The collapse of the Soviet Union and the victory of
the West led to a jubilant era with enthusiastic hope for better and safer
world. Even one scholar called it the “End of History”.
In the absence of rival superpowers in the United
Nations Security Council, many expected the decrease of competition to create a
less confrontational UN that could help troubled states to recover and maintain
peace. But the tragedy in 1994 in Rwanda where 8, 00 000 people were massacred right
in front of the world within a three month period proved that assumption wrong.
Despite success made after the horrific occurrences, there are civilian people
still suffering in many parts of the world. Tribunals were established to try
war criminals in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, and the International Criminal Court
commenced hearing cases of international crimes as a way of bringing justice
and closure to the many who suffered. Somalilanders were not so lucky.
In Somaliland, where the catastrophe happened long
before the Rwandan fiasco, the perpetrators of one of the deadliest and inhumane
tragedies in Africa went unpunished, with some of them even enjoying impunity living
in the West.
In 1988, the government of Somalia employed all of its
resources to cleanse the people of Somaliland. Air bombardment, artillery
shelling and intentional targeting of civilians left thousands of people dead,
many more wounded and resulting in the destruction of whole cities.
The massacre orchestrated by the Siad Barre regime did
not commence in 1988, but had been in motion since the early 1980s. However,
the greatest numbers were killed from May 1988 to February 1991.
According to eye witnesses and survivors, apart from
the shelling and bombardment, the military and other forces collected civilians
from the streets, homes, and other places into military compounds. The innocent
civilians were tied to each other and shot in cold blood. For instance on the 3rd
of June 1988, 800 civilians were killed at the headquarters of the military in
Hargeisa. A survivor detailed how each hundred was lined and then machine
gunned. That was one single incident.
It is quite reprehensible that the culprits were never
brought to justice. The victims and families still await justice and while they
are not hopeless, hope is fading away.
The injustice is again manifested by the lack of
recognition. The survivors are isolated from the world. Somaliland has been
waiting for recognition since 1991. The world fails to understand that the
reason we separated from Somalia is not because of luxury or euphoria, but it
is the only way we can leave behind a dark history imbedded in our memories so
that we can pursue our own path.
I grew up while the conversations between my mother
and her best friend Amina ended up talking about what Faqash or Afwayne has
done. As a child, I could not understand much. But I thought that Faqash and
Afwayne were aliens from somewhere far who came to the land to kill everyone.
When I became old enough to read history and make sense of their conversations,
I was shocked to learn that Afwayne was our president and Faqash was our
government. I do not want to suffer how my family did. That is why I stand for
human rights and justice. I do believe that a recognized Somaliland where human
rights are respected and protected can be a remedy for the past and a way of
honoring the memory of all the people who suffered untold crimes committed against
them.
Guleid
Ahmed Jama
Hargeisa Somaliland
