They Can Hide Their Names, But Can They Hide The Truth?

In every society there are few people/groups who spend everything they have to go after truth, in order to replace it with contradictions, in hopes that these contradictions would influence in much of how events and processes will be interpreted or written about in the future. It is obvious that when the brutality of anti-peace, anti-development groups in Somali Regional State is being discussed, various perspectives will be offered that are influenced by one's biases, interests and experiences. But while everyone is entitled to their opinion, the facts should not be distorted or misconstrued. This seems not to be the case these days when the piece-mouths of ONLF and its partner UWSLF, who like to be identified as members of “Ogaden Civil Societies” (OCS, as they love to be called), are confronted. Not only is intellectual dishonesty often displayed from certain quarters, but there is also a bitterness that is evident when those, who have something to hide, are unable to accept the truth.

There is a clearly a determined attempt on the part of the anti-peace, anti-development piece-mouths, sympathizers and defenders, who excessively use several extra shirts now-days, Student Forums, Peace Voices, Elder Unions, Youth Groups, to name few, wanting to twist the realities in Somali Regional State to fit their selfish propaganda and smear negative the great image of those who stood up to help peace and development in the region and to broaden the extent of the truth throughout. This is evident in quite a few articles and statements posted on few websites, one of them Kilil5.com. The latest; “Advent of pen-Taadaaqiis in Ogaden” under the name; Abdullahi Dahir, this individual frequently uses different names when writing articles, i.e. Fahmo Abdullahi (female name), et cetera. He is an active and one of the leading members of one of the ONLF newly established Voices for Peace based in California, USA.

This person, hiding under the name Dahir, who I was informed is tribalist that enjoys calling-names behind his computer, writes that I am a prominent member of what he termed “pen-Taadaaqiis,” while calling my articles “judgmental statements, devoid of logic and reasoning, and laced with curse against the Ogaden people,” adding that I conclude “with praises to Meles and his development initiatives in the region.” He also badmouthed the honorable chairman of SPDP, the ruling party of Somali Regional State, Mr. Da’ud Mohamed Abdi, the head of the Security and Justice Bureau of the region, Mr. Abdi Muhamed Omar and well-respected Diaspora activist Mr. Ahmed Hadi, while calling several famous websites (Wardheernews, Somalistate, Somaliview, Kilil5) irrelevant and visionless.

These are views from one of the active members of the groups I mentioned earlier that is handsomely paid with the money deprived from the poor Eritreans by the father of all instabilities in Horn of Africa, Issaias Afwerki, who has openly associated himself with terrorists and destructive elements that threaten the stability and security throughout East-Africa.

What one finds in Dahir’s article, a man who purports to be a voice for peace and a human rights advocate when in real world, is not only how much his group hates the really voices of peace and development, or his group’s extensive denial of truth, but also how far they are worried about the fast spread of the truth within the people of Somali Regional State. One can sense his deep feelings inside; "We know enough. Please don’t bring up the alarming issues. The truth hurts. We find ourselves defenseless in dealing with the crimes committed by Shabiya mercenaries in Somali Regional State against our people. But we don't want to hear it or talk about it, because of the payments."

Spreading the truth, the facts, which Dahir and his associates find disdainful, is one democratic way of awakening people in Somali Regional State to the realities before them. We, the drivers of this truth, people Dahir called “pen-Taadaaqiis,” don't have armed men and women to take her further and we have absolutely no intention to have any. Our army is the pen and behind it the truth that scars Dahir and his friends. No matter how louder people like Dahir and his associates cry, we will not yield to their name-calling.

The basis of objections and complaints of these different groups is tied to one request: stop spreading about the facts on the ground in Somali Regional State. In other words, we know both Federal and Regional governments are promoting developmental projects, but we must not talk about it, because the international community will hear that. We must not reveal how EPRDF saved our people from the horrors of the Dergi regime, because they will admire her even more. What a cheap way to fight truth!

Of course, we reject this notion as an attempt to confuse both the international community and the people of the region. Some of Dahir’s associates do not deny the truth, but due to their general agreement, they hide it, because they think they will have no story to tell should it be presented into the public. This is why Dahir and his associates are fighting truth and its drivers using their teeth and nails. These people will do everything for the sake of putting facts six feet deep to earn living.

These self-appointed patriots will hurl insults on well-meaning and honest people, or mound accusations on them; call them by all sorts of names, stigmatize, disparage and demonize them in order to appear righteous. That is what the likes of Dahir have resorted to in their articles and statements. One thing that is crystal clear in these matters is that those who benefit from the spoils of the anti-peace, anti-development groups have become our greatest critics because the place from which they derive their payments is being threatened.

The spokespeople of violent elements see nothing morally wrong with their corrupt practices to hide truth. In fact, the truth hurts them, which is why they criticize its promoters, because they feel intimidated.

Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile

shabeele15@hotmail.com