BAYDHABO Dec 15, 2000 (BP)- In response to the article: "How Shaatigaduud Squandered his 15 minutes of Fame"
This is to respond to an article entitled "How Shaatigaduud Squandered his 15 minutes of Fame" posted on Hiiraan Website dated December 15, 2000, in which the author expresses concern about recent steps taken by Hassan Mohamed Nuur "Shaatiguduud" leader of Rahanwein Resistance army (RRA) related to the recently concluded Arta Peace Conference.
Though, I doubt any damage has been done to his reputation as one of the outstanding politicians of this generation, a concern for truth and fairness prompts me to respond to the erroneous charges that have been raised against "Shatigaduud".
In the first half of his article, the author argues that "shaatiguduud" squandered his 15 minutes, and opted to the company of lesser men with no moral authority. On this point, it appears he simply has not done his homework.
The author's statement that "shaatiguduud squandered his 15 minutes, and is now in the precarious position of standing outside the big tent in the company of lesser men with no moral authority" is, at best, a gross exaggeration.
"Shaatigudud" attended Arta Peace Conference only after Digil and Mirifle delegation to the conference complained of the unwarranted intrusion into their political affairs. His mission has never been to seek cheap publicity or foster personal gain at the expense of his own people. Contrary to the author's assertion "Shatiguduud" shares a camp with men, such as Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal of Somaliland and Col. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed of Puntland, both leaders of entities with rational and legitimate interest to represent and it is highly absurd to equate "Shatigudud" with warlords, with no power base, such Aideed, Atto and Morgan, who want to maintain the status quo, and who are the embodiment of evil selfish interest and thrived for so long on shameful thuggery.
The author then claims that the RRA made a pact with Ethiopia. Before refuting this claim, I am compelled to draw the author's attention to his misuse of the term Pact, which seems misplaced in this context, because pact is a broad term that refers to an international agreement, such as the Nazi-Soviet pact in 1939.
To turn to the gist of the argument, Ethiopia's support for RRA was born out of self interest for its geo-political interest and RRA out of necessity grabbed the rope at its moment of drowning, when the Oromo Rebel Forces trained by Eritrea were shipped to Somalia and fought alongside alien invaders of RRA's ancestral land.
In here it is worth pointing out that, RRA would have liberated its territories without Ethiopia's help. In fact Hudur, the regional capital of Bakool was liberated in September 1998 without any foreign backing.
In the second part of his article, the author argues that "Shatiguduud" betrayed his "colleagues" and uses highly misplaced terms such as "radical right" and "natural liberal allies" as he was writing for Western readers, which in Somali context is laughable to say the least by the simple fact that there is no such thing as "radical right" and "natural liberal allies" in Somalia. (Somali politics has not yet matured into such ideological identification). One does not need much political ingenuity to work out where political identification in Somalia is to be found.
"Shatiguduud" betrayed none of the "colleagues" he listed, because none of them was a colleague of his, as they were all freelancers, with no mandate and political clout, unlike "Shatiguduud" who represented the whole population of one of the most important and legitimate entities in Southern Somalia and Somalia in general and has never shared a uniformity of interest with those he refers to as "his colleagues".
The author then asserts that "Shatiguduud" has lately caught the "federalist bug". This is an insult into not only "Shaatiguduud's" intelligence but to all Digil and Mirifle's intelligence. How can one refer to a concept pioneered and hard lobbied for by Digil and Mirifle as early as 1959, even before the birth of Somali state as a new phenomenon or as he put it "lately bug"?. It appears here again the author simply has not done his history lesson.
In the final part of his article the author borrows an old maxim that is totally irrelevant and is a purely hypothetical. May I remind the author that RRA is a not a surrogate for Ethiopia or any other foreign country. RRA is the embodiment of the struggle of a people longing for recognition of their rightful place in Somali politics. Like so many political movements in human history its name may change and replaced with another political organisation but the struggle it started will be everlasting.
Hassan Mohamed Nuur "Shaatiguduud" will forever be remembered as the man who led this struggle in its infancy.
by. Mohamed Haji Adow
London, England
I can be contacted at: tl8074@qmw.ac.uk
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