From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed Aug 12 2009 - 08:52:46 EDT
Somalia: Why Sheikh Sharif is Clinton's Best Hope?
By Abdikarim Farah
Aug 12, 2009 - 2:09:32 PM
http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Opinion_20/Somalia_Why_Sheikh_Sh
arif_is_Clinton_s_Best_Hope.shtml
Following her meeting with president Sharif in Nairobi, US Secretary of
State, Hillary Clinton dubbed Somalia's feeble government as the "best hope"
for the country to return to stability and progress.
The statement may seem as a dreadful mistake, a show of hypocrisy and
indifference on the tragic situation in Somalia, but from the US Interest's
point of view, Clinton's finding is partly accurate, because one of its main
goals has materialized- an Islamist infighting.
Since the end of its disastrous intervention in Somalia in 1994, the United
States has maintained counter-productive policies after limiting its role to
prevent Somalia from a possible safe haven for Islamist militants and
installed secret agents in the country to hunt foreign Jihadists it believed
were hiding out in Somalia.
Early in 2006, as part of its global war against terrorism, Washington
backed Somali warlords who formed the "Alliance for Peace Restoration and
Counter-terrorism" to fight the "Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC), an
alliance for Sharia-based courts, that was later ousted by Ethiopian troops.
Inspired by Washington's counter-productive support to the warlords, who had
long denied Somali people any stability and governance, Islamists soundly
defeated the allied-warlords after winning public support and confidence,
and forced them to flee the country in humiliation.
Unarguably, the expulsion of the warlords marked the first time Mogadishu
fell into control of a single authority, signaling out a glimmer of hope for
restoring governance and order to Somalia. This could have been the most
successful opportunity for ending the lawlessness, had the Islamists
initiated national dialogue and gave the oppressed people a chance to decide
their future.
After the Interim Government, which controlled few swathes of the capital,
and its Ethiopian backers failed to end the insurgency, the United States
threw its weight behind a reconciliation process initiated by the United
Nations Envoy to Somalia, Ahmed Ould-Abdallah between the TFG and "moderate"
Islamists. Sheikh Sharif was later elected as president after power-sharing
agreement in neighboring Djibouti gave the opposition half of the extended
parliament's seats.
Despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in the wake of his election, the
fighting has continued unabated as his presidency come short to appease -as
intended to be- a growing insurgency in his own constituency- Banadir
region.
Due to poor management of its regular forces and lack of discipline among
former Islamist militias who joined the government, president Sharif's
leadership has brought the TFG more incompetence and increased its
dependency on the African Union Peacekeepers, who protect key positions in
the capital including the airport.
Today, Sharif government faces endless insurgency, nepotism, corruption and
more evidently, poor leadership and expertise to deal with the insurgency
despite his previous experience as insurgent leader, which was supposed to
help him.
Generally, as the conflict in Somalia has longed for two decades with half
of its population today depending on humanitarian aid, establishing
effective government able to launch genuine reconciliation, restore
stability and order, is the daunting task facing every leader.
Frankly, President Sharif is not the right person to deal with these issues,
because the main obstacles he faces date back to his previous religiously
remarks-labeling his opposition as "infidels".
President Sharif has right to change his ideas and political views as anyone
else, but past mistakes should be apologized and regretted if the person
changes his mind. During his UIC leadership, the president had never
denounced the use of violence, terrorism or recruitment of "foreign
Mujahedeen", and never supported the employment of African Union
Peacekeepers. In one of his previous hate-speeches (now played by opposition
websites to show how far the Islamist leader has changed his ideology),
Sheikh Sharif labels former TFG leaders, who cooperate with the West as
"infidels". He also considers the African Union peacekeepers as occupiers
and prefers his audience either to choose the anger of Allah or the United
States, among other phrases and slogans that radicalized the young
generation.
Although he abandoned his radical views, the president has never regretted
his past mistakes nor apologized for the public on wrong-doing, which is
crucial for the public to accept him as reformed character.
The government's public approval has plummeted when it signed a
controversial agreement in April on its maritime boundary with neighboring
Kenya that was submitted to the Commission on the limits of the Continental
Shelf as required by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS).
Last week, the Transitional Parliament has overwhelmingly rejected the
agreement after months of growing anger at national level and widespread
accusation that the government has compromised some of its coast to Kenya, a
serious accusation that would alienate the weak government.
Surprisingly, the decision of the parliament has infuriated the president to
the extent he accused his huge parliament to have succumbed to propaganda
and speculation saying it was not their role to discuss the matter. "It was
not an agreement, it was a memorandum of understanding and the parliament
has nothing to do with it" the president argued in an interview with the BBC
Somali Service (07/08/08).
Now many in the country consider him a western puppet instead of a new or a
"best hope" for the country. The more support the international community
provides to his government, the more it damages and undermines its
legitimacy and public support. This doesn't mean the international community
to halt its support to the government but to play a support role not an
interventionism role.
For instance, the United Nations Envoy, Ahmed Ould Abdallah has lost his
neutrality as international diplomat and acts as a defense lawyer for the
government and sometimes as Head of State.
Besides the impotence of the TFG, the intervention of foreign
representatives in Somali affairs is alarming and would only make the
matters worse. The international community needs to consult with former
Somali politicians, analysts, writers who can deliver the most appropriate
solution to the conflict.
Tragically, the new administration of Barrack Obama, has adopted its most
disastrous policy towards Somalia after supplying weapons to feeble
government, which could broaden the magnitude of the conflict. Analysts have
warned that the move would exacerbate the already precarious situation in
Somalia as weapons would fall into the hands of insurgents and local
bandits. However, the United States disregarded such criticisms-as usual-
and promised to increase its military support to the TFG.
In Mogadishu, the American weapons have been distributed to local
arms-markets, where every person can buy these weapons to realize his
objectives. The government itself cannot defeat the insurgents as both have
access to the same weapons and support, which would prolong the Islamist
infighting for power, and deepen the humanitarian situation in the country.
>From the point of dividing Islamists, (religion to be abused and people
abandon it) deepening the humanitarian situation (people to flee the
country), and prolonging the conflict (preventing groups to reconcile),
president Sharif's Government is the "best hope" and means for achieving
these long ambitions.