Piracy Ransoms funding Somalia Insurgency: A Response

[NASSIR]

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Piracy Ransoms funding Somalia Insurgency: A Response

August 24, 2008

 

Daniel Wallis’ article, “Piracy ransoms funding Somalia Insurgency” published in Reuters, dated on Aug 24, is based on an outright lies and mere speculations on the activities of the Pirates on the Somali coast and how their money is used. Mr. Wallis acts as if in criminal procedure of a thorough examination in hopes of finding some vital clues as to how piracy ransoms are used throughout Somalia. But his unfair assessment is a dearth of important elements that factors in complex political relationships, geography and economic progress made by Somalis in the last 17 years.

 

No single evidence is furnished as to how pirates funnel money into the Islamists or commit it to other use of dubious nature. He draws the fall of a key port in Southern Somalia, which coincided with the hijacking of a Japanese tanker and Iranian cargo vessel as a substantiating example of how the Piracy’s fortune is funneled into the activities of the Insurgency – a co-incidence he appeals for legitimate consideration.

 

He goes on to make egregious speculations and makes painfully obvious that pirates have become local celebrities in the Puntland region, building “palatial beachside villas and marrying extra wives or roaring around its dusty towns in flashy cars”

 

What entity does Daniel Wallis represent? Putting the people of Puntland and their achievement in such a negative light while holding part of our religious tenets in contempt is not only offensive but also borders on intense fear and irrationality. Mr. Daniel Wallis plays with Islamo-phobic proclivities and he questions the people of Puntland’s financial integrity and capacity to build “beachside villas or purchase flashy cars.” The relative progress achieved by the people of Puntland has been recorded by the popular media, for instance, a Washington Post issue dated on March 3, 1996. The progress of Puntland was not achieved overnight nor do Somalis condone with the activities of Piracy on their coast.

 

A wave of protest against the continuous activities of piracy and kidnappings of aid workers was held in several cities of Puntland, and the local administration with minimal power and resources condemned the activities on repeated occasions.

 

Optimal solution to the “scourge of Somalia’s piracy” as termed by the Newsweek lies neither with UN resolutions that violate the sovereignty of Somalia nor with continuous funding of local warlords to contain or combat piracy. The solution lies with concerted and genuine effort in reconstituting the state of Somalia and letting its hostile neighbors know that destabilization of Somalia is not in the world’s commercial interest. Piracy is one of the unintended consequences of a regime change in Somalia besides prolonged anarchy and the rise of extremist religo-clanist warlords.

 

Mohamed A. Elmi

Almadowmt@yahoo.com

[NASSIR]

Insecurity in Somalia a risk to whole region

 

August 29, 2008: Recent reports about incidents of piracy off the Somali coast, the kidnapping of foreign journalists and the continuing anarchy in the country give the impression of increased insecurity not just in Somalia, but in the eastern African region as a whole, and this could have an impact on the confidence of foreign investors and traders in neighbouring states.

 

The latest kidnap victims include Australian, Canadian and Somali journalists who were abducted near Mogadishu on the weekend. It should be noted that in the past few years, Somali militia groups have abducted journalists and humanitarian workers, and subsequently demanded ransom.

 

As it so often happens in Somalia and elsewhere, security, poverty, entrepreneurship and development are closely linked. Many of those who target foreign journalists, humanitarian workers and ships off the Somali coast seek to use them as sources of finance.

 

Therefore, the latest incidents of kidnapping and piracy, unfortunate as they are, should not be surprising. What I find incredible is the failure of the international community to help Somalia back onto its feet after for so many years of political, social and economic decay.

 

The whole world knows, or should know, the magnitude of Somalia’s multiple problems, some of which date back to the time before the collapse of the government of former dictator, Mohammed Siad Barre, in early 1991.

 

Serious United Nations efforts to resolve the conflict between 1992 and 1995 failed and this was rightly blamed on the obstinacy of the Somali faction and militia leaders. Nonetheless, it was unfortunate that the UN peacekeeping operation was wound up in March 1995 before its objectives had been accomplished.

 

After several years of negotiations in Kenya, a transitional national government was established in Mogadishu in 2004, but its members were not united, disciplined or focused. As a result, a more focused and determined group, the Union of Islamic Courts, dislodged it from power in 2006.

 

For the first time in more than 15 years, the Union of Islamic Courts, which was largely crafted by businessmen, established the semblance of law and order in Mogadishu. In late 2006, ordinary people in the Somali capital were able to go about their businesses without much fear.

 

However, because the Union of Islamic Courts included a few Muslim fundamentalists, their opponents, who sought Washington’s help, accused them of serving as a front for the Al Qaida terrorist movement.

 

Accordingly, with American encouragement and assistance, Ethiopia invaded Somalia on Christmas eve in 2006 and militarily defeated the Union of Islamic Courts. What was surprising at the time was Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s conviction that he could establish peace in Somalia by siding with one faction against another.

 

Subsequent efforts by the African Union and the UN Security Council, which effectively legitimised Ethiopia’s invasion, have not brought about peace and security in Somalia.

 

As Kenya’s former Foreign Minister, Raphael Tuju, said at the UN General Assembly in 2007, Somalia’s security problems are the responsibility of the entire world.

 

The recent spate of kidnappings and acts of piracy are a reminder that Somalia’s problems could be everyone’s insecurity. For the sake of peace, trade and prosperity in the eastern African region, the world needs to step up efforts and help Somalis to govern themselves more effectively.

 

Written by Sam Mwangi

 

Makinda is professor of Security, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies, Murdoch University Murdoch.

 

Business Week

[General Duke]

Nice one Camir, these western "experts" just writte what they want, must be easy being an expert on Somalia..

[NASSIR]

Thanks Duke, I think a lot of these arguments and couner-arguments would converge and synthesize into a holistic conception of our complex issues, which have implications for the world order. Like this article By Daniela Kroslak and Andrew Stroehlein, it will shed more light and convince the world powers that their double standard, which puts a strain on their failed strategy in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere, is not that complicated to untangle.

[General Duke]

^^^Indeed, keep them coming old man.

[NASSIR]

Indeed brother man, "It is like watching flames engulf your neighbor's house and calling in the fire brigade to help you wash your car."

[General Duke]

^^^All of these nations our neighbours, and the western powers have not helped the situation. Even now if they chose they can rebuild the security forces and bring the problem to an end.

 

But we must play our part as well, one can not have others do for him what he must do for himself.