Somaliland.
Our
nation’s
hidden
treasure
.
Few
months
ago, 6
prominent
Somaliland
elders
and
intellectuals
included
Hadrawi
and
Gariye
formed a
committee
(known
guddigii
dhexdhexaadinta)
to solve
the
long-standing
crisis
between
the
Government
the
parliament
the two
opposition
parties
and the
house of
Elders.
This
committee
had
immediately
solved
most of
those
issues
except
one.
But how
can the
Somalilanders
always
solve
their
differences
so
easily,
while
the
others
cannot?
How as
nation
can we
succeed
if there
have
been so
many
that
have
failed?
One of
The
greatest
treasure
our
people
had for
thousands
of years
and
still
rely on
is the
leadership
of our
elders
or (Duqaytideena)
and
strong
culture,
what I
mean by
strong
culture
is we
always
value
and
accept
what our
elders
tell us.
But how
can we
trust
and
believe
them so
much,
the
reason
is we
all know
that
their
interest
is the
interest
of their
people.
So to
understand
a bit
let us
go back
hundreds
probably
thousands
of years
where
our
nation’s
history
began.
Queen
Hatshepsut
the
female
pharaoh
of Egypt
left
Thebes
the old
capital
of Egypt
3502
years
ago to
organise
expedition
to Punt,
Somaliland
at
present
day,
although
Puntland
use that
name
today
without
asking
us any
permission
to use
it. When
the
Queen
Hatshepsut
reached
there,
she was
so
impressed
the way
that the
Chief
tribes
or
elders
had
welcomed
her to
this
land and
offered
her
present
such as
Apes
monkeys
skins
and good
fragrant
woods.
Three
and half
millennium
later,
the
Somaliland
elders
signed
the
first
ever
peace
treaty
with
Britain
at
Berbera
on 6th
February
1827, 50
years
before
the
creation
of
Somaliland
British
protectorate
in 1884
by
Somaliland
elders,
and this
what
they had
agreed.
Articles
of
friendship
and
commerce,
made
between
J.J.Gordon
Bremer
Esq.,
C.B.
captain
of his
Britannic
majesty’s
ship
Tamar,
representing
the
English
nation
in
northern
Africa
and the
sheikhs
of the
tribe of
Haber-awal.
Article
1st:
It is
agreed
that
from
henceforth
there
shall be
peace
and
friendship
between
his
majesty
the king
of
England, and the sheikhs
of the
tribe
Habar-awal
their
man, and
all
other
inhabitants
of the
coast of
Africa
over
which
they
have
authority
and
influence.
Article
2nd:
It is
agreed
that all
ships
bearing
the
English
flag
which
may come
to the
port of
Berbera,
or any
other
port
under
the
Authority
of the
Sheikhs
of the
Haber-awal
tribe
for the
purpose
of trade
shall
not be
molested,
or
injured,
but
shall
receive
every
protection,
and
support
from the
said
Sheikhs,
that
they
shall be
at
liberty
to enter
into any
trade,
they may
think
fit to
choose,
and that
they
shall be
at
liberty
to
depart
from the
said
port at
their
pleasure
without
impediment
injury
or
molestation.
It is
agreed
that in
like
manner,
any
Vessels
or
persons
belonging
of the
said
Sheikhs
of the
Habar-awal
tribe,
which
shall
come
into any
port,
belonging
to his
majesty
the king
of
England
shall
receive
protection
and
support,
and be
treated
in all
respects
the same
as other
Vessels,
or
persons
trading
to those
ports.
Article
3rd:
It is
agreed
that an
equivalent
for the
value of
the
British
Brig-
Marianne
and her
cargo,
which
was
plundered
in the
port
Berbera,
there
shall be
paid by
said
Sheikhs
of
Habar-awal
tribe,
to said
Captain
J.J.Gordon
Bremer
Esq., or
to some
person
duly
authorized
by him
to
receive
the sum
of
fifteen
thousand
Spanish
dollars
and
produce
to the
same
amount
in three
equal
payments,
that is
to say
five
thousand
dollars
this
year
1827,
and of
the
Hijera
1242,
and the
same
sum, in
each the
two
following
years.
Article
4th.
Two
Lascars
belonging
to the
British
Brig
Marianne,
having
been
killed
when the
said
Vessel
was
plundered
and
destroyed,
the
Sheikhs
of the
Habar-awal
tribe do
hereby
agree to
pay the
sum of
dollars
for the
support
of the
families
of the
murdered
men
according
to the
Islamic
Law in
such
cases.
This is
one of
the
oldest
written
record
we have
ever
found
signed
by the
Somalilanders,
also
full
description
the way
people
used
live in
this
region
3502
years
ago can
be found
Queen
Hatshepsut
funerary
temple
at Der
El-bahri
in
Egypt.
Axmed
Ibrahim
kadleye
Kadleye024@hotmail.com
London,
United
kingdom
