Relations between the peoples of Somalia and Ethiopia stretch back to antiquity, to a common origin.
by Razen Dachuben, Alleastafrica contributor
Foreword
Prior to discussion on my OPINION, it is ABSOLUTELY essential to keep in mind that POLLS in any country around the Globe is the absolute prerogative of the State concerned. With that fundamental norm, let us go into the Reference subject above.
Discussion on the Subject matter
Here is a good example where neighbors help each other for stability, common interest and peaceful co-existence. Kudos to Ethiopia for its initiative; and to Somalia for its willingness to see the merit of the initiative.
With that neighborly initiation and preliminary agreement, let us IMAGINE the example above being accepted in our entire Continent of Africa — piece by piece, being aware of the hurtful legendary stigma on AFRICA on the subject. So much so, it is taken for granted that Africa is incapable of undertaking POLLS as if Africans are incapable of selecting their own representative citizens for common tasks in their communities, villages, towns, province, state.
The cruel summation goes like this >>> it has to be done by constant guidance of outside foreign individual ‘experts’ whose exorbitant expense is taken care by some mysterious complex international web network. And so Life goes on; as Africa slides backward to everlasting dependent on developed countries.
The idea of common interest of Africa can be fulfilled by Africans in a practical and rational manner, geared to the African desire. It is absolutely essential to keep in mind that the aspiration of Africans can & must be defined, developed and nurtured by African themselves without being used for material resources and the fulfillment of employment of human resources of foreign countries – at the expense of Africans in practical totality.
I used “practical totality” to mean that it is an open secret that individual Africans of the highest educational level are consciously, or manipulated, into co-operative understandings, by those who see Africa as the source for their economic benefit. It is called business relationship at the expense of the ordinary, backward, uneducated, poor ….. African. And it will remain so until the entire Continent is totally emaciated from its natural resources.
Going back to Somalia, it is essential that ‘outsiders’ cleanse themselves from prejudices and fallacious assumption that the Somali people are incapable of understanding their own ‘sociological problems’ and thus unable to ‘handle’ themselves!!! Regardless, the Somali people must be FREE to: a) determine their problems and their needs; and b) freely request, if necessary, for specific help from outside sources. In short, ONLY the Somali people should shape their destiny. The Somali society was NOT born just “yesterday”. They have been around for a while.
If they make mistakes, so be it. They learn from their own mistakes. It applies to any independent State around the Globe
Ethiopia –Somalia Relationship
We hope the initiative would materialize for the benefit of both people, as well as a promising example in Africa. In this connection, one is forced to ask: What is the raison d’etre of the OAU which was subsequently reduced to two-letters, AU? The story of the African Organization is an example of total failure which becomes glaring beacon for others to point out and form a negative attitude towards AFRICANS.
African Intellectuals, Graduates of Ivy League Western Universities
At present, there are fifty-four independent – liberated – free countries in our Africa. Would it be too much to expect for fifty-four African Intellectuals [ONE Intellectual from EACH liberated African country] to get together and make some sense into the AFRICAN AFFAIRS? It can be done; it has been done in other places, in varied forms. But alas it seems as if we have no way but to “CRY, the BELOVED COUNTRY” by Alan Paton (1948). It is a glaring testimony of my pet argument that the institution of the so called ‘Modern’ Education in Africa was never designed for the African Child in mind. On the contrary it succeeded in building insidious inferiority complex in the mind of The African Child as manifested by always mimicking to be his/her tormentor. THE
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Razen Dachuben is a regular contributor for Alleastafrica Media. He can be reached at: rdachuben@alleastafrica.com
