Will Somalia lead the rest of Africa towards a revolution?
(c) D. Afrika
This is an interview with the Chair Osman Abokor and Vice Chair Ali Sharif Ahmed of a new political party in Somalia called Hanoolaato. This party is getting a lot of exposure lately and I wanted to know what this was all about so I went and interviewed the two highest members in the hope of getting more information about what the party stands for and what their plans are for the future.
How did Hanoolaato come about?
Osman Abokor:
Somalia got their independence in 1960. In 1969 a coupe happened on the existing government and in the early 1980’s Somalia was economically very well developed and its army and education were very high. When they saw that Somalia was doing very well, foreign countries were not happy and helped resource the opposition to bring down the government and Somalia has not been the same since. It has been in turmoil and civil war for 20 odd years. Ethiopia has since been meddling with Somalia’s politics by supporting the opposition of each government that comes into power ever since 1991. A lot of people have dispersed and moved away from Somalia and this has made it easier for Ethiopia to try and invade Somalia in January 2007. That’s when the Somali people woke up and realised that their country would be taken over if they didn’t come into action. That’s when a group of us started thinking about what we could do for our country. And on 26th of April 2008 young Somali UK residents came together in London and they decided to put together a group called Hanoolaato. The first Somali Nationalist party post Somalia’s independence.
What is the overall message of Hanoolaato?
Ali Sharif Ahmed:
Ali Shariif Ahmed
To stop the further disintegration and destruction of our country and to look for a solution to our common problem and we need unity to make this happen. Unity is the medicine for our decease and a new state needs to be set up upon this. This will give the people of Somalia peace and security. When you have unity then all the wrongs will be made right through a fair and justice system. Division causes weakness and we are currently all divided and scattered around the globe so we need to unite to solve all our problems.
How are you looking to bring the message of Hanoolaato across to the Somali people and what steps have you taken since the beginning of 2008?
Osman Abokor:
When we just started in April 2008 we thought that the challenges would be many because Somalia had defragmented like a hammer that has hit a rock into million pieces. So our question was how do we glue the defragmented pieces back together? This mission seemed impossible but we have proven it to be possible. The division that separated Somali people was not as clear cut but invisible and deeply rooted in heritage as all Somali people come from the same father and mother when you look back in to their history. Somali people look at two things; firstly, is your message sincere and are you sincere too? And second why are you interested in this leadership position, is it status, wealth or power? And we have shown that we are not interested in such things and are sincere people who have a genuine message and have ikhlaq, which means good intentions in Arabic. For example you need to have ikhlaq before you pray so that when you pray your prayers are accepted and deemed good. We now have 18 Hanoolaato representatives in all the areas/ regions of Somalia and in the Diaspora we have representatives from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India all the way to Europe and North America. We want to bring our message across by creating real brotherhood between all young Somali people everywhere around the world so that they can come together to help in our cause as this is their future and their future is in their own hands. And women are playing a big key in this change as they are as valuable if not more than their male counterparts and we want to create a platform so that they can help their country as well.
How long will the process be, before change is visible?
Ali Sharif Ahmed:
That is a very difficult question to answer and it depends on a lot of factors. The first one being Hanoolaato and the second one are outside influences, which impact our (Somalia’s) development. For example, the current turmoil and other countries’ interference and their resources that are put into the country to help either the government or their opposition. But what I do know for a fact is that if our country keeps on being the way it is, change will be the only optionand will come very soon indeed. In 2008 we were not thinking that we were going to be as far as we are today in 2010. When we look at the potential and the intelligence of the Somali people inside and outside the country, I will not be able to give you an exact date, but I think change is coming very soon. We might not see it in our lifetime but we need to set up a system, which can be easily taken over and carried on by the next generations to come. And in a few years time we are hoping that we can make the current soldiers or fighters put down their weapons and pick up a skill that can bring food on the table for their families and sign a peace agreement through unity and brotherhood brought to the forefront by Hanoolaato.
What are Hanoolaato’s strategic plans for change?
Osman Abokor:
Osman Abokor
When we started the plans for change were seen as mission impossible but today these same plans seem to be more tangible and reachable. We can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel. We are seeing that the youth are becoming more involved with the situation in their home country and we are also seeing that the enemy is getting weaker and our collective willpower is getting stronger. It is like when rain is coming you can smell it in the air and see the clouds darken but you can still not time it exactly, but we feel that change is near. A lot of positive things are happening and change needs to come from the hearts and minds of our youth who need to come together as a strong force and make change happen. The plans for this year are to bring Hanoolaato to a district level from its original regional approach at which it has succeeded. We are looking to branch out and have 60 branches in the UK alone and then branch out worldwide. In the next two years we are hoping to have around 300 branches worldwide. We are looking to have a convention this year to lay down the rules and regulations of our party and our five-year plan. Before anyone does anything we need to move on from the past and work towards the future.
What will happen to the “old crowd” that is currently in power after the social revolution?
Osman/Ali:
A lot of people think that the current people in power are very strong people and that no one is able to replace them or remove them from power but this has been proven in the past to be wrong. And all you have to do is look back in history at the Islamic Court Union and the way they were taken out of power. The people came together and stood up against them and said that they are not willing to be lead by these people. So the key to the removal of the current people in power is to have a social revolution. For example Lenin was asked before the Russian revolution how he intended on bringing down the Tsar monarchy that was ruling the country, as they were as strong as a wall. His answer was simple, that yes they are strong as a wall but underneath that wall is soft sand, so by removing that sand they will no longer be able to stand and the wall will be easy to bring down. So we believe that by creating nationalism and brotherhood the people will come together and create a revolution to bring a righteous system into place and people into power who are going to make change happen and finally benefit their people. As the current people in power have not done anything tangible that has benefited their own people. But I want to emphasise that the revolution has to be and will be a peaceful one. We are not about force or violence as we believe that Somalia has seen too much of that. We want for our people to love each other and their country and a peaceful revolution is the way to create this and our example is the revolution that occurred in Iran.
How are you planning to counteract the foreign interest and input in Somalia? Because as you are aware, the current regime and its predecessors only benefited from their positions due to foreign money and weaponry input into the country. And this foreign interest is increasing as the days go on.
Ali Sharif Ahmed:
There are two types of foreign interest in Somalia, the first one being ‘the West’ (ie America and European countries) and their aid given in the form of money to the government directly and not its people and the Western countries backing to help secure the country and safeguard themselves from terrorism etc. The second is foreign interest coming from neighbouring African countries that have a strategic interest in Somalia. The ways that we are looking to tackle this problem is: 1) We have to let the Western countries know that we have the solution to their problems and that they will not have to fear from threats to their safety coming from Somalia. And that we represent our people and that their input is not needed as Somalia is capable of managing its own affairs and capable people are running the country. 2) With the neighbouring countries interest and interference in Somalia we can deal more easily as all we have to do is make the Somali people aware that they are being used for foreign negative agendas. And that their benefit lies more with their own people and by creating this nationalism, outside influences will not be able to manipulate the Somali people.
Osman Abokor:
And to add to this, Somalia can be made self-sustainable. Economically it can thrive on its own resources. We do not need outside input as long as we can connect internally throughout the whole of Somalia. We should take as an example Sudan which in 1991 thrived on international aid as 80% of their income into the country and after realising that this was not helping their own country they cut it down significantly and are relying more on their own natural resources now. Somalia can do the same, as it is rich on natural minerals, oils and home-grown produce, livestock and seafood as we have the longest coastal line of the whole of Africa. What is also proven is Somali people are very business orientated and have been able to set up businesses all around the continent and the world, so why cant they do the same thing in Somalia to help the countries current business sector. We also believe that a good work ethic needs to be implemented in Somalia, as the current working hours are only 4 hours. This needs to be increased to 8 hours or more, and things that are preventing this currently, such as khat, need to be taxed heavily so that neighbouring countries and people who are currently benefiting from the import and export of khat will not be able to make a profit anymore.
My last question is a controversial one:
Do you think Somalia can be a role model for the whole of Africa when the social revolution comes about? And will the rest of Africa follow in its footsteps?
Osman Abokor:
That’s hard to tell but someone we spoke to in Kenya once said that if Somalia changes and shows that through its people it can rule the country equally and fair then the people in other African countries will want to do the same and it will not be long after for Africa to follow in Somalia’s footsteps. The strength of skills that the Somali Diaspora has is very high and they are entrepreneurs by nature, so if they bring all this back and invest in their country Somalia will thrive. We need to have the same vision as the Jewish people have for Israel. Wherever the Jewish people are in the world they are still thinking about their home country and rebuilding it and sending money and investing in the people who live there. Somalia is the only homogeneous country in Africa that speaks the same language and has a state. We need to use this to our benefit and all our connections to our own country’s advantage. And you can quote me on this; “I SEE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOMALIA AND IF WE WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR PEOPLE AND NATION THEN SOMALIA WILL LEAD AFRICA BY 2022″.
Appeal by Ali Sharif Ahmed to the youth of Somalia wherever they are in the world:
“You have every reason to be sceptical, and to distrust us but you have two choices: 1) you can either disconnect yourself from anything that is Somali and not care or 2) you can come together and take steps to help your country as it needs you. There is a platform for you so please join Hanoolaato and bring your ideas forward.”
So there you have it Somali ladies and gentlemen of the Diaspora, you have been given two clear choices, but which one will you take? And are you as spirited as Hanoolaato about Somalia’s progress to success in the near future and what part are you willing to play in this? I wish these gentlemen the best of luck because any good intentions and actions for Somalia are very welcome indeed.
By S.Abdullahi
Editor
