From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat Sep 27 2008 - 18:41:45 EDT
somalia-US moves to disgust warlords after failure. Analysis
28.9.2008
Since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, the UN and many other international bodies and the Clinton administration tried to help the Somali people form a government with no success. Djibouti, Somalia's neighbour to the north and a country whose inhabitants are predominantly Somali held a reconciliation conference with the full support and involvement of the UN, Organization of African Unity, Arab League and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Tribal leaders, businessmen, religious community, politicians, women's organizations and some warlords participated, electing a president and a parliament. Although the Transitional National Government (TNG) was not able to progress as quickly as many Somalis and friends of Somalia would have wanted, in a very encouraging sign of democracy the administration of Prime Minister [Ali Khalif] Galayr lost a no-confidence vote on 28 October, 2001, and the prime minister exited graciously accepting the parliament's vote.
In addition, women today hold over 22 per cent of the seats in the parliament. This fledgling democracy is the best partner that the United States can have in fighting instability and possible infiltration of terrorists, drug-dealers, etc, in the Horn of Africa. Why then has the US policy seemingly turned against Somalia?
Ethiopian Factor
Many Somalis believe that US targeting of Somalia has been inspired by the Ethiopian government's allegations that Somalia is being taken over by Islamic extremists. Such charges are clearly intended to advance Ethiopia's own objectives. Having gone to war with Somalia at least three times in as many decades, Ethiopia would like to see Somalia remain divided into small cantons that it can contain. Hence, Ethiopia's effort to convince the US government that Somalia is a danger to US interests in the region.
During the UN hunt for Gen Aydid in mid-1993, the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea were his most vocal advocates. Ethiopia now belatedly claims that in that UN/US hunt, Al-Qa'idah and Al-Ittihad were helping Gen Aydid. To the contrary, Mark Bowden, who went to Somalia and extensively investigated the 3 October 1993 battle, did not find any sinister foreign terrorist involvement according to his book Blackhawk Down.
Ethiopia is trying to convince the US government that it has been waging a war against Islamic fundamentalists in the Horn of Africa, but its actions and its choice of friends in Somalia and the region demonstrates Ethiopia embraces those it feels will advance her agenda while any who are an obstacle are labelled terrorists.
US view
A senior official at the Whitehouse told Mareeg online that the collapsed Somali warlords have betrayed US saying that they would destroy the growing Islamists, nevertheless they had to not be up to snuff since they survived from capture of the Islamists personally after their militias have been teared down.
"They tricked us, for the reason that they made themselves as destroyers" the official who declined to reveal his name said" we snapped off them last of all"
Consider the following examples:
A key Ethiopian ally, the Mogadishu based Somali warlord Muse Sudi [Yalahow], was the first to establish an Islamic shar'iah court in Somalia in the early 90's. His current rule over Medina District of Mogadishu is still based on that structure and as recently as two months ago he was trying to establish a similar court in north Mogadishu. He uses the title "Amir-ul-mu'minin" (the leader of the faithful). In its 31 October, 2001, statement the UN Security Council reiterated its condemnation of the attack on 27 March 2001 on the compound of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Mogadishu and the subsequent abduction of international personnel, and demanded that those responsible must be brought to justice. It was none other than Ethiopia's ally Mr Muse Sudi's militia that committed this act of terrorism. Why then would Ethiopia continue to support such a man? The only plausible reason is that he represents an obstacle to a united Somalia. One can see this strategy at work in many of Ethiopia's recent political moves.
The Ethiopians has already hosted yet another Somali warlord, Hussein Aydid. As in 1999 Ethiopia accused Mr Aydid of being supported by Al-Ittihad. If Al-Qa'idah was helping the Somali National Alliance (SNA) of Gen Aydid, in the 3 October, 1993 battle, in Mogadishu, in which 18 American soldiers were killed, why is Ethiopia allied with the SNA at that time? Again, that was consistent with Ethiopia's support of those who are for dividing Somalia into fiefdoms controlled by warlords.
Ethiopia's most trusted ally was Col Abdullahi Yusuf who is the president of Somalia but that time was the leader of Puntland, the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Somalia. Just before the UN hunt for Gen Aydid, Col Yusuf forged an alliance with Gen Aydid. Col Yusuf's term as leader of Puntland expired on June 2001 and according to the constitution the head of the Supreme Court became the transitional leader until elections are held. The Ethiopians now claim that Al-Ittihad and Al- Qa'idah are trying to take control of the region! It is obvious they are trying to cynically manipulate the US to achieve their own goal of trying to bring Col Yusuf, who is beholden to Ethiopia, back to power in the name of fighting imaginary terrorists.
But Ethiopia said that its tolerance ended after The Islamic courts union succeeded with their ambition of the UIC set up and it sent thousands of soldiers after the UIC announced that they would seize Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
If the major shortcoming of the TFG in Somalia is that it does not even control all of the capital of Mogadishu, the United States has contributed directly and indirectly to the current situation. The United States has remained aloof from the TFG's attempts of low work. However, Ethiopia has not. In fact, Mareeg.com
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