By Adam Bulle, Since the independence to the fall of Mohamed Said Barre in 1991, the Southwest regions and its people remain losing their historical identity facing different challenges under the name of nationalism and homogeneity their culture ribbed; their dialects were marginalized because when the regime took over the power through military coup d’état it formed a national commission to write Somali language which of course AF-MAAY and AF-MAHA were the main dialects.
The commission dispossessed with no justification to include the MAAY, which is the richest one of Somali language dialects in to the plan because of clan marginalization.
In March, 1995, in the midst of the Civil War, Digil- Mirifle intellectuals agreed toestablish their own autonomous state and it is the second state after the self-declared state of Somaliland in 1991, this state was locallynamed (MAAY NIING DAN EH State) which means what is our interest, with two houses; an elected executive house let by president Dr. Hassan Sheikh Ibrahim “Lawyer Hassey,” and the House of elders chaired by Malak Mukhtar Malak Hassan.
However, in September 17, 1995, seven months later after the formation of the inter-Riverine State, namely May Niing Dang eh, the later hardliner General Mohamed Farah Aideed and his clan militias attacked the regions, took over and committed all sorts of crimes against the people and the motive was just to destroy the administration.
But, the intellectuals and military personnel from Digil-Mirifle community committed to establish Rahawien Resistance Army (RRA) which the main aim was to fight and defeat the so-called Salbalaar administration, let by Aideed the senior.
The Aideed militia had enjoyed all brutality to kill, rape, rob, displace the people of the regions of Lower Shabelle, Bay and Bakol in the 5 years they dominated the regions, but in 1999 RRA liberated Bay and Bakol from the while Lower Shabelle remains in the occupation since then.
Throughout the hardly strategic efforts which led by the Rahawien Resistance Army (RRA) done in years resulted the achievement of different victory which of course lead different recognition internationally and locally in political power sharing as well as the acceptance of other Somalia communities.
In 1997, the Somali Peace and Reconciliation Conference, held at Sodere, Ethiopia recognized that, Digil-Mirifle will have the same political claims as the Hawiye, Darood and Dir in Somali governance.
At Mbeghati, Kenya, in 2004, one of greatest Somali dialect AF-MAAY was acknowledged as another official Somali language in the constitution.
Definitely, these continuous victory and changes which comes gradually was not really easy task to gain, but the toughest operation that RRA done in a durable time throughout years resulted tangible and perspective dream that each and every one was waiting to reach this trance at the end of a day.
On 17 November 2014, a total delegate of396 in Baidoa representing the Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions elected former Parliament Speaker and Ministry of Finance of Somalia Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adanas the President of the three regions Southwestern State of Somalia.
President Sharif Hassan received great welcoming and recognition from the federal government of Somalia, other regional states, USA, UK, IGAD, AU, EU, Ethiopia government and other international community membersafter his inauguration ceremony and acceptance speech in Baidoa that has never seen in the new recently formed states in Somalia which clearly shows the strong personality and his transparent policy that will lead the administration to be very accountable and quickly developed the major tasks ahead.
In conclusion, most of the Southwest regions intellectuals, elders, politicians, youth group, women group, business and the rest of the community strongly believe that President Sharif Hassan is the right person who can hold this position because of, he is one of the greatest politician and the most influential leaders in the Somali politics and also he had a close relation and good contact with the international community, therefore, the most successful strategic policy of the President Sharif Hassan will give more hope to the Southwest State regions and its people which of course they predict initially that SWS will be more potentially leading state regardless of security, infrastructure, education, social basic needs and economic development as well in respect with other regional states in the country for the coming years.
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Adam Bulle Abdikarim – Political Science student at Savannah University in Mogadishu
