Subi Quran Qeebty 12 -17 Baidoa

MANDERA DEMARCATIONS

Mandera conflict

BANISA DISTRICT CONFLICT

Garri Culture and Traditions

The Garri culture and traditions can be classified as:

1. Ceremonial Cultures
2. Religious practices
3. Mamaaks Afaan Garri (Garri Proverbs)
4. Poems ( Gabaygi)
5. Geerar
6. Saarki
7. Shabal
8. Camel Dance( Sirb Gaala)
9. Duri Duri ( Oral Narrative)
10. Liila ( ladies songs)

Garri Language

My Language

One of the most important aspects of the human intellect is the ability to communicate with each other and this act can be very difficult if you try to make a conversation amid a language barrier.  These facts can only be understood during your travel or interacting with strange people who happen not to figure out a word you are uttering. The frustration and the tragedy can be exacerbated when they also don’t understand yours. I happen to experience this unfortunate but eye opening incident when I travelled to Mozambique some years ago for my business trip. 

The residents of Maputo don’t speak any of the international languages spoken in east Africa be it English, Swahili or even Arabic. Their national language popularly used around is Portuguese and as for me let alone speaking the strange language, my practical hearing of those words is for the first time in my entire life and I could not comprehend a single utterance that was constantly flown in to my face.

When I tried to communicate around using English it finally dawned on me that the language I thought all along that it’s a widely spoken tongue, has no place or recognition in this part of the world. No one understood me but as I was about to give up someone gestured “Swahili, Swahili” implying if I can speak Swahili and I shrieked with delight and shouted on top of my voice “ ndiyo, ndiyo” meaning yes I can speak Swahili. At long last there is a breakthrough to my communication breakdown.

They hurriedly brought to me a Congolese man called José who speaks funny Swahili. Although I struggled in understanding his dialect at first, it was better than any alternative at my disposals at that particular juncture. We continued our conversation and among his funny phrases I gathered he constantly referred to as “bamutu banasema” meaning the man said, referring to the man I wanted to buy some commodities from. In spite of being different from the standard Swahili the communication went ahead and José helped me in saving the day.

The incident reminded me of a friend of mine in high school who constantly teased me about the Garreh dialect especially when I spoke to my brothers, he seemed to so be intrigued by the words to the extent that whenever he heard it he bursts out laughing citing how strange the words sound to him and he always wonders the ingenuity of my people in using different languages to form a secondary language that resembles his but slightly different. . Among the phrases he loved so much were Ba’autich (unlucky person) a’reed(come here quickly) A’adhar(express of surprise)  gog(literally means ‘get out here) and dimbi (sin).The phrases are all Garreh dialect but my friend find it very funny and sometimes claims that we are destroying his language. We normally had a particular game we liked to play and we call it afaan kiy (my language).The game is played like this; we would mention few nouns that we thought contained disparities and tried to analyze and see whose pronunciation is right. The questions are; is it limme or liilme? Yeench or leench? Tarri or takhri? Marr or magr? Lukhme or lumme?  La deem or Ya deem? Aadda or aboow?? After our constant debate on the right pronunciation for the nouns we conclude we with famous boran statements summarizing the difference between them and safar (Garreh).

The statements are; “Marra suudhi jette, Dubraan galtam ette, Waaq lakichhe rabi rashuulki jett.( They call the grass suudhi, Girls galtam and they stopped calling Waaq (God) and resorted to Rabb and Rasuul ( God and his prophet). The differences and similarities of this nation can be understood by this short narrative.

There are other dimensions to this rich culture and that is half of the Garreh nation are the current residents of a province in Somalia called Shebelle hose (Lower Shebelle)and this kinsmen cannot communicate in the generic Garreh language we discussed earlier. They speak their own language known as Af karre or as it is popularly known as Garre dhow referring to the familiar sound they make when they make conversation. This language is slightly different from the May May language and research is needed to establish which language is the primary and which is the secondary. A lot of evidences are pointing towards this language as the original language spoken by the people around this region. Their aboriginal tendencies of safeguarding their culture, the superiority perceptions and their rich oral tradition are among the major signs that favor their claim to being the original residents of this province. Among the phrases they use are “biti” which means a non Garre person that also translates to an inferior person.

Although am not a linguist everybody will agree with me as a common knowledge that it will take very many centuries for any culture to possess and maintain their own language. I will assume that the language spoken by the Garrehs in Somalia is at least 1500 years old if not more considering their rich oral narrative compared to their kinsmen and the fact that they were not affected by the great trek (kedi guuray). Their will to resist the domination by other clans and their steadfastness in retaining their ancestral land is very much came to their aid in retaining all their historical institutions like places, people, languages, landscapes and not to mention their most valuable properties i.e. their livestock. All this factors contributed immensely in preserving their culture to this day. Just like José who never disputed the existence of standard Swahili but pretty sure he was conversing in Swahili, I also believe that the language am speaking is mine and the hulla bulloo about who owns the language was not relevant or even a reality of any consequences to him and me. There are many who think Garrehs don’t know where they come from but the reality is far from the truth. The fact that we speak a mixture of Somali and Oromo language does not mean we don’t have own heritage, traditions, culture and language of our own. We most surely do.

Current Affairs

Dhaarti Gosa:

Galati chufti ka rabbi gudda subxaanahu watacaala nagaya raxmatile gubba isaa hatau rasuulki keen muxamad sallalahu alleyhi wassalam. Maqaalki kiya ardh waan iraa dubatu Dhaarti gosa. Nami guddin tolki waan inni aaminki qabu hagg garrin tokko ta issii gargar inbaan. Kalima sunin kalima zaaid dansa yo sila issiin jiraat ammo wanni zaaid khaasatan garri garra yake gan kum lama torba hagg garrin issiin gargarbaate kura it waldhabte cadoowgiin issii iraa faaideefat. Nam dhuug ka tolki ka kura sun iraa maraate jir nami gari ceebti waan tahu walaale yuule hariyaan isaa it kofalte waan tah walaal. 

Dhiirti guya sun garri gara iraa hamate hag amma yo maqa kura itdhawan hin baraarugd. Ammo galati rabbi hinbadini dhaliyaridi wabaratef ta amm skuul kee jirtu hagg yaaroole tan rabb nudurat bulchina isii nuu dur yaatu raja dansa nam seene ta sun duub hag nuyin isbedela dhufu dandeenu. Yaarole rabb kheerki keninaafi sacadi digdami lama guya kamu daraaddi garriitiif halkanif guya hiriib dhabd. Nami gari huji issi sunu in argu yaarole akan irjirti teen iraa shaqeeytu shufuro nama taaye afaanin rigat. Duuba garrin waa yette kayim yaarole issii tufatan gaadis keesat koobe dhaanani eet.yo nami sheysheeidi yaarole arabsu ka shufuro tamu yaarole afaan rigatu nuyin maant nuu mal hag nuin kope dhaanu nam yaarole teen arabs abba fedh yo ini taate. 

Gurba garri kamu ka ardha yaaroleen nuu dur dhaabde balbal garri ga bafaat male waan yaarole jeebki issi keesa ga fuute mit. Garri kiti kamu inqoodate nami garri ka ak balbal an keesa dhalate kiti tokko le in argane ammo zaaid it qanaca qabb maan enaan balbal tiyat goaanki sun naa gafuddh anle it raalidi. Waan an zaaid iraa gara hameen qabu hag nam gari kiti balbal isaatin kenaaniifi ammo inni it qancu dide duub edhe wani yaaroole odeesit sun indeemtu anin in ejj edhe gazeeta waan chuff ini keesat dubate sun isaat iraa masuula yo nami is waliin jirele gadum baati yo rabb edhe. Abeera haji abdikadir yo inni ka ejj taate sunin waan garrin baldho zaaid iraa hamaatu maan enaan nami kamu nam keesa dhalate yo tolki kanke inni si dhowe atin dhowamu didde waan sibbua waliin beekna maan yenaan garrin asharaaf madoowa afaan issiitif abaarsale iraa haftu nu chuf walumaan beekna.

Maqaalki wanni inni iraadeemu Dhaarti gosa, duuba garrin ardha hag akan issii tolteef takuma in toleef maxaayeele hag issi waldhageete issiin yaarole yan doorate been odeefadh kura garri ka barr kana issin chirat hagam maan enaan xaasid faat maqaalki kan akhriya cadadi isant himu infedhu. Dhalinyaridi garri dhuug walhaasofne waan an iraa dareeme hag jii sadihi (march) kunin zaaid it fagaat maan enaan sila amaan tan kura kan buusite xaasid kan kope kaayu feet. Kayim waan anin isaani dhaamu garrin kitile issi zaaid dhuug ammo sheysheidi garri waliin qodana ta ir goomtu ta garile ak sareen baana fula issii nu tukhtele marki torb ufuraa dhikhna maan enaan wanni issi garri tochite abba liibe le tak akass nuu tochin. Qood tolki gad haff kana amanle garrin inqoodat nami gari kiti argat ka garile eeyb garri argat ak mwalimu fa faataxidi fudhate amanle garrin irb iraa isuuma kennit. Kayim waan isan taatani waan yaaroleen teen nuu murte ha it qanacnuti maxa yeeley gorf fooqo qabut eyb qaba. isanile tolki chuff ka danduf ramo lamaan yidu qubatu ha iraa fikirru male danti shaksi faa, contract faa, huji faa waninsunin danti shaksitif daanti caama ka garri ardh chufti it olejaanjitu ta dubri keen chufti assaaay waliin hidhate fadlan hairaa fikirani. Garrin ardh tokk wallahi nami gargar  baasa edhe leen gudeedat chachaba. Gabaygi le it isaani dara duub akaasifu wabillahi tow fiq.

THE PRICE OF DISUNITY: A VISION OF POST MARCH 2013

There is one very important proverb in Somali which says “ Shaarta u diyaar garoob kheeyr waxba kaa dhibi maayse” this can be loosely as prepare for the tough times since prosperity will bring you nothing but goodness. I have realized recently that many of our youths are flirting with the decisions that may bring us disunity. Slogans like “Chitto Tosha or Mumad should not be given second chance” decorates the cyberspace, while others flagrantly  quick in accusing Billow for our disunity and some went to the extent of saying  A M Noor is not fit for the position Mandera North MP.

The trouble with all this is that for the people who worked on the unity of our people for many months is nothing but heartbreaking and demoralizing initiative not to mention the wastage of time on what may become fruitless effort. Its normal for this people to feel exhausted and defeated especially when they see the people they try to unify for all those months disintegrate on a very a trivial issues.

Some of us are unintelligently playing with fire by planting the seed of discord with in our community. Our people came to the difficult and tedious decisions of anointing the seven political seats plus the nineteen county representatives and I am glad in announcing that all of these individuals are efficient and capable leaders. In embarking this difficult journey of many years which was marred with contemplation, hard thought decisions, compromise and arbitration our people reached the agreements of this anointments.

Even though I have realized that these decisions did not go smoothly at times without oppositions, but in the end it is regarded as the best decision under the given circumstances. We are also aware that human beings have flaws and to expect an impeccable person to lead us let alone a politician is not only a dream but also an almost impossibility especially with matters regarding the governance and political decisions. The unity of our people clearly depends on the mobilization and voting as a block to elect these individuals in order to sustain the semblance of orderliness and do away with the traditional method of campaigning where each clan campaigns alone and this led to our present state of confusion and disunity not to mention the energy and resources spent in gaining the support of the population.

The alternative of this arrangement by our people is nothing but total disintegration. I will try to give you the glimpse of what may happen if we don’t vote as we planned now. The D community is strategizing on bringing in their candidate for governor, and this candidate may be from G unit or not but nevertheless the candidate is meant to divide the community. It’s a much known fact that the M clan is vying for senator and by supporting the D clan in their quest for governorship then they will get their slot. The strategy of all is to divide the votes. Any slight changes to any of our line ups will bring anarchy and disorientation and ultimate fall outs that our enemies are praying for.

Some of us are seen to inadvertently writing phrases like Fulani Tosha! That happen not to be in our line up then this will obviously bring chaos. If for example some of us due to our clan affiliation goes and vote in favour of our clan candidate then what is stopping others to go for their clan candidate. All this selfish efforts will bring us to square one. The effect is that the governor and the senator goes to our competitors while we squabble on the remaining seats that are feeble and which are not even that effective in this new constitution.

In conclusion, I would like to advise my brothers to stop all the rhetoric’s that might trigger our disunity. We that I will say let’s have a tactical team that will oversee the voter registration act just to monitor how the registration cards are acquired so that we may not deviate from our original plans. Those ones who are instigating on the people to get their voter registrations other than the most crucial area of concentration like Rhamu and Warguud should be warned and stopped at once. Let’s unite and get back what belongs to us.

Long Live G Unit!!!!

The Price of Victory

Every time whenever I think of the negative forces against the unity of our people I become dismayed but this time the situation is very dangerous to the extent that many of our people are threatening to derail the unity government that was supposedly being organized as we speak.

On the Election Day I happened to be at shantoley polling station and I volunteered to help the elderly and disable members of our community to vote. To my amazement I came across an eighty year old mother who was very frail and shaking and as she supported herself with walking stick I helped her to a chair and pleaded with the polling clerk to help her make her mark.  This was a conversation between her and the polling clerk.

Polling Clerk : Mama raisiki een feet ? ( before he call all their names )

Akko Amina: Gurba Kenyatta

We all laughed!

Polling Clerk : Governor een feet?

Akko Amina: Ali Roba

And she said in a whispering tone .. Rabbi si chiteesi edhiin and we all laughed again

Polling clerk: Senetor een feet?

Akko Amina: Bilow keerow

Polling clerk: Barlamaan een feet?

Akko Amina: Adan mamad nuura

Polling clerk : Intalti tante eenu?

Akko amina: Maqa isi inbeeku amo faataxidi dhiyaati

Polling clerk : councilor kanke eenu?

Akko Amina: Issack Dahir

We all congratulated her and shouted mash Allah and we realized that the effort our people put in to this election was massive and the degree of the civic education they embarked on without the help of any government or non-government institutions were commendable. I will compile a report of my experience of the 2013 Rhamu election will come to you soon. My point of reminding you of this incident is very simple that in spite of all negative elements that wanted to devour us we triumphed and managed to gain such a win in the history of the Garreh community and that victory should be defended and protected at all costs.

There is a proverb in our language that can loosely be translated as “a foolish person is gagged whenever he is in the gatherings and whenever he goes out he shouts at the top of his voice”. The intellect of the human being is so diverse to the extent that you can classify to an infinite possibility. The process of the Garreh community to reclaim their political relevance was going very nice and we have completed our process to the extent of 99% but at the end, the masters of deceit have created such chaos that can be similar to the one who downloaded software for his computer and as it reaches 99% download a virus that destroyed the whole of his hardware.

The wisdom behind the youthful Anointment

The much awaited general election 2013 is just around the corner and to say that we are anticipating a great change is just to put it very mild. The posters and placards are flying from every corner of the county and in the cyber world. Apart from the obvious commitment to abide by our communal interest we need to understand the logic and wisdom behind their appointments by our high authority. 

To encapsulate my understanding of the revered political process one thing is for sure indeed ukiona vyaelea kweli vimeundwa! (If u see it’s floating on the sea, rest assured that someone somewhere is behind its making).  For decades our community has evolved through many stages of choosing leadership. If I can remember correctly in the beginning right after post-independence due to limited knowledge of the political process our leaders were hand-picked and the only ingredient required was just some form of literacy. Then we came to the stage where the influential spiritual leader such as seyyid (siid) appoints the leaders unopposed and the mass follows with minimum questions. 

The evolution process we experienced is the immense campaigning such as the time between A M noor and Adan Abdirahman in the late eighties. We have experienced the destructive campaigns of the year 2007 that divided the community in to sub-clans and created immense enemity between the families.

The current process is very precise and lengthy and presided by the prudent GCOE and although they managed to encompass the process in to our own periphery its nevertheless the only sound process that can not only resonate with all the residents of the mandera county but also our only hope of instrumenting a successful cohesion between all the communities in the area.  

Coming to why the youthful anointment, as we all know the current trend of the world leaders are all youthful in nature and this obviously includes the likes of Obama, Hollande, and Cameron all forty something gentlemen that served the epitome of the both digital and informed leadership.  In our case Roba, Omar, keerow and Fathiya are all typical examples of this kind of leadership. As far as the strategical thinking capability of Roba team is concerned our designated governor has already explained to us in his articles what is his vision for the county and how he will try overcome the challenges we face every day be it health, education and other service delivery facilities. The team is well versed in excising their administrative duties cognizant to their formal training and tertiary education.We needed a CEO type manager to develop and manage our county and not a politician as claimed by the opponents of this great team.

Therefore in this age of information we can easily conclude that education, management and leadership style is what made us choose Ali Roba and Billow keerow over all their opponents and let’s hope we cherish what we have and vote them in to speed up the development of our beloved county.