SOMALIA: The Jurisprudence of Tribalism
Often I shy way from participating or commenting on political matters concerning my land of origin, partly due to my lack of contextual knowledge, and partly because it is illogical to partake in something fundamentally flawed in relation to one's principles. This fault is the reason why my previous A-political stance has altered, and also due to my unwavering belief that we are each capable of becoming catalysts of positive change so long as it is truly desired. Since the civil war ended in Somalia, subsequent governments have all based the administrational structures of the country on the clan quota system. This tribal established structure known as the 4.5 formula, which empowers the four main clans namely Darood, Digil, Hawiye and Mirifle while grouping the rest of the country’s inhabitants as the others (0.5), is what I consider illogical. Traditionally in Africa such systems have been used to unify different ethnic groups who found themselves fo