Jun 08 (Jowhar)-During my time at university, I saw the current president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, working with members of his political party—previously known as the Peace and Development Party (PDP) but now called the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP)—cleaning streets and addressing the public about the need for a government that serves the interests of the people. In 2012, HSM got the opportunity to serve as president. I was elated, as I thought he would be much better than the previous leaders, who had dictatorial tendencies and little academic background. My hope diminished after I saw him stray from the core principles he preached before his first term. The little hope I had for him was crushed when I realized he was not coming up with an impactful agenda to save the country during his second term.
Somalia went through decades of bad governance and clan rivalry, which ultimately led to a vicious civil war and toxic Islamic extremism. I was born in Mogadishu, grew up there, and studied my primary and secondary education during the civil war and the ensuing chaos. My level of knowledge was quite limited before I left for university outside the country. I read extensively about Somali politics, politicians, and famous personalities, and I came to understand that the majority of these individuals are not positioned to serve as the leaders needed to extract the country from the mess it has been in for decades.
There is one politician whom I see differently: Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, a current member of parliament. He was born in Buleburte in 1968 and came from a humble upbringing, with a father from a military background and a housewife mother. According to his book “Adkeysi,” AAW was raised by parents who instilled early discipline and a readiness for hard work. After his father’s death due to liver failure in 1983, AAW was solely supported by his hardworking mother, who started a business to raise him and his brothers properly.
When I first learned about AAW, he was a minister in the TFG, and I didn’t know much about him. Like many Somalis in the public, I received information about his so-called treason, claiming he sold part of the Somali sea in exchange for dollars. If you do not read widely and only know Somali language, you are more likely to be fed conspiracy theories, fake news, and fabricated information. At the time, it seemed to me that he was capable of such actions, like many other Somalis. However, after getting to know him, I now see him as one of the best politicians I admire. People call him an idealist, suggesting he thinks he lives in the US or the EU, but I see him as someone with better positive qualities than many of his peers. In his book, he narrates how his father shaped his values of transparency, truthfulness, and the pursuit of knowledge. His father joined the military and, after teaching himself to read, was assigned to office-based military work.
Growing up in Mogadishu, people lived in horror, and I was afraid my parents would be harmed. The country was in total chaos. After the warlords were defeated, we came under a more sinister and violent extremist rule. Many of my close friends died in battles instigated by the extremists. Although I was not very interested in politics, I felt that the conditions in the country were unbearable and that there had to be a way out. When the TFG led by Abdullahi Yusuf came to Mogadishu, people did not realize it was a turning point. Without this move, the country would have become a haven for Islamists from around the world, bringing their intolerance, rigidity, and dogmatic ideology. I completely agree with AAW when he mentions in his book that the Islamists’ “Islam is a solution” slogan, without a deep understanding of the processes and technicalities involved, contributed to worsening the already tragic situation in the country.
I have always loved my country and still do, with its unique traits of homogeneity and the positive history of a “sense of community” (I borrowed this term from AAW’s book). It has great potential to bounce back and improve if it receives the good leadership it needs. I was truly surprised when I read his book, realizing that a Somali politician understands deeply what ails our country. When AAW narrated the absence of empathy and recognition of vulnerability among our people, and how Somalis transformed from empathetic, supportive saviors to individuals filled with rage, non-empathetic, scarred, and emotionally rigid, it resonated with how I felt about it.
The book by Ian Bremmer called “J Curve” stipulates that for a closed country (ruled by dictators, kings, or oligarchs) to become open (governed by democratic institutions with checks and balances), it must first experience chaos and lawlessness. The severity of destruction depends on existing bureaucratic institutions, literacy levels, and the extent of the rulers’ grip on the closed system. Somalia, under the rule of Siad Barre, he not only ruled with an iron fist but also facilitated the total destruction of the country’s institutions, paving the way for the emergence of warlords who looted, murdered, and pillaged the country’s resources. The Islamists, with their dogmatic views on governance and ignorance of the country’s history, along with AAW’s mention of their fabricated conspiracy theories about the West being the source of our mayhem, only added fuel to the fire of the crisis.
The civil war and subsequent violence ripped the country apart, causing mistrust among Somali clans. The goodwill for centralized governance is far from materializing. I have always believed that federalism is the only solution, as the country lacks a transitional justice system where victims and perpetrators of the civil war are brought together, truth-seeking commissions are created, and murderers are either forgiven or prosecuted. Given the old grudges and mistrust, it would be difficult for clans to agree on one centralized government. I also learned that AAW suggested the idea of federalism two decades ago in London.
My friends argue that we need democracy; many politicians, including AAW, also preach the need for democratic governance under the federal system. However, according to Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (who were awarded last year’s Nobel Prize in Economics for their work on institutions and their role in economic prosperity) in their book “Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty,” democratic systems are not free from danger. They argue that for democratic institutions to function unimpeded, citizens must be more involved and organize to create unions and parties to ensure elected officials never abuse their powers. Thomas Hobbes and others proposed the idea of a Leviathan—a powerful government that maintains law and order—while subsequent thinkers warned against an overly powerful government that could abuse its power and infringe on civil liberties. The struggle to establish democratic governance has never been easy or straightforward; centuries of effort have been spent achieving it. Creating democratic institutions with checks and balances is the first step and can be relatively easy, but what is more important—and also difficult—is ensuring these institutions continue to exist and function as required without interference.
Do we need a democratic system in our country? I believe yes. Am I satisfied with the existing federal system? I would say relatively yes. However, I am not satisfied with the idea of making money through government positions. There is still a long way to go to establish a well-functioning federal system. To reach that goal, public mobilization is essential. Abdirahman Abdishakur’s message is well received by the elite—those with university degrees and a certain level of literacy. But the majority of the public consumes prepared propaganda messages spread on social media. To counteract these fake messages, politicians like AAW need to engage the public and use messages based on the existing needs that the public thinks about daily. Living conditions such as acquiring basic needs—food, water, and shelter—have become elusive. Most Somali people do not realize that politics is the suitable tool to address these existing maladies, so I suggest that the messages AAW shares with the public should connect good governance and a democratic federal system with improving the living conditions of citizens.
I have been thinking about writing this piece, but I have been disappointed with Somali politics for a very long time. However, getting to know Abdirahman Abdishakur more instills a spark of hope that we may one day have intelligent, knowledgeable, and kind leaders who can guide us out of the mess of piracy, extremism, cruelty, poverty, and transactional governance towards progress in law and order, economic prosperity, and civic liberty.
Amin Jamal amiinjamal25@gmail.com
