Tuesday February 11, 2025
By Sadik Warfa
Edward Wadie Said, a renowned Palestinian-American academic, literary critic, and political activist, stated that it is challenging to define an identity for everyone, including people and nations because identity is a complex and contradictory issue for both individuals and nations, shaped by history, culture, and power dynamics. True to his word, an identity crisis is the worst challenge that can confront a nation, shaping how its people define themselves in relation to their state, their communities, and the world. For instance, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine will unearth deep-seated enmities based on historical differences in identity derived from the Kievan Rus Kingdom, which is the beginning of both Russian and Ukrainian roots in the 9th to 13th centuries. Consequently, as the countries emerged and after the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991, there were profound divisions rooted in historical grievances, conflicting identities and resentment. The two countries are still at loggerheads on who the Kievan Rus' Legacy belongs. While the leaders are in a battle over who owns a legacy, it is sad that the citizens bear the burden of the war and violence.
A similar case is the recently concluded Palestine-Israel conflict in Gaza, a deeply rooted struggle fueled by historical, political, and territorial disputes. The war brought immense human suffering and resulted in widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of lives. The Israeli military carried out forced evictions of Palestinians, demolished homes, and left Gaza in ruins, with countless civilians killed or injured. The humanitarian toll was devastating, with families torn apart and entire communities reduced to rubble.
At its core, this conflict underscores the consequences of division based on national and ideological identities. A war that could have been avoided if, instead of seeing themselves as Israelis or Palestinians, people had first recognized their shared humanity.
What can lead nations to this position? Nations are facing an identity crisis worldwide because many of us have lost touch with the core values that bind us as human beings. We have forgotten what it means to be human. Instead, we let ourselves be divided by something as arbitrary and artificial as political boundaries, historical grudges, ethnic affiliations or clans. Somalia is facing a similar challenge. In the words of William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots." We are no longer letting our roots hold us as a nation; we have forsaken and forgotten our roots and now have fragile branches. It would be right to state that the roots defining our state belong to a strong tree, but sadly the branches of that tree have weakened.
To articulate my opinion on Somalia's identity crisis, all one needs to do is compare the old, culturally rich Somalia to the modern-day fragmented Somalia, evidently divided culturally, civilly and politically. Colonial history, including colonial exploitation, civil war and external interferences, has greatly compounded our identity crisis, and our kids bear the challenges of past traumas, the scars of a history of violence, struggle and division. Thus, they cease to focus on nation-building. In order to get out of this crisis, there is a need to formulate a new 'Somali Project.' That will entail acceptance of multiple storylines within the country and acknowledging that strength lies in unity rather than division by focusing on a common goal that unifies people, our culture, and the values of Somali people.
Rwanda would serve as a good example of how far an identity crisis would lead us to war and distraction. Having existed under colonial rule for a long, in 1994, preexisting ethnic tension and political animosity that had led to favoritism of the Tutsis above Hutus in Rwanda escalated, leading to 100 days of genocide between Hutus and Tutsis, wiping out a large number of the Tutsis leaving Rwanda without any working social, political or economic structures. A country with a tremendously low level of trust among its citizens and a high level of Post Conflict Stress Disorder. The Rwandan government has, however, put measures in place with the aim of restoring peace and order. Such changes have led to the country being globally acclaimed for its growth and relative orderliness. One such measure is the Gacaca courts, established to involve the nation's communities in the trial of the accused genocide criminals as part of the healing process and informing conscience. Such measures, if emulated, would greatly impact the process of rebuilding Somalia.
Closer home, the post-election violence in Kenya from December 2007 to early 2008 is a stark reminder that an identity crisis can only ever serve to drive separation within a society. Following a disputed presidential election, civil unrest ensued in Kenya, instigated by the ethnic Kikuyu and Luo communities. Rival groups clashed in protests and retaliatory attacks, and thousands of people were killed and others displaced. Similar to Rwanda, these clashes were rooted in foundational grievances over this ethnic favoritism in the political and economic spheres and a failure to address underlying identity politics (ethnic, tribal, or political). After the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007/2008, the constitution was changed to address ethnic/political grievances and the new constitution with the provision for decapitalization of power to the local governments, the mitigation of a 'winner take all' attitude in the presidential system of governance, and inclusion was enact in 2010. Further, Kenya consulted the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) to handle its own historical wrongs and, through actions such as the political reconciliation and commitment, committed its own handshake between then president Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga in 2018.
The diverse nature of Somalia's identity crisis stems from historical, social, political and tribal aspects of the nation. Historically, our leaders were elected based on their clans and families. This clan-based system has led to the establishment of a political system with many clashes over power and resources among clans, leading to conflict and instability. It has also led to a power vacuum that contributed to exploitation by extremist groups such as the Al-Shabaab, who take advantage of the identity crisis in the National structures. This then emphasizes the need for collective effort towards national cohesion and adopts a new approach towards politics and governance that will focus on education, strengthen its civil society and foster an effective policy for development. So long as tribes and clans prevail over individuals and the nation, it is difficult for the country to present a united front, especially against Al-Shabaab.
It's high time Somalia addresses its identity crisis; we have reached a stage where we can no longer let division by clans make us forget what makes us the same. Why do we allow these differences to define us when we are fundamentally one people who share a common language, religion, rich culture, and history? Nothing distinguishes us in a way that warrants division. We are united by our Somali identity, and a people united can achieve remarkable things. The most pressing issue we should handle and resolve is the ongoing tension between the Federal Government of Somalia and the regional states of Somaliland, Puntland and Jubaland. Addressing it will allow us to focus on more pressing issues such as security, economic development, social cohesion and the upcoming 2026 elections, which must be all-inclusive.
It is time to ask our citizens and leaders to focus on how far we would have gone if we worked on our nation's fabric and stopped defining our country and leadership based on clans. If we all look at ourselves, our beliefs, history, and culture do not reflect a clan. They reflect one tribe, the Somalia tribe. And if all Somalis came together and unified, focused only on the development of our nation and Somali citizens, then a Unified Somalia would be a great Somalia; we will make Somalia great again.
We stand at a pivotal moment in our history where we must take bold steps to overcome the identity crisis that threatens our unity and progress. This is the time to make history. We must commit to educating ourselves about our shared heritage and collective identity, recognizing that knowledge is the foundation upon which we can build a united future. It is time to confront our identity crisis head-on. We can no longer afford to let clan divisions dictate our narrative or hinder our potential. Instead, we must embrace our Somali identity in all its diversity and work together toward a common goal. Let us forge a path prioritizing collaboration, understanding, and inclusivity.
Mr Sadik Warfa is a consultant in international relations, governance and labor. He is a former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and also served as a Member of the Federal Parliament for Mudug Constituency, Somalia.