Abdirazak Hussen’s second republic was Africa’s most democratic government of its era.

Evidence

Nine accomplishments stand out in the record left behind by the second republic. First, it was the first and the last Somali government since independence in which cabinet appointments were made on the basis of competence and not regionalism. Second, this republic has the honor of being the first and last Somali government to systematically staff civil service posts purely on the basis of merit and ethics. Third, Hussen’s government was the first and last government in which the opposition political parties were given opportunities to use the public broadcasting system to challenge the policies of the government. Fourth, no other government in the history of the country systematically curbed corruption and dismissed senior ministers and civil servants for malfeasance. Somalia’s most critical journalist, Yusuf Dhuhul, admitted as much in 1966 and in 1996 emphatically reiterated that the Osman-Hussen team led the best government the country ever had. Fifth, Hussen made African history as prime minister when he demanded that his new ministers declare their private wealth before taking office to ensure that they did not amass wealth while in office. As far as I can determine this is this first time any African president or prime minister demanded such transparency from his cabinet. Sixth, Hussen also became the first African leader to enact far-reaching civil service reform, unprecedented in African history, and establish a system of administration whose hallmark was merit, efficiency, and professional autonomy. Seventh, Somalis had political freedom that has not been seen since. Opposition members and individuals used the courts and civil servants used the Civil Service Commission to challenge the government when they felt or even imagined that their rights were violated. Eighth, Hussen’s government staunchly maintained a nonaligned policy while minding the interests of the country. This was the last government that upheld the sovereignty of the republic by negotiating with world powers and others without becoming a client. This incredible record has yet to be digested by Somalis, Africans, and Africanist social sciences. Ninth, two democratic changes of government took place, one at its beginning and one at the end of the first republic. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 957

Categorization

• SEED: A veritable checklist of achievements that were forgotten by later generations — an essay on the suppression of Africa’s democratic chapter would start here.