The Case for President H. S. Mohamud to Be Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Somalia has been in a state of chaos and instability since 1991 when the then President, Mohamed Siyad Barre, was overthrown by a popular uprising. International efforts have led to the election of seven presidents and more than a dozen prime ministers.

Although the country has experienced tremendous developments for the last 30 years, the country today is battling a dangerous insurgency and other latent conflicts. It is puzzling to many how people having the same language and religion can be involved in such an intractable conflict for over three decades. It is due to this situation that folks outside Somalia ask whether the Somali people are a collection of violence-lovers not interested in peace and a functioning government.

Far from it. Like every other community, Somalis express their hopes and aspirations through art. Their omnipresent hope and aspirations have been well captured by Somalia’s legendary poet, Ahmed Tarash, when he postulated that “Dalkeeng ii dadkeeng, diinteen Furqaan ii, dunyadii nool, dowlii ing baahanaayii”, (our country and religion, and even the animals need a government).

I opine that if the current President can create the necessary atmosphere in which the Somali people can sleep in tranquillity by establishing a well-functioning government, the twenty or so million Somalis living within the country and without, will have their dreams achieved.

Achievement of this humongous task makes Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a suitable candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. Are his plans and achievements so far pointing towards the attainment of those above stated goals?

The Nobel Peace Prize is the most coveted and most discussed among other Nobel Prizes. Alfred Nobel, the man behind the idea of the Prize, stated the prize be awarded, among others, to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

To examine whether Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is worth the Prize, each of the three conditions need to be analysed against the president’s achievements and plans.

 Holding of Peace Congresses

In his inaugural address of June 2022, the President reiterated that his guiding principle during his term will be the clarion call ‘‘Soomaali heshiis ah, dunidana heshiis la’ah’’ (a harmonious Somali Society, and in harmony with the world).

He undertook to build the poles and trellises of a sustainable reconciliation process that can address clan and subclan grievances. The President states that to reduce greatly the difference between the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states, he will adopt a consultative and all-inclusive approach to the conduct of state affairs. Although he has been in office for barely eight months, the President has already conducted over four meetings between the two levels of government in Somalia.

It was the late great poet, Mohamed Ga’al Xaayow who told us that “yoolbaara la’aan aa, badweyn loo yumbanaa”, (it is without establishing the depth of the sea, that we sink). It is imperative therefore, for the President, to establish a competent entity to undertake the gigantic task of identifying the primordial causes of conflict in different regions in Somalia. Luckily, Article 111I of the Somali Constitution indicates the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to ‘‘foster national healing, reconciliation, and unity, and to ensure that matters relating to impunity, revenge, and other triggers of violence are addressed through a legal and state directed process’’.

Above all, history has proven that a reconciliation process that is not anchored in justice is an exercise in futility and thus will be a waste of resources.

Fraternity among nations