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 Give Our Elders the Benefit of the Doubt. By Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile
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Ogadenia, our beloved home is at an important historical crossroad again at this particular moment and the international community and the world are watching what will happen after the return of our elders barehanded. Are we going to repeat the same mistakes that have led our beloved home down the path she has followed for the last 100 years plus or are we going to see reason to change the course of our unpredictable path of life and join a community where hopelessness is not the order of the day, nor corruption the agenda?
As a young Ogaden man who minds the welfare and the future of his people, it is difficult to sit on the outside or on the fence and say I am going to shut my eyes and ears on what is transpiring in Ogadenia. The future will hold us liable as Ogadens, and our grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and other relatives that have given their lives so that we can make a difference and have a peaceful and prosperous place to call home will never forgive us. The path we are on today is one that will make lose all. What will it take for us to learn?
Remember the Ogaden war in 1977 that led to the loss of many lives and caused untold sufferings to our people, because narrow view of the situation? What will it take for us to learn? Do you remember what happened to our people who were refugees in Somalia, when hundreds were massacred by USC in Hiiraan on their way home, because narrow view of the situation? What will it take for us to learn? Do you remember when Mingeste has fallen and new day began but Ogadenia remained the same� because narrow view of the situation? What will it take for us to learn? Do you remember when the educated are labeled �anti-peace� to have them run away for their lives and the region was handed to sleepwalkers, the result; disaster, because narrow view of the situation? What will it take for us to learn? Do you remember the hunger of 1999, 2000, 2005 and the one of today, because narrow view of the situation? Do you remember�? Or is it true that �Ogadens are hard to learn and quick to forget�? I hope not!
If you have been following the news since the arrival of Ogaden�s traditional leaders, the elders, in the overseas, words like �sent by Meles� and �paid elders� have popped up to describe them. Even though I do not personally know the personality of each elder, I think these words wrongly characterize these wonderful men. I think we need to stop characterizing them and rally around them in the cause of Ogadenia.
Gone are the days when Ogaden issue was one-group problem. This is why Ogadenia is where it is today. Ogadenia won�t listen single group that claims to have a diagnosis of the Ogaden problems and solutions to them, but their past actions speak to the contrary. They need to realize that their time is past and Ogadenia is beginning new day. We need a new breed of leaders who will take us to a better future. I think that with the peace movement of our elders, a loud message is being sent to those who have regarded themselves as "the only ones,� be it ONLF or SPDP. We, as Ogadens, should be conscious of the fact that it is not about how long a group has been around, but does the group have Ogadenia at heart. Is the group willing to serve selfishly or to enrich themselves?
Instead of starting to characterize our elders as a �paid elders,� let us rally around them. It is not about the elders, but the betterment of Ogadenia. Brothers and sisters, Ogadenia is at a huge crossroad, I don�t know how much you realize it! Whatever happens during this peace movement will go a long way in determining whether we continue in this hopelessness that have been with us for the past 100 years or head to a brighter future. This is the historic and epochal challenge that we must meet with humility, patience and perseverance.
Allah has something good in store for Ogadenia, there is no way the suffering of this innocent community could go any more, but if we do not rally around our elders and support them, and instead look down upon them, we may not achieve it. Let us stop looking to the so-called �the only ones� and rally around our elders as they stood for peace and justice for Ogadenia during these difficult times. Because of their hard work, dedication, and determination, let us give our elders the benefit of the doubt.
Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile
[email protected] |
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