By Ali Haji Warsame

As I settled in Bosaso, I felt the first time at home. Bosaso was an open city with fewer scars of the civil war, and business was the main thrust in the city. As the weather turns hot in the summer and with fewer facilities to cope with the extreme heat and humidity at that time, residents often seek another home outside the city during the Xagaa-bax period. That time could stretch for almost 5 months, from early May to the end of September every year. Imagine being used to the mild climate of Mogadishu and the refreshing breeze of the Indian Ocean, only to face the extreme harshness of summer temperatures reaching 40-45 degrees Celsius in Bosaso with basic facilities. Feeling safe and a sense of belonging was everything to me at that time, and I was pleased to have experienced a luxurious and peaceful life once again. However, I was constantly worrying about my family’s safety in Mogadishu. Due to difficulties in communication and the constant bad news coming from there, I was increasingly unsure of their safety and well-being.

I settled at the Al-Haramein Hotel in the city centre, a modest motel yet luxurious for its time. The hotel was owned by a prominent figure in the city, a very hospitable elder named Geddi Aden Sugulle, may his soul rest in peace. He was amicable, and I felt a close bond with him. We soon developed a strong relationship built on mutual respect. There were even rumours circulating in the city that I had married one of his brave and beautiful daughters due to our friendship. It would have been a privilege to have someone like him as a father-in-law, and I would have taken great pride in that, but it was merely a rumour.

As Mohamed Abshir Muse left Galkayo after his (s)election as the new leader of SSDF, he moved to Bosaso. At that time, Galkayo was the fault line between SSDF and USC, and soon it would be a battleground. Garowe was a tiny and shabby city without any public facilities, even though it didn’t have basic hotels or reasonable restaurants. Travellers coming from Galkayo would typically have their lunch in Burtinle and their dinner at Sunajiif. Meanwhile, those arriving from Bosaso would enjoy lunch at Alxamdulillaah and dinner in Burtinle. At that time, it was clear that Bosaso was the ideal city to be the base of the new administration, primarily due to its facilities and steady income from the port.

General Mohamed didn’t appoint a cabinet as we had expected. My understanding is that he was still waiting for Mogadishu to stabilize and return to a state of normalcy. The reason could be that the sudden collapse of the central government of Somalia left us without any infrastructure outside of Mogadishu, as well as the absence of state or regional administrations.

As a result, the governance process became fragmented, making it uncertain how to revive the country or any part of it to establish a functioning system. The situation resembled a jigsaw puzzle that was waiting to have its pieces connected. Whatever the reason, the new head of the North Eastern regions was reluctant to establish a new administration or cabinet.

However, he did appoint a new mayor to Bosaso, a full colonel from the Somali National Army, Mohamed Ahmed Macawisle. He was a veteran marine who spent several years in prison during the military regime’s discontent with the people from the North-Eastern regions. Col. Macawisle was known to be a decent man with high standards of integrity. After his nomination, he was somewhat puzzled about how to begin his work and where to start. The entire country was upside down, and the chain of command had collapsed without any clear substitute. In a highly centralized country where everything revolved in and around Mogadishu, a city-state, it felt as though normal operations had just evaporated, leaving everyone uncertain about the next steps.

The new mayor approached me after hearing that I graduated from the SIDAM Institute, a respected government institution specializing in Accounting and Management and that I stayed at Al-Haramein Hotel. He sought my advice on how to begin his work and serve the city and the new administration. I advised him to start by creating a budget as a foundation for his efforts. As soon as I mentioned the word “budget”, he appeared startled and began to stand up. Disinterested, he tried to leave, but I gestured for him to stay and asked why he was leaving so soon. He politely explained that the mention of the magic word “budget” was all he needed to hear, as it signalled what was expected of him, and it connected the dots. I felt the importance and power of a proper budget in governance. With accountability and transparency, all government operations should stem from it. This is a principle that all governments in Somalia, at all levels, have failed to adhere to.

The time was February 1991, and the country was in a very bad state, while the civil war was playing havoc in the South. The news that was coming from Mogadishu was too bad, but this part of the country seemed to be safe, or so it was thought. At that time, Galkayo didn’t fall into the hands of USC with bitter consequences for the years to come. During this this, Bosaso port was the only open and functioning exit to the country while Berbera, Mogadishu and Kismayo were not operating, and the goods that were transiting through Bosaso were reaching as far as Beled-hawo.

At the end of February 1991, the United Somali Congress (USC) launched a surprise attack on Galkayo and took control of the city. This event marked a significant and dark chapter in Somali history. A military communique released by the military wing of the USC confirms that they have engaged in a large-scale offensive aimed at liberating Mudug and have successfully defeated the remaining Faqash forces and taken control of Galkayo in central Somalia. The communique further stated that on February 26th 1991, the USC forces led by Gen.-Mohammed Farah Aidid attacked Galkayo of Mudug region, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy and bringing the town under USC control.

According to USC report released on 3rd March 1991, the SSDF losses totaled 550 killed, 320 wounded and 200 captured. Meanwhile, according to the report, the “so-called” SSDF redeployed armed men to Beira village from its base in Ba’adwein village to secure some strategic areas but were confronted by the USC, resulting in yet another defeat. According to the SSDF sources, the death toll was significantly higher. The casualties on the USC side were minimal because the attack was both surprise and unexpected.

Before that time, Galkayo was bustling city that served as a crucial link connecting the southern to northern regions of Somalia, as well as North East Somalia to the Somali region (Ogaden region). Geographically, Galkacyo is located at the very centre of the country, making it a key economic, political and cultural hub. It is approximately 700-800km equidistant from the main cities of Bosaso, Hargisa, Jigjiga and Mogadishu.

Galkayo acts as a cultural bridge between the North and the South of the country and a business hub with considerable political influence. The city also serves as a strategic border, dividing two of the four major Somali clans. This significance prompted the USC militia to plan the takeover, targeting those who were believed to be affiliated with the SSDF. As a result, Galkayo became a battleground and deadly flashpoint during this tumultuous period. As a city with a diverse population, the previous clashes forced the USC-affiliated clan to evacuate their part of the city, but they never ceased to return, not to settle anew but to conquer.

As Galkayo fell, the entire atmosphere in the NE regions changed overnight. A mobilization effort emerged to stop the advance of the USC militia and to plan the retaking of the city. This became a defining characteristic and hallmark of the region. Many people from this area had moved north from the South, particularly from Mogadishu, leaving behind everything they owned. They struggled to cope with the recent attack in Galkayo and the looming threat of further advances inland, as that was the plan.

As hundreds were either killed or injured, the challenging task was to organize the public to halt the advance of well-organised, fully equipped and well-prepared USC militia against a scattered population, most of whom were internally displaced persons (IDPs) without a formal command structure, apart from the selection of the regional leader, but remnants of former SSDF militia were still around although their leader, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and some senior members were still imprisoned in Ethiopia.

While I was in Bosaso, and the majority of the new people displaced in Galkayo were my close family and relatives, we decided to do something and take action. We organised ourselves and raised around $7000, which we used to purchase essential medicines, particularly those needed for emergencies. We departed from Bosaso with two cars: one filled with medicines, and we boarded the other one. On the journey, we were accompanied by Dr. Mohamed Gaani, Maxamed Islan, Dr Hassan Mohamoud, and Ustaad Ahmed. We arrived in Burtinle on the second day and established our headquarters at the district offices in the western part of the city.

As we witnessed the overwhelming scale of the injuries, mainly civilians, stories of death and destruction, we designated our centre as a referral point and transferred all critical cases to Garowe. We also organized the medical team in the city to provide the necessary care, and as our medical supplies dwindled, we departed back to Bosaso.

As I resettled in Bosaso, discussions began to surface regarding the proper management of the Bosaso port, which was very active and busy at that time. Since it was the only fully functioning port in Somalia, it was characterized by chaos in all forms. Every day, there were casualties at the port, and the mismanagement of anchored vessels fuelled conflicts, each fighting to be first for loading and unloading. The limited space available for vessels to dock meant that even minor misunderstandings could escalate into a serious confrontation with even far-reaching consequences for the city, its businesses and its people.

The business leaders were internally discussing the necessity of establishing a formal structure for the port. The new administration, led by Gen. Mohamed Absihir Muse, was keen and eager to listen to the concerns of the business community and find a solution.

We will explore the outcomes of these discussions in the fourth episode of this journey.

Ali Haji Warsame, MA, MBA, CPA
Executive Director – Hiil Institute
Former Puntland Minister of Education
Email: ali.warsame@hiilinstitute.org