Minnesota (UM) – Professor Ahmed Ismail Samatar went from one of the most respected Somali academics internationally, the leader of an international Somali movement (Hiil Qaran) and a presidential candidate to a disgraced warlord encouraging the shedding of Somali blood by Somalis.
Since his failed presidential bid in 2012, Ahmed Samatar has opportunistically aligned himself with the Kulmiye Party of Somaliland which has offered him nothing but the opportunity to continuously embarrass himself. Since this was at his own expense, it did not pose a threat to the Somali people. However, now that Professor Samatar has actively encouraged the continuation of tension and violence among Somalis in the tragic Tukaraq episode, he must be held accountable for inciting hatred and facilitating death between Somalis at a time when most Somalis are steadily moving towards peace, Samatar is abandoning all his values and trying to plunge the country back to war.
Professor Samatar built his academic reputation discussing how to rebuild Somalia but it seems that since he failed his ambition to win the Somali presidency, he has lost all direction. Mr Samatar must not be allowed to take his bitterness out on the Somali people because he as an American citizen can fly out of Somalia at any time despite his very actions sowing the seeds of conflict, division and bloodshed. Accordingly, the Somali government and responsible citizens should report Mr Samatar to the American authorities for his criminal actions. Mr Samatar is very proud and boastful of his academic credentials which he earned in the relative peace of a Liberal academic institution which certainly does not promote violence in recovering post-conflict states like Somalia. Perhaps now, it is time for his academic associates to disown him for the betrayal of the very values he used to promote on their campuses.
The Somali government has tried to intervene in the pointless battle between Puntland and Somaliland over Tukaraq without much success. Now it is for the people on both sides to protest against the shedding of their children’s blood and displacement for the political gain of the ruling elite who do not care about any of them.