Kulmiye Rift has become a common phrase in recent days and many people in Somaliland are talking about it because what is happening inside the leadership of the Kulmiye opposition party feels different from old political arguments and feels deeper than a normal disagreement inside a political group and some people are even asking if this Kulmiye Rift could change the political map of Somaliland in the coming years
The talk about the Kulmiye started when reports came out saying that senior party leaders were not agreeing on the direction of the party and on who should lead the next phase and even though internal disagreements happen in every political group this one looks stronger and more serious and many people who follow politics closely believe that the Kulmiye will not fade quickly and might grow if it is not managed carefully
For many years the Kulmiye party played a big role in Somaliland politics and even though it is now in the opposition it still holds a strong position among supporters who want change and believe in the party vision and this is why the Kulmiye Rift is worrying many ordinary Somaliland citizens who feel that the country needs a stable opposition that can challenge the government in a healthy and democratic way
Kulmiye Rift inside leadership circles
Some members close to the party say the Kulmiye Rift began when different groups inside the party started pushing their own preferred direction and some wanted stronger political action and others wanted a softer or more diplomatic line and this difference in approach created mistrust between some senior figures and led to the situation that now everyone is calling the Kulmiye Rift
As the discussions continued the Kulmiye appeared in public through speeches interviews and even community meetings and many supporters who used to feel united now seem divided because they do not know who to follow or what the future of the party will look like and this shows how serious the Kulmiye Rift has become because when a political disagreement reaches the public it becomes harder to fix
Growing concern among supporters
The Kulmiye Split is also affecting the party youth wing which has always been energetic and active and many young people say they feel confused about the direction the party is taking and they want the leaders to sit together and find a clear plan that protects the unity of the movement because they believe that the Kulmiye Split is weakening their voice and making it difficult to prepare for the coming political season
At the same time some elders and community leaders are calling on the party to heal the Kulmiye before it becomes a long term crisis and they say that Somaliland needs strong political competition but not political chaos and that an opposition party with internal conflict cannot fully represent its people or challenge the government in a meaningful way
Supporters of the party say the Kulmiye might also affect public trust because people want to see leadership that is focused on national issues not internal disputes and they want the party to talk about development jobs health security and youth opportunities instead of leadership disagreements and many believe the Kulmiye is distracting the party from these goals.
What could happen next
There are some voices who say the Kulmiye Rift could also open a chance for reform because sometimes when a party faces a crisis it finds a new direction and new energy and some believe that if the leaders handle the Kulmiye Rift in a responsible way they could rebuild the party stronger and more united than before but this depends on whether the leaders are ready to listen to each other and put the party above personal interests
Others however think the Kulmiye Rift is a sign of a deeper problem that has been growing for years and that the party needs more than simple talks to fix it and they believe that rebuilding trust will take time and effort and the longer the Kulmiye continues the harder it will be to repair relationships inside the party
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For now people in Somaliland are watching closely because they know the country needs stable political groups to keep democracy alive and many are waiting to see if the Kulmiye leadership can solve the Kulmiye and bring the party back to one united voice or if this internal disagreement will push the party into a more difficult future
