HASSAN SHEIKH’S VILLA SOMALIA: SYMBOL OF CLAN DOMINATION AND INJUSTICE

One tribe/clan occupies majority of key positions.
At national level, perception is mostly about Hawiye, and
much more complex at state/local level. Digil Mirifle lives didn’t improve at all since Hassan Sheikh came to office.
 The President’s Office and Prime Minister’s Office practice Unfair Government Employment Practices. Government offices top to bottom with same tribe/clan/family. For a bout one week Digil Mirifle MPs including the Speaker of the Somali Parliament have been requesting under transparent government rules to produce list of all those that are currently employed at Villa Somalia (president’s office), and Prime Minister Saacid’s office.

 

‘In the future, Somalia would be among the most successful countries if all tribes and the government are united, but if people are to work for personal interests, it would
be one of the worst countries in the world.’ Said Digil Mirifle Protestor in London.Tribalism is key barrier to successful Somalia.  Hassan Sheikh is entirely leading a country made by his tribe only.  Only his tribesmen surround him all the time in Villa Somalia.  He will soon be out of touch by the Somali people all, like Saddam Hussein, and his presidency will end.  Why can’t he take advantage of Somalia’s ethnic diversity? Why can’t he do what he preaches?

 

Many Somalis had hoped and still hope a country that is built on principles of ethnic equality, democracy, rule of law and federalism. There was a reason for people to be optimistic about the future of Somalia. Those who had hoped that Somalia would become a paradise of equality justified their argument on the belief that the people of Somalia had bitterly struggled for equality during the many years of civil war.

Killing all hopes, ethnic domination is practiced on the basis of clan employment in president and prime minister’s offices and political ideology. Somalis are marginalized as a unit because the Damuljadiid/Hawiye elites want to control and have all powers. Within the Hawiye and Dauljadiid, there is some sort of power-sharing among the tribes of Abgaal, Habar Gidir, Murasade, etc. Political participation in the government was not dictated by one tribal affiliation but by whether one is a member of a sectarian party or DamulJadiid.

 

Filling ministries with one’s tribe—a practice mostly demonstrated by Hawiye ministers—continued up to now and many ministries in Mogadishu are dominated either by one tribeor a clan depending on where the Ministers who set them up came from. Majority of employees in the President’s Office are from Hawiye because Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is Abgaal Hawiye.  From his press/media advisor Eng. Yariisow to his chief of staff a Hawiye-Habar Gidir to his State Minister Hawiye-Shiiqaal.  No one single Digil Mirifle or other Somali tribes are employed in Villa Somali – an office that should have been a uniting symbol of justice, equality and united Somalia is controlled by one tribe and practices unfair hiring/employment practices of exclusion.