The Physiology of a Nation at War

“War is the father of all things”
-Heraclitus (c.535-475 BC)

The fundamental lack of respect for the legitimate interests of the Somali nation is the root cause of the conflict in Somalia. For nearly two decades, we have witnessed both native Somalis and foreign interest groups wading in the murky waters of political intrigue in order to win influence in this important region of the world. Instead of allowing the Somali people to naturally solve their problems in their own time, we have witnessed successive foreign attempts at creating the obsolete and shamefully neo-colonialist idea of a centralised government for the Somali people. The question we must ask ourselves is why? Perhaps the idea of a strong central government—despite the inherent risks posed by a government of Somali Warlords—appeals to those who seek to control the political space in Somalia and, by extension, the natural resources of the Somali nation. It is beyond doubt that the Ethiopian state seeks to control the political space of the Somali nation. The potential benefits that could be derived from doing so are painfully obvious to any honourable Somali person.

It is beyond any doubt that certain political actors within Somalia are in the pay of the Ethiopian intelligence services. It is beyond any doubt that certain Somali personalities only exist to serve the interests of the TPLF rulers of Ethiopia. This is indeed shameful, however, we should not be surprised that the Ethiopian state seeks to gain advantages at the expense of the Somali nation. As far as the leadership of the Ethiopian state is concerned this is an existential matter. They seek to dominate the Somali political space, and this must be recognised as an act of gross disrespect towards the legitimate interests of Somali nation. This act is—in effect—a declaration of war.

The concept of centralised political power is alien to Somali culture. The Somali people are unique because of the poly-centric nature of their national political space. The Somali people were early pioneers of the concept of social networking. Now, the Somalis are the masters of this ethereal system of social regulation. If you have any doubts, ask how the intense war against the combined enemies of the Somali nation is being organised and sustained? If the Somali people are actually in need of political reconciliation, ask how they are able to withstand all of the hostile acts perpetrated against them? Despite the destabilising influence of the numerous foreign interventions inside Somalia, throughout the years, the noble sons and daughters of the Somali nation have managed to organise their affairs well enough to be able to resist all malevolent forces. At the present time, we see the exploitation of Somali marine resources by foreign fishing vessels. Indeed Dr. Clive Scholfield’s paper, Plundered waters: Somalia’s maritime resource insecurity, demonstrates the fact that no less than 700 non-Somali owned fishing vessels are fully engaged in unlicensed fishing in Somali national waters. It is estimated that the Somali economy loses US$300 million each year as a result of this criminal activity. Remarkably, it is evident from Dr. Schofield’s work that vessels from France, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Egypt, Kenya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Belize and Honduras exploit Somalia's fish stocks, and they do so with virtual impunity. Strangely, many of these very nations intend to send their naval forces to this theatre of crime in the name of fighting piracy. This hypocrisy shall not be overlooked by the people of Somalia. As far as we are concerned this is nothing more than transnational organised crime. Therefore, it must be said that with this combination of disrespect and exploitation comes nothing but injustice. We understand well the injustice of the concept of food aid meant for African nations. How can the Somali nation require food aid when the providential maritime resources of the Somali nation can sustain the theft of US$300 million worth of fish each year? It is this and other examples of international injustice that breed the resistance of the Somali people. And resistance, in all its forms, is noble when an entire nation is being treated in an unjust manner.

Can their be any wonder that the Somali nation finds itself at war at this moment in time? We certainly did not sleep walk into this situation. The mistakes of some have resulted in the suffering of many. However, we must now focus our efforts, as a nation, in order to achieve the noble goal of decisively winning this war. We cannot afford to be distracted by the base political machinations that are designed to ruin the Somali nation. We shall not achieve victory so long as certain sections of the Somali community entertain the idea of foreign mediation with respect to the concept of Somali national reconciliation. We must all recognise the fact that the quickest and easiest way to the purest form of reconciliation, if it is ever needed, is to positively identify the genuine enemies of the Somali nation. It is quite clear that the greatest strength of the Somali nation is the fact that our society is regulated by the ancient poly-centric rhythms of our culture. Therefore, so long as we do not lose this inner strength, the Somali nation shall continue to exist. However, this war is causing us to change. The Somali people have never been known as a nation of seafarers before the early part of this century. The blatant theft of Somali marine resources has spawned an entire native industry. Foreign ships are often held, and they are only released if a fee is paid. The fee goes some way to compensating the people who live on the Somali coast, now that their ability to fish has been greatly reduced. However, it must be understood that the fishermen alone cannot solve this ugly problem. Can there be any wonder that the fishermen of Somalia have developed a paramilitary capability in the light of the crimes perpetrated against them during this time of war? The physiology of the Somali nation is developing and growing as a direct result of this war. The Somali nation did not seek this war but, for the first time in generations, the Somali people are beginning to make great strides as a direct consequence of this war.

The Somali people are now conscious of the fact that they had, in the past, been too easily divided by hostile interested actors like the Ethiopian state. Now, the Somali people are aware of the fact that superficial social divisions, between Somalis, only serve the interests of the Ethiopian enemy. The Somali nation is beginning to realise, as a whole, that the enemy only seeks to prey upon the perceived weaknesses of the Somali people. These perceived weaknesses, like the apparent inability of the Somali political classes to establish a functioning central government now seem to be a manifestation of the innate genius of the Somali social conscience. Somali society can well do without a government of servile Somali warlords who only seek to serve the interests of the Ethiopian state. Somali people hate injustice, and foreign intervention in Somali national affairs is the epitome of injustice. Despite the countless kidnappings of Somali people and the mass renditions to secret prison facilities in Addis-Ababa, the Ethiopian state has failed to dominate the Somali political space. Despite the monumental deceit, hypocrisy, and treachery of the numerous foreign interventions in the internal affairs of the Somali nation, the Ethiopian state has failed to dominate the Somali political space. Despite the military aggression of the Ethiopian armed forces, heavily backed by the U.S. government, the Ethiopian state has failed to dominate the Somali political space. Indeed, this behavior has stimulated an intense military response from the very people that the Ethiopian state had intended to politically dominate.

The Somali people should feel proud of the fact that they have managed to resist the brutality unleashed by the Ethiopian state and its political sponsors. The Somali people should be very proud of the fact that they continue to reject the inefficient and linear neo-colonial model of governance, detested by the populations of all third world client states. This form of governance does not serve the interests of the people living under its rule. Such a form of government only exists to serve the interests of its political sponsors, and the interests of multinational corporations. The Somali people should be applauded for their rejection of this iniquitous and degrading system. If there is any doubt, one should take a good look at the example of Botswana. A country rich in mineral resources where the government is wholly owned by a giant mining corporation. A country with a docile government happy to host a military base that belongs to a great foreign power whilst its native people are dying by the thousand each day. Perhaps this is the way of the modern world, but the honour of the Somali nation must always be upheld. Practically speaking, this means resisting the modern day slavery represented by economic and political domination. Neo-colonialism is an unfortunate reality today, but there can be no justification for the conduct of the Ethiopian state with respect to its misguided policies towards the Somali nation. These policies have stimulated the war that is being fought in the streets of Mogadishu today, and until these policies are reversed we shall continue to hear the sad news that hundreds of Somali civilians are being killed each day. Yet it is this war that is inspiring innovation in many fields. Perhaps, before too long, we shall see the rise of a potent native military-industrial complex in Somalia that is both victorious and attentive to the needs of Somali society. After all the singularly marvelous thing about Somalia is the fact that you can always expect the unexpected.