g0t clan
A temazcal is similar to an Indian sweat lodge from the United States. It is very amazing both physically and the release that you put your body through... but even more so for the amazing group of women that you are with. I truly felt reborn. I did not get home until very late- I mean like 2:30 am. It was several hours of absolutely wonderful.
In the beginning we were all asked to write down some of our intentions, the things that we wanted to ask for and focus on. Some of mine were...
1) Surround myself with people who genuinely love me and care about me
2) Spend more valuable time on things that worked towards my goals
3) be me and be happy and fulfilled with it
etc. you get the idea. Then be burned them into the fire. The songs and chants and fire and steam and songs--- all was perfect. When I got home then next morning I could feel Ruben looking at me. he was not just looking at me while I slept- he was starting at me. In awe. A women can feel it. I know he loves me always - but there are times when I can actually watch him remember how much. After almost 10 years I can watch many thought go across his mind. He was starting at me in awe and I could feel. My transformation from the previous night had become to take a hold in my life. It was great.
Aideed’s mistake
It was clearly a mistake to shift from rural guerrilla operations to attacking the city and attempting to seize power there if Aideed did not have the fire-power and the accompanying organisational capacity to capture it quickly and retain the control. Those Somali groups seem to have been suffering from the mentality of “putschism” – wanting to seize control even when you do not have the capacity.
This is apart from the more fundamental ideological issues of those groups basing themselves on clanism as a base of political organisation. This created a proliferation of warlords based on clans. These warlords disintegrated the unity of the country and turned it into fiefdoms.
At some stage, former President of Kenya, Mzee Arap Moi, started mediating among the Somali groups. After a long time, they agreed to share power in the transitional government that was supposed to last some years and, then, go for elections.
This formula has worked in both Congo-DRC and Burundi. The IGAD countries supported this formula. If any Somali group was interested in helping, this was the easiest way out of the problem. Such a group or groups should have prepared for elections so that legitimacy is re-established.
