Ominous January!

While most of the students had been on the school yard during the recess, suddenly, the school bell rung before the end of the break, all students rushed to their classes, when I and classmates returned hustling each other to class, one of our teachers who seemed perturbed told us to go back home with out giving reasons. I and my friends nipped out of the school and headed to our respective homes, on my way home I could see terrified people standing outside their houses, artillery gun shells could be heard across Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia where I was dwelling.

It was january 1991

When I came home, some of my family and my neighbors were assembled outside our house, they were effusively applauding and ululating to an armed clan faction called USC (united Somali congress) that was battling with Siyad Bare’s elite red helmeted troops in the city, some of them were chanting “death to big mouth”, “Let him vanish and we would live peace and prosperous life after him”. But my uncle was not enthusiastic to USC militias, he was an old man who lived under the different systems that reigned Somalia since independence, he was boisterously saying to them “who comes and who goes is a trivial matter, since USC has no clear agenda to rule this country and are dominated by one clan, I envisage a dark future”. All those who lived in our village similar to most of Somalis have been vociferously supporting the armed guerrilla fighters whose members emanated from Hawiye Clan, they contended and tried to convince him (my uncle) that the stark situation they live economically and politically would end if USC defeats Siyad Bare and his henchmen, but my uncle won’t budge.

Although I was a child, but I could understand most of what has been going on. A fierce fighting between the remnants of Somali’s military forces and USC militias has been going on in the downtown; the roar of heavy artillery shells echoed the whole city. The first time as a small kid, I heard a pullet was –I can’t recall the day and month-when soldiers guarding the house of ex-minister late General Adan Gabyow clashed with government soldiers, Gabyow’s residence, a two- story house was situated near to our house, we were terrified by the bullets exchanged by these two government soldiers one defending late General Gabyow and the other mandated to arrest him. Also I was aware of that Somalia and its archenemy Ethiopia fought in all-out war in 1977 that resulted many Somali soldiers to fall on the hands of Ethiopians and consequently being held captives for many years , I used to read “Xidigta Oktobar” newspaper published by the ministry of information where my Dad had been working, I recall one day a relative of mine came to our residence informing us that another relative who was a Somali war prisoner held by Ethiopia during 1977 war has been released, I found his name on the list of freed prisoners on "Xidigta Oktobar". I was told that Ethiopians held Somali prisoners in an underground prison.

I was also aware of that starting from 1989 many Somalis from northwestern Somalia had been fleeing from their houses and coming to Mogadishu, pupils from Northwestern Somalia were joining our school to pursue their studies since Mogadishu was safer at that time. I reminisce one of them joined our class at Dhame Yasin intermediate School, in Medina, Mogadishu. He was conversing to us a different dialect used by northwestern, he was a nice guy. During literature subject -one of the school subjects- he was an active participant. He used to sing Somali songs while I barely knew a single song. One day he sang “jammaaday, jammaaday ubax jacel aan mooda. Intu jilibka ii dhigay I jibaaxay anigee”

When the fighting intensified, our family decided to send us to the remote areas especially the countryside in Lower shabelle region where my distant family lived. We started our journey and took a circuitous route; we walked on foot 30km between Mogadishu and Afgoye. On the road, while we were traveling to Afgoye we come across several government troops taking positions in the bush, but none of them was harming the travelers, after little rest and gulped little water we continued our journey and traveled on bus to Merka town, 110 km south of Mogadishu.

Months later I returned to Mogadishu after siyad Barre has been toppled, every one was armed, even those of my age who we played together. after Siyad left Mogadishu residents rampaged to the military barracks and every one took arms and ammunition as much as he/she could, clans begun to fight each other. Before that, all people in our neighborhood regardless of Clan identity lived in unison, I and my fellow neighbors have been playing football together, attending Quran school together and shared bad and good alike, no one in our village menaced the other for clan identity.

Targeting houses of fellow tribesmen and looting their propriety started, any one from targeted clan was either killed in a cold blood or escaped to his clan’s constituency. Words like Bililaqo(looting) and Isbaaro (checkpoint) preoccupied everyone’s mind. Young guys installed checkpoints on the streets and Forcefully take the belongs of Pedestrians ,they killed their preys if their demands are not met.

My school turned into a graveyard where innocent residents killed by marauding militias and their killers like notorious Yusuf Qadhob were buried alike before its refurbished years later.

Somali people’s ambitions to live in peace and coherence have been shattered by warlords, warmongers and clan strives and the country is plunged into anarchy and mayhem.

After 19years, the last Ethiopian soldier left Somalia and somali factions are jockeying for power, they are fractured and might engage in deadly confrontations. I call on all feuding parts and clans in Somalia to put their differences a side and come on the round table to salvage our country. Enough is enough…. Let us unite and rebuild our beloved country.