Ali AwDoll

What an extraordinary display of intellectual gymnastics! One must almost admire the audacity of attempting to disguise aggression as innocence and territorial expansionism as historical entitlement. Unfortunately, no amount of creative storytelling can manufacture facts, rewrite history, or transform an aggressor into a victim. The allegations of paramilitary advances from Oromia into somali territory deserve serious scrutiny, not this embarrassingly selective presentation of events. The reported testimonies of victims and evidence circulating on social media must be independently investigated. Propaganda is not evidence, and repetition does not magically turn fiction into truth. There is a Somali proverb worth reminding the architects of such narratives: “Nimaan sinnaan kuu ogoleyn, adna sarreyntiisa ha ogolaan.” He who refuses to coexist with you as an equal must never expect you to accept his supremacy. Perhaps the authorities in Oromia should spend less time entertaining fantasies of territorial dominance and more time studying the history, dignity, resilience and determination of the Somali people. Greater Moyale is a shared town, historically home to communities from both regions. This is neither a temporary arrangement nor a geographical inconvenience that can be corrected through military adventurism. No deployment of paramilitary forces, however ambitious its sponsors, can erase that reality. The Somali people have never required anyone’s permission to defend their homes, dignity or legitimate territorial rights. Those who mistake their preference for peaceful coexistence as weakness are making a spectacular miscalculation. And here lies the greatest absurdity, imagining that temporary military advantage can somehow confer permanent territorial ownership in the twenty-first century. What an astonishingly primitive theory of governance! Not one inch of territory should be acquired through intimidation, coercion or aggression. Regional boundaries must be respected. Those allegedly orchestrating these provocations from comfortable offices should understand one elementary truth: initiating confrontation is considerably easier than controlling its consequences. The communities who will pay the price deserve better than reckless political ambitions dressed up as patriotism. The planners may believe their intentions are cleverly concealed. Yet the allegations, accounts of victims and emerging evidence demand answers. Let this be absolutely clear: Somali people’s determination to defend legitimate rights must never be underestimated. Equally, no community should be condemned to endless conflict because of the ambitions of political actors. Oromia’s leadership faces a straightforward choice: pursue peaceful coexistence, mutual recognition and respect for established boundaries, or continue down a dangerous path that risks devastating both communities. And to the author of this spectacularly misleading tweet: congratulations on an impressive attempt to insult the public’s intelligence. Unfortunately, history is not rewritten by enthusiastic propagandists, territorial rights are not established through social-media fiction, and the truth does not become false simply because it is inconvenient. Moyale belongs to its people, not to expansionist ambitions. Coexistence is not a concession. Equality is not negotiable. Aggression must stop.