreligious basis, those institutions have wider unbiased concepts of tolerance, non-initiation of violence, and adherence to strong national identity. Those peaceful approaches evolve from the being voluntary formations, which don’t have political greed. Comprehensibly; the neutral independent committee are very credible basis for finding sustainable reconciliation, righteous civil culture with concepts of acceptance of the others and fruitful dialogue between SSC and Somaliland society to reach a common ground. Eventually; the establishing a neutral independent committee is crucial to resolve and arbitrate wisely the disagreements of both sides. For sure they have many advantages that may enable them to play an effective role in portraying a positive image for citizenship and national unity, as follows
