Somalia future: IGAD, s captivity or donors rescue
_____
17/05/2013
……………………..President Hassan Sh. Mohamud has alerted the participants of LCS
II the danger of the imminent destruction and death that Somalia faces. He
reminded them that the first period of growth is always the most hazardous
when the most support and protection is needed. IGAD’s (Kenya and Ethiopia)
fresh offensive for continual captivity and strangulation of Somalia must be
confronted, stopped, and publicly repudiated before it is too
late………………………..
Mareeg.com-There is Somali adage that says, “Old man knows what causes his
death.” When President Hassan Sh. Mohamud of Somalia started his speech at
the second London Conference on Somalia (LCS II) on Maya 7, 2013, with the
metaphor of young sapling, which needs a strong stake, water, feed, and
protection from animals that try to eat its soft bark and kill it, he should
have in mind what causes the death of Somalia- the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD)’s captivity or strangulation. He rightly
pleaded for an international donors’ rescue. Somalia needs, in addition of
aid and investment, protection from neighbors determined to knock it over.
President Hassan stated his vision for a federal Somalia with resurgent
economy at peace with itself and with its neighbors, poses no threat to the
world; a Somalia with values of kindness and respect for human rights.
As of today May 15, 2013, the Somali territory from Kismaio city to the
Kenyan border is politically and administratively cut off from Somalia and
is under the full occupation of the Kenyan Government (KG) in contravention
of the international law, the UN Security Resolutions S/Res/2093 (2013) and
S/Res/2102 (2013). The Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) stationed in the area
became occupying foreign forces and KG’s ultimate goal is to control if not
to annex three border regions of Somalia-Gedo, Lower and Middle Jubba- for
geostrategic objectives by creating what it called an Autonomous Jubbaland
(Azania) State. English language is one of the official languages in that
area.
Originally, Jubbaland area comprised Bay, Bakol, Gedo, Lower Jubba and
Middle Jubba regions. The name is derived from the Jubba River that crosses
parts of these regions. The territory is populated by diverse communities.
The new Jubbaland excludes Bay and Bakol regions.
The Jubbaland (Azania) showdown between the Federal Government of Somalia
(FGS) and the Kenya Government, supported by Ethiopia, China, French, Norway
and Italian Multinational Oil Companies, traces back to the rejection of the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on fabricated maritime border dispute by
the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia in August 2009. Immediately
afterwards, Kenya Government undertook the Jubbaland (Azania) State
Initiative in cahoots with former defense Minister of the TFG Professor
Mohamed Abdi Gandhi. The outcome of this historic showdown is decisive for
Somalia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence.
The Jubbaland initiative has four aims. First it facilitates the Kenyan
control if not annexation of three border regions of Somalia for
geostrategic interests. Second, it caters to the strategic interests of the
foreign countries and the multinational corporations involved. It bolsters
the short term greedy ambition of self-styled Somali predatory leaders under
the emotional hype of clan land ownership. It helps Ethiopia which throttles
the emergence of a Somali State that responds first and foremost to the
needs and aspirations of the Somali population.
On the announcement of the creation of Jubbaland (Azania) State on March 30,
2011 recognized by KG as an autonomous state in addition to dozen others,
the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-ST Paul Minnesota of April 3, 2011 reported
that the Somali Information Minister Abdulkareem Jama said the new states
are a bad idea. "Taking that path is a disaster," he said. "The idea that
every region and every group of people has to form their own government
without the consultation of the national government will only create more
differences among communities and encourage Somalis not to come together."
The Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine reported on April 04, 2011 that “the
so-called Jubbaland Initiative seeks to partition the regions of Gedo, Lower
Juba and Middle Juba and their 1.3 million people from Somalia.”
The Jubbaland crisis is protracted to sink the UK led international efforts
for rebuilding the sovereign State of Somalia within its territorial
borders. Ethiopia and Kenya are spoilers determined to frustrate all
attempts of the Federal Government to lead Somalia. Somalia’s future depends
on which one of IGAD’s captivity or donors’ rescue partnership prevails.
A flurry of activities intended to make the Federal Government contested and
irrelevant took place before, during and after the London Conference (LCS
II). On April 27, due to pressure from Ethiopia PM, President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud travelled to Mombasa, Kenya to meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta
for a second time in the less than three weeks.
The Joint Statement of Understanding issued at the conclusion of President
Hassan’s visit outlined four principles that re-affirmed the IGAD’s
sequester of Somalia and that constrained the sovereign exercise of
authority of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). The Joint Statement
did not offer Kenya’s unequivocal support of FGS position on establishing
Jubbaland Administration. The Joint Statement created diversionary
priorities like the issue of the return of refugees instead of accelerating
the prosecution of war against Al Shabab for final defeat and supporting FGS
to take full control of the security of at least the south central Somalia.
On May 3, 2013, in his speech at IGAD Summit, President Uhuru Kenyatta
expressed undue exasperation about the lifting of arms embargo of the TFG,
resurrected the old tenet of the centrality of IGAD in the internal affairs
of Somalia. He went further stating that IGAD (Kenya and Ethiopia) remains
the singular guarantor of peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.
Finally, President Uhuru laid down his principles and priorities for the
Somali security force reform. As member of AMISOM forces contributing
countries, KG overreaches its role and undermines the sovereign supreme
authority of the FGS.
While the London Conference was underway, a Kenyan delegation led by
official of the Intelligence Service went Kismaio and held talks with local
leaders to demonstrate support for the continuation of the Jubbaland
controversy. These endless gambits show the determination of Kenya
Government to force the Somali Government to accept the Jubbaland initiative
against its national interest.
The Federal Government of Somalia is fragile, politically incapable to
engage and sustain never ending maneuverings, permanent interference and
subversions. It has declared its priorities to unify a deeply fragmented
society and rebuild functional national and local institutions able to
deliver the basic functions of State in cooperation with international donor
community.
On May 12, 2013, a plane carrying Somali citizens was turned back in the air
by the KDF controlling Kismaio. This blatant transgression of Kenya
Government forces under AMISOM infringes the legitimacy of the Federal
Government. Somali elders, elites and leaders from Jubbaland requested the
FGS to break its silence and protest against the offending actions of the
Kenyan forces.
On May 3, 2013, the 21st Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and
Government of IGAD issued a Communiqué that overruled the stabilization plan
of the FGS and prescribed five intrusive policy principles to weaken FGS’s
leadership, supreme authority and to encourage the continuation of internal
tensions. Those five principles include IGAD centrality (interposition) role
over Somalia’s internal affairs, fighting Al Shabab as primary focus, all
inclusive consultative process with the people of Somalia and respect of the
Provisional Constitution. The Somali government was directed to revise its
stabilization plan in accordance with the manipulative five principles. IGAD
appealed to the international community to base its support to Somalia on
those five interfering principles.
IGAD decided to send a humiliation mission of the Federal Government to
Kismaio. The Somali government will only be a member of the delegation. As
IGAD wishes, this will open a Pandora box that will intensify the internal
political fragmentation and conflict which will kill the international
commitment to the statebuilding mission in Somalia. IGAD antagonizes the
statebuilding mission in Somalia.
Three days before the successful LCS II, the PM of Ethiopia Hailemariam held
talks with the President of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamud Silaanyo in Addis Ababa
for the expansion of the cooperation in security, trade, education, capacity
building and port services between parties. President Silaanyo welcomed the
new robust relations with Ethiopia. There was no pitch or word of support
for Somali unity for inclusion and statebuilding.
More amazingly, the Speech of PM Hailamariam of Ethiopia delivered at the
LCS II reiterated the long standing phrase of protecting the primacy of IGAD
over the political process of Somalia. Another ominous phrase was the
insistence on stopping the proliferation of initiatives by non IGAD
international actors. It seems that the Ethiopian leader is oblivious to the
fundamental shift of the international approach towards Somalia. Ethiopia
and Kenya should fall in line with the international community.
The people of Jubbaland are citizens of Somalia and have the right to pursue
their legitimate interests within the framework of national unity under the
Provisional Constitution and through their national representatives in the
federal government and through their traditional leaders, civil society,
intellectuals, religious, and business community leaders. The Kenya
Government’s behavior is against Somalia’s harmony, political freedom and
right for self-governance.
President Hassan Sh. Mohamud has alerted the participants of LCS II the
danger of the imminent destruction and death that Somalia faces. He reminded
them that the first period of growth is always the most hazardous when the
most support and protection is needed. IGAD’s (Kenya and Ethiopia) fresh
offensive for continual captivity and strangulation of Somalia must be
confronted, stopped, and publicly repudiated before it is too late.
Mr. Mohamud M Uluso
mohamuduluso_at_gmail.com
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Received on Fri May 17 2013 - 22:38:30 EDT
