There are no people who do not deserve and require peace with honor. No body wants to see a brother or sister killed or maimed. No body in his right senses would condone acts of lawlessness and disorder. I for one have always preached peace in that region and have been vilified by many for that. I know that I have been finally vindicated and I am happy for that. There is one cause I personally think is just to fight for and that has been the subject of many people in the Horn the last few days. All Somalis are wandering what has finally happened to the Garre people who have hitherto welcomed all those who fled Somalia. During that time the Garre people did not discriminate and welcomed all and were at peace with all. Everybody was grateful for that. If the Garre people had better education and leadership they probably would be the best positioned to rule Somalia today. But we lack sophistication and vision and besides many of us do not want to soil our hands with the Somali mess as if as we are not Somali ourselves. There are actually many who argue for this point but it is just a mere topic of conversation. History knows better and will one day be written Insha Allah.

Back to the topic of war in Gedo. The old Garre name for this region, long before the Marexaan were born is "Kedi". That changed to "Keda" and finally the new comers from Mudug and Galguduud renamed it Gedo. According to Garre history "Kedi" extends all the way to what is today the border between Kenya and Ethiopia. Therefore all lands between Juba and Wayaama is called Kedi (Gedo if you like). But that is history and is only important for academic purposes. Whoever came before the other is of no consequence now. We are all in Gedo together whether we like it or not. We have had fighting before and there have been long periods of peace after that. People who live together are likely to brush against each other, but should also be ready to talk to each other and listen to each other. May be after listening to the other person's point of view each will appreciate the other. We are equal in front of God. We may have not been treated equally by the Government for the last 50 years but that does not make one group better or wiser than the other. On the battle ground for the last 4 months, it has been seen that armed equally and with no government backing the Marexaan will never beat the Garre. It is anticipated that there will be yet another battle and from what I here the Marexaan are really mobilizing for war. But although the result of that future battle can never be certain now, we can however reasonably predict what might happen. The Marexaan will loose again and this time round they will suffer bigger casualties. After that their force will be destroyed and their entire region will be dangerously exposed to other people who are watching this conflict very closely. I know that there are people who are ready to jump them from Kismanyu to Baidoa and including Luuq and Baardheere. They know it too but are very embarrassed to let the Garre go away with this victory. In their frustration, they will make a tactical blunder and go to war and crush. Many Marexaan intellectuals and politicians and elders know this danger and are unwilling to let it happen. But few individuals in Beled Xaawo are unwilling to let this go. There is a reason and a history for this.

The Ceeldheere clan of Marexaan and the Murulle of Mandera-Kenya has had a long history of political and economic corporation between them. They have lived side by side ever since the Murulle came from Hiiraan and were settled in a small area between the Garre and the Marexaan. They were to act as a buffer zone between the two giants who have had numerous wars between them over the years. But because of language and other reasons the two some how got close and ganged up against the Garre. When the British and the Italians left in the 1960s and electioneering came to that part of the world, the Ceeldheere always registered in Kenya as voters and voted with the Murulle in all the elections. It was difficult to know who was Murulle and who was Marexaan and they just passed as Murulle. The Garre always blamed the Ceeldheere for tilting the political balance in favor of Murulle. Besides, many Ceeldheere invested in Kenya through the Murulle and that too increased the economic power of the Murulle.

In 1983 when the Somali government was still in place and in Marexaan hands, a war broke out between the Murulle and the Garre in Kenya. The Ceeldheere again sided with the Murulle and actually fought on their side. When finally the Murulle were on the verge of defeat, the Somali Government, with the instigation of the Marexaan sent in the “Daraawish” across the border to prop them up. At that point a large group of Garre Militia who were camped at Ceelwaaq also intervened on behalf of the Garre and the Daraawish were routed. That was the last battle and the elections in Kenya followed soon