OPINION: Corroding Our Nascent Democracy: How the Government Introduced a Rule of Tyranny in Somalia

 

On December 17, I survived a coordinated assassination attempt by heavily armed government units within the intelligence at our Wadajir Headquarter and residence in Mogadishu – a political party I established early 2016 with group of likeminded.

This brazen assassination attempt, which claimed the lives of five of my security guards, including my driver, was taken by surprise to many Somalis who were outraged by its sheer barbarity. Our headquarter office is located nearby Jazeera Hotel, arguably one of the safest corner of Mogadishu city and the government has deployed hundred of well-armed troops across major streets leading to our office. Precisely at 11:40pm, while I was I was finalizing a meeting with party members, I heard major gunshots inside the premise and I thought it was terror attack. Caught in short notice and in shock, our guards remained silent, unresponsive to the ruthless attack. Not a single shot fired back nor did they threaten anyone. The siege was sustained for more than 40 minutes until the two-story of the building were brought down with bullets with heavy grenades and anti-aircraft. What is more terrorizing is that the attack occurs almost at midnight, with virtually no prior notification, and has traumatized many children and families who live our surrounding neighbor.

This night has left an indelible mark on Somali history – a nigh filled with terror and agony, a night our nascent democracy came under assault, a night our fragile rule of law came under threat, a night our hope and stability is dashed.

While the terror and siege ensues, I heard someone with loud voice screaming: “Everyone must step out from the building with hands behind your heads.” We had no doubt we will be dead with or without cooperating with that order. But we started voluntarily to step out as ordered one after another before apprehension – some of my colleagues sustained gunshots, including this author with minor injury on the right hand.

One might ask about the motive for all this terror against our legitimate political party – that we’re involved in “acts of treason with foreign entities” as alleged by the Attorney General, Mr. Ahmed A. Dahir, during a press conference early in that day, where he urged law enforcement agencies, without any due process, to arrest anyone suspected.

However, as a political party, we knew the serious implications in which those assertions could have on our fragile political process. And as such, I tweeted on December 17, “In post-civil war, we’ve agreed to two key pillars: Federalism and democratic constitution. The federal system has come under attack few weeks ago by the Government and today, the Attorney General has launched an unconstitutional war on Somali Members of Parliament. We’re facing a critical time.”

Furthermore, this assault on democracy in Somalia was not without context. On November 14, 2017 and other occasions, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire organized a political rally in Mogadishu, where he equated his political opponents with Al Shabaab, calling them “indistinguishable” from the enemy and therefore urged supporters to confront.

We might be weak, but our spirit is very strong. At court, we fought the allegation. As a result, the regional court dismissed the groundless accusations against us, calling my 48 hours detention “illegal.” But we are not satisfied yet. The lives lost in the massacre on that botched attack and those responsible must be held accountable– because it hinges on the survival of our democracy and rule of law.

The brutal tactics resorted by this administration reminded us the violent political repression used by the military regime thirty years ago. They buried the corpses of my security guards in a mass grave without the consent of their families and without basic human dignity. They also destroyed any traits of evidence with respect to the horrendous operation at my political party residence.

In our recent history, we have seen a government that uses the rule of law as a pretext to silence legitimate opposition voices – and that, we know, inherited us years of political violence and civil unrest. But this time, we can’t afford – without a resistance – the massive gains we made over the years rendered lost, including the transitional justice, the fragile political stability, and reconstitution of law and order.

In the last election, I ran as a presidential candidate on a platform which focused on justice, security and political stability. It was that idea of political stability that we were dedicated to because we know it always leads to greater economic development and shared opportunity for all. But instead, in less than year-old administration hell-bent on curtailing fundamental rights, threatening our modicum stability and in more sinister way, framing all its’ citizens as spoilers.

As stakeholders, it’s in our purview to scrutinize on the shortfalls of the government as well as propose solutions to key national issues. For that, we contend, remains a legitimate role necessary for a functioning democracy.

But for now, we demand justice for the atrocity committed against my guards, who were also members of the Somali National Army. The families of the victims are demanding for justice – why their sons where murdered and later disappeared into an unknown graveyard?

This atmosphere of intimidation has already sparked an aura of political uncertainty in Somalia. It alarmed Somalia’s friends in the International Community because of the poor judgement exhibited by the occupants of Villa Somalia – the State House. But as leaders, we will not stand on the sidelines as our constitutional democracy crumbles in the face of tyranny.

Now, we must stand up to the rule of tyranny as we seek accountability and justice for the crimes and violation of human rights that transpired on December 17, 2017. We have a choice to make – that we reclaim our freedom or face repressive measures with political assassinations and that could potentially precipitate and slides back into full-blown anarchy. But I have full faith in Somali people for not allowing this to happen.

Mr. Abdirahman A. Warsame
Leader, Wadajir Party & former presidential candidate
Mogadishu, Somalia.