Somaliland: Arabsiyo Mass Graves Safe

 

Embarkments fully protect Arabsiyo 
mass graves (Above) from erosion

By: Yusuf M Hasan
During a president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo incognito visit to Gabile where he performed Friday prayers on 12 October 2012 astounded residents upon recovery from their shock of seeing their head of state devoid of usual retinue of presidential guards requested him to visit Arabsiyo.

In turn astounded by this unique requests by his constituents president Silanyo and his meagerly entourage composed of by minister Hirsi Haji Ali, Police commissioner Gen Fadal and head of presidential security Gen Feisal together with a few residents left to unravel the mystery at Arabsiyo.

The Gabile residents team upon arrival in Arabsiyo took the president to the town's cemetery where the regime of Dictator Siad Barre used as a mass graves for Somalilanders butchered by his army during the 80's.

At the cemetery which is above a valley the president's astonishment continue after observing a grim picture of corpses and human bones protruding from their graves.
 

President Silanyo performs Friday
prayers at a Gabile mosque/File

Though the cemetery has for over two decades managed to contain its cargo load of haphazardly buried occupants in some instances over 20 to a 4X4 grave, the continuous pounding of the rains and subsequent erosion of soil had resulted in the horrid mess of human skeletons exposure.

On the spot consultations ensued with president Silanyo ordering an immediate construction of a wall geared towards the deterrence of soil erosion that was fully funded by the central government in figures yet to be disclosed nor has disclosure been sought by any considering the then existing emergency.

A spot check by Somalilandsun revealed that the embankments undertaken by local residents has withstood and the graves are secure according to residents of Arabsiyo who are wondering why the report of development achievements garnered by the /Silanyo administration in its three years in office failed to mention the graves protection works that they believe is among the best of Silanyo's tenure so far.

We at Somalilandsun concur with the knowledge that all administrators every on earth tend to be touch with what matters most to the governed

Cemetery

After the residents informed the president of their fears for the deteriorating situation at the Arabsiyo cemetery where soil erosion is picking on graves thus exposing corpses, the president went for a first hand site.

Embarkments keep cemetery safe from
erroding waters during rainy seasons

Following briefing by the Gabile regional governor as per the diminishing area of the Arabsiyo cemetery where thousands are buried and some corpses exposed due to ongoing erosion the president ordered immediate soil erosion control measures to be funded by the central government.

Read
President Silanyo Incognito visit to Gabile
Somaliland: Revisiting the Siad Barre Massacres
Somaliland: Evidence of War Crimes Unearthed

Source: somalilandsun.com