“Why you changed the previous tweet”: Somalis lash out after UK defence secretary terms a Somali region a country

By The Star Staff Writer

MOGADISHU – For the U.K.’s Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, it’s a correctable diplomatic gaffe. But for the Somali government, it’s a real PR disaster just days after it expelled a top U.N. envoy to project an image of a powerful nation that can punish foreign diplomats who mess with its sovereignty.

On Monday, just hours apart, the U.K.’s defence secretary has edited an explosive Twitter message in which he first referred to a northern Somali region as a “country” before changing his tune and calling it only “Somaliland.”

“I had the privilege of meeting with the President of Somaliland @musebiihi to discuss strengthening the relationship between our two countries. I also had the opportunity to see some of the work our Armed Forces do in Somaliland. #Somaliland,” Williamson tweeted at 16: 36 on Monday.

Then again at 8: 37 A.M., he posted a new tweet, removing the nine words — “to discuss strengthening the relationship between our two countries” — that made Somalis erupt in anger.

“Good to know before u post #Gavin shame on you,” said Nuuradiin Surcad in his response to Williamson’s edited version.

A screenshot of the first tweet was captured by eagle-eyed Somalis, with one Twitter user, Osman Barud, tweeting: “the most dangerous weapon is screenshot.”

While some termed Williamson’s message “offensive” and “insensitive”, others made fun of his flip-flopping.

“That’s a diplomatic gaffe sir. Somaliland is NOT a country, Somalia is. It’s a serious misjudgment sir! I thought you should know,” wrote AGaal in his response to Willaimson’s tweet that attracted hundreds of strong reactions.

The secretary of state for defence’s message triggered a seemingly unintended war of words among different Somali groups: Between unionists and separatists who support the Hargeisa administration, and between admirers of the national, Mogadishu-based government and its opposition.

“Just like your Government (has a) strong position on Union Jack and not giving up Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland, we do not want to divide our Somali Nation and will always be under the Somali flag, Stop this nonsense of President Of Somali-land, and respect our sovereignty,” said Nabiil Nur.

The Horn of Africa nation’s hot-button issues, such as foreign peacekeepers, foreign aid and the viability of the northwestern administration in Hargeisa and the weak national government in Mogadishu, were all caught in the cross hairs.

‏“Somaliland is just a poor tribal region within #Somalia, the whole world knows that,” tweeted Murad Ali, who calls himself a nationalist.

Somalis who opposed the apparently political move to expel the United Nations Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Haysom on Jan. 1 also saw Williamson’s earlier tweet belittling the unity of Somalia as a chance to get even with the supporters of the national government who shamed opposition members for being unpatriotic and opposing their country’s decision to eject a foreigner.

Aw Hirsi, a former government official, ‏ said “perhaps, it is our folks in @TheVillaSomalia that have rattled a copra (sic),” taking a dig at President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo’s national security advisor, Abdisaid Ali, who on Dec. 31 tweeted: ‏ “If you rattle a snake, you must be prepared to be bitten by it,” quoting the words of former Kenyan Minister John Michuki.

The Somali government didn’t yet comment on Williamson’s tweet.

For the separatists, Williamson’s first message calling the northern region a country did the trick. To them, it has exposed the fragility of the foreign-protected national government in Mogadishu and its inability to influence happenings in the northwestern region that has been trying to secede from the rest of the country since 1991.

“Somaliland is not part of Somalia (‘s) failed state, It is an independent country with a system of good governance, democracy, justice, equality and sustainable development,” tweeted Hassan Mohamed. “Do not change your tweet for failed state somalia, you R a Great Britain Sir !”

Williamson’s decision to edit his tweet seems not to have amused both unionists and pro-Hargeisa Somalis who apparently wanted him to stick to his guns.

“Why you changed the previous tweet,” wrote Kheyralnisaa Roble, who identifies herself as a women and youth activist.

Another unionist, Ahmed Nageeye, wrote in his response to Williamson’s tweet: “our Sovereignty is untouchable and you should not try to hurt our peoples, feelings (.) hargesa is our second city.”

The defence secretary’s tweet came just days after the U.K., Germany and the European Union suspended their support to the police force in the southwestern Somali region due its conduct during the recent election, especially after the area’s police commissioner said his force would shoot demonstrators in Baidoa city if they engage in “something bad”, arguing that “the law allows for them (police) to kill you demonstrators.”

“My message to our leaders, we as Somali people were ready to open a new page with all nations, but seems UK is insisting to show us enmity, @M_Farmaajo & @HassanAKhaire enough is enough, Uk companies are not welcome in investment & reconstruction deals…,” tweeted Hersi Sharmarke, tagging President Farmajo and Prime Miinster Hassan Ali Khaire in his message.

The significance of the defence secretary’s tweet seems to lie in the fact that the wording he used — “between our two countries” — were exactly the same words used by Queen Elizabeth II on June 26, 1960, when the United Kingdom gave the northwestern region its independence, only days before the territory merged with the southern part of the country to form modern-day Somalia.

The defence secretary didn’t reveal the security issues he and the leaders of Hargeisa administration discussed during his visit, but London has recently expressed its interest in having more military footprints around the world.

In an interview with The Telegraph newspaper, Williamson disclosed that the U.K. would increase its military presence overseas after Brexit, especially in the Caribbean and South East Asia, describing his country’s decision to quit the European Union as ”our biggest moment as a nation since the end of the Second World War”.

“This is our moment to be that true global player once more – and I think the armed forces play a really important role as part of that,” he said in the Telegraph interview published on Dec. 30^th.

Williamson said leaving the EU would allow the U.K. to return to the “east of Suez,” which it withdrew in the 1960s. The east of Suez is mainly areas once controlled by the defunct British Empire in the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.

“I am very much looking at how can we get as much of our resources forward based, actually creating a deterrent but also taking a British presence,” he said in the interview.

Supporters of the Hargeisa administration prodded the secretary to recognize their region as an independent state.

“Mr. Secretary why you changed your mind? You posted two different tweets at once! … Somaliland is an existing reality, and it existed before he (President Farmajo rose) to power and it will exist without ‘Somalia’. Don’t lose your neutrality!” tweeted Nasir M. Ali, director at the University of Hargeis’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

“You shouldn’t (have) deleted your first tweet! We liked! It’s … Damn right! Don’t (let) trolls change your desire,” said Zamzam.

But Abdi Shek disagrees: “As a Somali-British and tax payer, it’s good to see that the Uk is supporting Somalia while respecting its sovereignty. Hope you had a great time in Hargeisa, Somalia.”

Abdifatah Awaare lambasted the defence secretary’s decision to raise bilateral issues with Hargeisa, a peaceful territory that escaped much of the chaos and lawlessness that devastated the southern parts of Somalia.

In international diplomacy, wrote Awaare, “you can’t discuss … bilateral issues with regional leader while federal government is ready, this is totally unacceptable and interfering (in) our sovereignty and unity #UKministerDividingSomalia.”

Williamson’s tweet was not only an embarrassment for the national government but it has also exposed its limited writ outside the capital.

“Mr. Gavin you have no right to break (the) international law and diplomacic (sic) norms by encouraging separatist movement stay out of Somalia affairs,” Ahmed isse said.

But Adam Musa Abdilahi said Somali unionists’ U.K. bashing smacked of jealousy.

“The Weak Somalia government is so Jealous (of) any positive thing coming from their Brotherly Neighbor Somaliland because they’re just complaining about a tweet let alone something bigger,” Abdilahi tweeted.

Some Somalis seemed confused about Williamson’s real intention: Which one — the first tweet or the second – has represented the U.K.’s true policy toward the Hargeisa administration? Could it be possible that the first tweet was just a trial balloon to test the Somali public’s opinion?

“The change of semantics in your post does not necessarily change the fact that things are not the same anymore. Somaliland is not Somalia,” Mohamed Hassan said.

Abdillahi M. Ali, a journalist, said ‏residents in the northwestern region, will take Williamson’s original tweet “as little nuggets of truth that give the Somaliland issue the air of legitimacy.”

But another Somali who uses 19 December 1919 as his name and seems to be from unionist Sool region, asked: “do u still think Somalia is under colony? Is UK an ally or enemy of Somalia because so far the UK behaviour and words toward to Somalia don’t match. @GavinWilliamson.”

To Twitter user, Zizi-abo, Williamson’s editing didn’t change the message that his earlier tweet conveyed, saying: “He literally tweeted# Somaliland again and emphasized on the president part.”

Angry Somalis have even dredged up the U.K.’s past abuses against Somalis during its colonial rule.

“…British colonies bombarded civilians in Taleh Of Sool region. UK Civilized Citizens will not be pleased to know this truth. Shame on you mr Gavin,” wrote G-Garaad, referring to the 19^th century aerial attack on Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan’s forces.

Abdifatah Jubba said in his tweet, “Historically, Britain was a country used to undermine the unity, integrity and solidarity of Somalia. UK handed NFD and Western Somalia Kenya and Ethiopia respectively. While your country denied the rights of Wales, Ireland and others but undermining Somalia #shithole.”

British colonists added two Somali regions to Ethiopia and Kenya in the 19th century.

Angry at the U.K. government’s refusal to honor the results of a plebiscite in which Somalis in Kenya voted overwhelmingly to join Somalia, Somalia’s then government cut its diplomatic ties with Britain in 1963.

“So foolish and rude (.) In early colonial rule of UK (it) has divided Somalia into five territories and today going to divide two rest brothers Somalia and Somaliland Shamefull (sic),” Eng-Abdisalam Salad Mohamed said.

Mohammad Ibrahim said Williamson’s first tweet “has an effect” on Somalia’s sovereignty because the man “already recognized” Hargeisa administration and needs to be reprimanded.

‏ “Hopefully UK will take an action against their citizen mr @GavinWilliamson for his tweet which (is) actually damaging the soverignity (sic) of #Somalia,” Ibrahim tweeted.

“Sir, you’ve made a big mistake, as you wrote “Our two countries” where is the Somaliland’s map on the world? Please stop intervening our internal affairs. As a British-Somali citezen, I’ll campaign against your Party … because of this,” Bashir Nur Hersi ‏said.

Despite Somalis’ strong reaction, some were courteous enough to thank the defence secretary for walking back on his earlier tweet.

“Thanks for the correction.. Next time before you write on (sensitive) topic like this make some research. We repeat that Somaliland is part of Somalia,” tweeted Southwest Voice.