Ethiopia-Somalia : Don’t burn my flag
The ABC of Politics for Somali Nationalists July 25, 2006
By Yared Tibebu*
August 4, 2006 — On Monday July 24, 2006 the western media reported about the flag burning demonstration that was held in Mogadishu. The burnt flag was that of my beloved country Ethiopia. Who is to blame and who is to take advantage of such actions? It is a fact that Ethiopia’s minority rule that invaded neighboring Somalia has contributed to the rage and hatred to the Ethiopian flag. What is intriguing is also that, the Meles regime will use such rage and flag burning to raise nationalist sentiment in Ethiopia, and to gain strength from its present isolated position. The Meles regime is trying to portray the ICC as a Jihadist force that has territorial claim over Ethiopia, and Sheik Aweys’ utterance to that effect is exploited in the Ethiopian government media.
Be it the ICC or any future Somalia state has to give up on the territorial claims over neighboring states and allow local political forces to struggle for the self determination rights of the Somali community who reside in Ethiopia and Kenya. Territorial claim over a sovereign state will only awaken strong national sentiments in the claimed state, and the rights of the local population will be trampled more by the rise of such over-riding national sentiments. And Ethiopian ruling elites have always been good at exploiting the national sentiment to gain support and consolidate their position. That is what happened during the 1977 “Siad Barre” aggression, and also in response to Eritrea’s encroachment to the Badme district in 1998. The Ethiopian people with a proud history of independent survival against European colonial aggression are very adamant about their national sovereignty. Hence territorial claims will immediately trigger unbelievable pan-Ethiopian national sentiment, and the nation will close rank and fight as one wo/man. Ethiopia’s neighbors have to acknowledge this fact of life and adapt ways of dealing with it.
Of course such nationalism should not be allowed to destroy the culture and language of its constituent regions. One such region in Ethiopia is the four million strong Ogaden region. The Ogaden Somalis have all God/Allah given rights as the rest of the Ethiopian population. Their way of life, their religion, their language and culture has to be respected. They can even have the Shari’a for their communal affairs if that is the wish of the community. But every member of the community has to be willing to live under such Shari’a law. If an individual Somali in Ogaden is not willing to go to the Shari’a court and wants his/her case to be seen by regular non-traditional court, his/her individual right should be respected. Throughout Ethiopian history rural Moslem communities and some urban communities as well have always resorted to local Shari’a courts to administer their legal needs. Especially the regions of Afar and Ogaden have maintained the tradition to this day, and the Ethiopian constitution has always recognized their existence.
The Somali people see the Ethiopian regime’s military presence, and they feel the invasion and naturally stand against such coward act. And they have their Allah given right to fully express their opposition to aggression including burning the Ethiopian flag. But the political elites of Somalia should distance from raw responses and cautiously handle the situation. The Meles regime is trying to portray his aggression as if it is in opposition to the West’s advice, and in defense of Ethiopia’s territorial integrity. Leaders like Sheik Aweys should not allow Meles to bank on these two false images. They have to clearly talk to the Ethiopian people that the ICC has no territorial claim over Ethiopia. By doing this, it will not give fodder to the regime’s aggressive cannon; and it will undermine the capability of the Ethiopian minority regime to galvanize support.
Isolating the minority rule in Ethiopia should be the strategy of genuine Somali nationalists. And that can only be accomplished by leaving the Ogaden issue to the local people. Nothing will be gained by talking about Ogaden, when the priority for Somali nationalists is reestablishing the Somali state from the ruins of the last fifteen years. And it is instructional to remember that, according to the present government’s leaks to the press immediately after it took power, that, partly the present chaos and anarchy resulted from the 1977 – 1978 war with Ethiopia. According to the document, published by the ruling party, the prior military regime organized and armed the different clan war lords against Siad Barre to make sure that such an aggression will not happen again on its watch. And look what resulted from it in the past fifteen years.
Under the condition Somalia finds itself, no genuine Somali nationalist can in his clear judgment convince himself and others that looking beyond the colonial borders and calling for territorial claims is a priority. In light of this, the Sheik and his lieutenants should clearly address the Ethiopian people in uncompromising terms, soothing their fear of aggression. They should tell the Ethiopian people that Meles is not fighting Ethiopia’s war, that he is sacrificing their children for foreign interests, and that the two neighboring people have no enmity but joint destiny. And this message has to be clearly sent repeatedly and with more force and vigor. It will ultimately keep the regime in its isolated position it finds itself since the May 2005 elections, and allow for a popular discontent against the minority rule’s aggression to crop up and consolidate.
In conclusion, I want to add that, it may take months or even years, but in opposition to Meles’ aggression there is a historic opportunity for a strong Somali nationalism to resurface again and create the condition for clan and sub-clan loyalties to subside and give way to a Somali nation state. But for this to happen, genuine Somali nationalists should craft their politics with political acumen, a vision for regional peace, and not be seen as aggressors and enemies by any of their neighboring people. While Siad Barre was still in power he signed an accord with Kenya in December 1984 in which Somalia “permanently” renounced its historical territorial claims. Sheik Aweys and the ICC can do the same with regards to their claim over the Ogaden, and pave the way that can force the Ethiopian minority regime’s troops either to withdraw or face destruction at the hands of freedom loving Somalis. I hope the Ethiopian dictator will come to his senses and withdraw his troops, and save the situation from a bloody confrontation. And I strongly feel it is the duty of freedom loving Ethiopians to oppose the minority regime’s military aggression and bravado, in the interest of Ethiopia and regional peace.
* Yared Tibebu is an Ethiopian based in the USA, he can be reached at [email protected]