|
Sultan Hurre – we will not
forget you!!!
That the case of Sultan Hurre is haunting Abdullahi Yusuf in London is
perhaps a surprise to many Somalis, but not to me. In fact, I was surprised
that Mr. Yusuf sat back with comfort while he is accused of killing a
prominent Sultan cum intellectual. The former warlord has tried all the
tricks of the trade to silence “friends of Sultan Hurre” and the victim’s
family, but that was to no avail.
The case of Sultan Hurre is not between few individuals and a Machiavellian
leader. It is between those who believe in the rule of law and
accountability, and those who believe that rules are made by men and they
can breach with impunity (la jiifiyaana bannan).
It is unfortunate to see people considering the death of the Sultan as “a
minor event”. But if we look at the circumstances he was killed, as well as
his personality and profile, it is regrettable to be a Somali with
conviction. Let me simply put it this way, the Sultan was killed because he
stood up against the mother of dictatorship.
Mr.Yusuf claimed that he was the ruler of Puntland when his bodyguards
gunned down the respected Sultan in Kalabayr (Puntland) on August 17, 2002.
It is no secret that Yusuf gave the instructions of hunting the Sultan after
his convey accidentally converged with the Sultan’s car. The persistent
story goes that Col. Yusuf’s bodyguards run after the Sultan whom they
gunned down without raising a finger to resist.
The Colonel and his convoy did not even pay attention to the seriously
wounded Sultan. People at Kalabayr took the bullet-riddled Sultan towards
Galkacio. Unfortunately, he died on his way to Galkaio. No action was taken
what so even. Again it is no secret that certain individuals tried to accept
the culpability of the Sultan’s killing and make the case between
Abdullahi’s family and the Sultan’s. Abdullahi rejected and claimed that
“Hurre” was killed by the State of Puntland. Despite accepting the sultan’s
killing in the hands of his bodyguards (and responsibility), he is still
convinced that he could divorce himself from the political accountability of
the death he caused. Time and money can erase Sultan Hurre’s case, is
Abdullahi’s bet.
Apparently, Puntland (State) has institutions that take into task any
killing, more so when a prominent figure is the victim. What have these
institutions done to shed some light on the killing of Sultan Hurre? The
answer is nothing. Reason! Abdullahi did not try to investigate, despite
his well known claim in the BBC Somali Service, because the killers, his
bodyguards, may point a finger at him. There is no other explanation, and
indeed that is the commonly held version.
There are two lessons from this unfortunate episode of Somalia’s recent
history. The Sultan has enough supporters who will not give up their
campaign to let the justice prevail. The matter is not between Abdullahi and
the family of the Sultan. There is a significant number of Somalis who are
against the warlordism culture which is based on impunity in today’s
Somalia. It is the forces of democracy and rule of law against the forces of
arrogance and in-culpability.
The other lesson is, despite his record of warmongering and litany of
political assassinations, Somalis gathered in Nairobi in another black
August, and chose Abdullahi Yusuf as a national leader. Notwithstanding the
warning from his constituency about Yusuf’s inability to be a national
leader, it happened that Mr. Yusuf, the man who white-washed a
broad-day-light murder of a Sultan, to be selected as President of Somalia,
albeit in exile. This lesson is underling the fact that Somalis have failed
to learn from their previous mistakes. It is pity that they did it again and
again and again. Sultan Hurre is dead but NOT FORGOTTEN. President or no
president, Abdullahi Yusuf will continue to be a defendant of Sultan Hurre’s
brutal killing. We will continue to call for justice until justice
prevails.
Hashi Sagaar
|
