The establishment of a viable government that upholds the fledgling constitution of the country is a threat to the warlords who benefit from the chaos and anarchy that is raging in the country. If attained, a functioning government could indeed change the present status quo and impose law and order on the ravaged country. The strong opposition of the various warlords and religious extremists in Mogadishu to reconcile with the Transitional Federal Government is a clear indication of their intention to prolong the present political landscape in Southern Somalia.

These warlords have enriched themselves from the absence of a functioning government. They collect taxes from the goods exported/imported from and into the country and recieve generous fees from various makeshift airstrips, seaports, businesses, NGO’s and all entities that trade in illegal drugs.

Sh. Yusuf Mohamed Siyaad (Indha Cadde)
A prime individual who is adamant in his opposition to any legitimate government ever taking control of the country and setting foot on his turf is Mr. Sheikh Yusuf Indha Cadde, who controls a vast and an agriculturally rich region that includes Jannaale, Buulo Mareerta, Qoryooley and the two old historical port cities of Merka and Brava.

A recent United Nations report alleges that Mr. Indha Cadde, who calls himself “Sheikh Indha Cadde” or “the white-eyed priest,” deals in drugs and thus breaks every law in the book including the Islamic Sharia. He is reported to have his own fishing fleet, collects revenues from Merka Air and Seaports and charges a 15% fee to the NGOs that operate in the Lower Shabelle region and provide live-saving services to the week and famine-stricken Somalis in the absence of a functioning government.

Jannaale and its environs, once known as the breadbasket of Somalia for its rich agricultural production and mechanized large scale cultivation of banana and other fruits for export, is said to be bursting with Marijuana. The UN report emphasizes that Mr. Indha Cadde uses modern techniques of crop production to produce the drug, and employs skilled agriculturists to grow high yielding and potent marijuana which he then exports to the local and international markets. Worst he confiscated these farms from their rightful owners who used to grow and export crops such as bananas and grape fruits that were providing employment and earning hard currency for the nation. The replacement of food producing agricultural farmland with centers of drug production in a country closely associated with famine and starvation is undeniably crimes against humanity. Mr. Indha Cadde, a former army soldier is living large at the expense of the innocent citizens of Lower Shabelle region.

The much talked about JNA program, which was marred in controversy immediately after it was proposed and which was put on hold quickly has raised its ugly head again-modified or rather camouflaged to appear more inclusive but actually re-entering the scene through the back door. It has only one new thing in it – which is the acknowledgement of the existence of some communities in the southern regions, and a small carrot has been thrown in their direction. What was the issue at stake when there was all that hula balu? 

For the last few months, as the Somali Nation prayed for rain and peace, and as the elected representatives of the Somali people congregated in the City of Baydhabo for the historic session of parliament (the first on Somali soil), outlaws like IndhaCadde and his ally in crime Barre Hiiraale have been consolidating their grip on the powerless farmers of the Shabelle and Jubba rivers. As the rest of the Nation celebrated the reconciliation of top leaders in Baydhabo, thugs masquerading as religious leaders have been working overtime to tear the country further apart so that their looting of the natural resources of the country can be extended. But their tactics of hiding behind fake allegations and scapegoating can only get them so far. The Somali people have found them for what they really are: thieves and murderers.