[Johnny]

I never denied that cultural influences went both ways.

I already stated that union with the south was an idea that was coined in Northern Somalia first.

Geographically sure, since if i travelled to Canada and you and me discussed a joint-project to be built in Hargeisa, one could make the claim that this idea was coined in Canada, regardless of our personal birthplaces, similarly those who coined that idea for a union came from various sections of our people that one simply can not trace back to a single specific region.

Back then a united Somalia was so desirable that people were willing to concede everything to their southern neighbours. There was no such thing as their 'Southern neighbours' for a vast swathe of cosmopolitan Mogadishu's residents came from modern Puntland and Somaliland, today there are hundreds of thousands still waiting for the storm raging there to calm down so they can return to claim their properties and possessions.

Italian was made an official language, although not a single person from former British Somaliland spoke it, which meant most of the government and civilian posts went to folks from the south. Mogadishu was chosen as a capital without any questions raised, academic instituitions were all placed in the south, without any questions being raised. The disparity in government posts was slowly being balanced out, remember that Prime minister Egal a politician from the North was practically running the show in the late 70s, or how a Northerner in the military, Captain Khaawe was one of the main protagonists of the bloodless coup. Hargeisa was made the second capital of our country, many trade schools/cultural institutions were built there, the largest landing strip for planes in East Africa was built in Berbera, and its small port was turned into a deepsea port. The main base of the Somali Airforce was positioned there. Let's be honest with ourselves, the Northwest is definitely not a region that could claim it's being neglected, no the real contenders would be the Central and Northeast regions.

I realize that Somaliland did not have it's own flag...afterall, the Blue flag of Somalia was invented by a man from Somaliland. Why would they have their own flag, parliament or anything along that matter when they were pushing for unification with the south? My point was never to deny this, rather, my point is that this pan-Somalism was misguided and came from an altruistic hope for things to come. However the following decades and in particular the last years of Siad Barre's regime changed all that forever. There was nothing misguided about Pan-Somalism, it was and is a very noble concept, since when is wishing self-determination for your kinsmen 'misguided'? Siad Barre was one man, he can never taint this concept with his unfortunate policies in the later period of his rule. Don't forget that Pan-Somalism is the reason why those Somali fighter jets landed in the Red Sea or foreign countries when they were ordered to bomb their own people by Barre, why focus on one man? If so why then turn a blind eye to one of his righthand men the current President of Somaliland; Riyaale, a former powerful NSS officer in Berbera, (be sure to read Rukiya Omaar's article on him) yet his actions seem to have been forgotten?

Lastly, that the non-Isaaq groups in Somaliland are obviously not as enthusiastic about secession to me, is proof of their clannish mindsets ("we will rather wait and stick it out, who knows maybe shit will get better in the south, although we already have a peaceful functioning country right now in Somaliland") and interests more than anything. I'm just glad that for the most part, Somaliland did not act like the paranoid and warmongering nation it could have been and instead, let them be. That's interesting, so you attribute to them the disease of having 'clannish mindsets' when it comes to their wish to remain part of a state with people from a myriad of different clans from their own, yet don't feel the same when it comes to the Hargeisa triangle?