The Controversial Song

Saado Cali Warsame, a veteran Somali female musician has just released a song called Libdhi Meysid Laas Caano in the Somali tongue which translates to "thou shalt not vanish Las Anod". The song has become so controversial that it caused unnecessary uproar and friction among Somalis. The town of Laas Caanod is claimed by the unrecognized northern breakway republic of Somaliland which formerly was part of the British colonial administration before the formation of what became known as the Somali Democratic Republic. The southern part of Somalia was under Italian colonial administration in pre-independence Somalia. The unification of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland gave rise to modern Somalia in 1960. The inhabitants of these two unified regions share a common culture, religion, and language.

Laas Caanod is predominantly inhabited by the Dhulbahante sub-clan of the Darod clan. The autonomous region of Puntland is also claiming ownership of Laas Caanood because the Dhulbahante are related in blood to the Majertein sub-clan who are also Darod. Some high profiles from this disputed town serve in the Somaliland administration in Hargeisa while others serve in Garowe which is the capital of the Puntland administartaion. Saado Cali, the vocalist who sang the song for the disputed town is a Dhulbahante. She feels compelled to defend her town from the Somaliland administration that is struggling politically and diplomatically to secede from Southern Somalia. The fact is that Saado is expressing her views which seem to have angered others who dispute with her way of thinking. But who wrote the song in the first place? Emerging reports indicate that fingers are being pointed at a prominent poet and he has categorically and outrightly rejected the wild allegations being directed at him in the strongest terms.

The wars raging in southern Somalia seem to be accelerating without any break. Opposing sides are never short of willing fighters and sucide bombers. Any day blood is not spilled is a bad day for the fighters. At the time of writing this piece, the City of Mogadishu has been under seige because of heavy fighting between government forces and Ahlu-Sunna on one side and al-Shabab on the other. Somalis have been opposing each other in all aspects in every avenue. Leaders of Somalia have refused to give peace a change. Everyday, an unaccounted number of Somalis perish in useless wars perpetrated by merciless hooligans fighting over territory or over positions of power. Having fought many battles for almost twenty years in the south, Some disgruntled elements feel it is the right time to take verbal wars in the form of music way up north before the start of the real armaggedon.