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Ogaden's role in Somalia saga
As dott. Osmanne wrote his letter that is a great blunder to forget
Somalia. I think the saga which has been going on partly has been
contributed by Ogaden province of Ethiopia.
Needless to say the Ogaden province of Ethiopia has quite recently
expanded the theatre of the clannish war in Somalia. The poor country has
never found peace and political stability since it's independence on June
26th 1990.
The province infact, part and parcel of Somalia land before it was given
out to king Menelik II of Ethiopia in 1887 by Britain, Italy and France.
The three who had signed treaties with Ethiopia separately during
1884-1886 gave the Ogaden out as a token of gratitude while seeking
territorial concessions in the horn of Africa after the forces of Khedive
of Egypt were forced to withdraw.
British Somaliland was created in the northern arid region of the horn of
Africa, which still enjoys the reputation of having the best breed of
camels, who need water only once in three weeks. The area around Djibouti
was occupied by France, Italy purchased one eighty mile wide coastal strip
along the Indian Ocean, lying between British Somaliland and the Jubaland
province from the emperor of Ethiopia at a price of three million lire,
and area measured about 50.000 square Km.
In 1995, the population of Somalia was estimated at 9.3 million. 80% of
them are nomadic pastoralists. Indeed well developed farms can be found
only in the area lying between the river Shabelle and the river Juba were
maize, sugarcane and banana plantation are grown.
The nomadic Somalis subsist on camel's milk and sometimes on meat . The
rear goats and sheep and are also fond of tea and dates. Somalis problem
at present centers on one issue: How to mellow the violence and bridge
alienation of warning clansmen.
The European didn't care to know the Somalis had already evolved their own
strict social code and pluralistic form of government, consistent with
their principles and interests, before the colonized by Britain, Italy and
France by the end of 19th century. During the pre-colonial era there were
no clannish war. When any important issue was brought before them, every
adult male was given the right to attend and express his views fearlessly.
But no member of the clan had the courage to overrule the elders judgment.
In 1962 the Somalia president Adan Abdulla Osman said "Our ancestors
developed a society which was respected every man's right to play his part
in the affairs of his country.
Somalis greatest fear at the moment is that they are being re-colonised by
the west, for they are told to form a government of the westerns choice.
So in short I think the western community is not the gateway to peace in
Somalia or any other victim within African continent, by saying this it
doesn't mean that Europe as a whole is a virus toward the African
problems.
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