Toor, elected as SNM chairman in 1990 against the resistance of key members of Red Flag and with a limited power base, would probably be deposed at such a meeting and is in no hurry to agree Toor is accused of riding roughshod over cabinet, a lack of commitment and action in getting Somaliland on its feet, and a deep suspicion that he favours reunification with Somalia rather than independence. The May 1991 declaration of secession was a move forced on Toor by overwhelming public pressure, a consequence of the devastation visited on the region by the forces of former President Siad Barre, overthrown in January 1991. Political tension is being focussed along clan lines as both sides cast around for support. The unifying factor of the SNM's nine-year struggle was the removal of Siad Barre, but little thought was given to the creation of a separate Somaliland. The army, bulk of whom are not SNM veterans but young recruits, is still organised in clan units.
Ministers owe allegiance first to their respective clans.
The government has little authority outside Hargeisa and has to work laboriously through clan elders. Donations to the SNM from Isaaks abroad have largely dried up since last May, channeled instead to family and businesses. The administration is run by unpaid volunteers, and there is no formal taxation. The current crisis is a result of the manner in which Hargeisa attempted to hold its sway. In November, Defence Minister Mohamed Kahin, a Habr Jalo and Red Flag member, planned the creation of a national army, but was sacked and detained.