BN Posted September 30, 2003 The people of Mogadishu are beginning the task of bringing lasting peace and security to their city. Good for them and Insha'allah they will succeed. Salaam _____________________________________________________________________ Decade After US Debacle, Mogadishu Warlords Falter By William Maclean MOGADISHU, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Clad in wraparound skirts and flip-flops, 10 Somali gunmen cradling assault rifles parade for inspection before their evening patrol of a Mogadishu district. "The criminals are stealing from us and raping our girls!" barks former army captain Mohamud Afrah Weheliye, inspecting the men in the front yard of his home. "If you see any thief, fire a warning bullet. If he tries to kill you, kill him! But the best result is: Capture him alive." Weheliye's men are part of a trend towards self-help policing in Mogadishu , the city that buried America's post-Cold War enthusiasm for international peace operations a decade ago. Neighbourhood patrols by gunmen answerable to local elders and Islamic courts rather than militia bosses have sprung up in the past year in the lawless capital of one million people. The growth of Do-It-Yourself security puts in question the clout of warlords whose lust for power over the city triumphed 10 years ago on Friday, when the U.S. military was humiliated in a battle recalled in the Hollywood film "Black Hawk Down". The fire fight on October 3, 1993 destroyed any U.S. appetite for further military involvement in Somalia with the deaths of 18 U.S. special forces supporting a U.N. force called UNOSOM II. More than 1,000 Somalis and two U.N. soldiers, a Malaysian and Moroccan, also died in the failed U.S. bid to seize warlord Mohammed Farah Aideed. U.S. forces were gone within a year. Today support for the warlords is weaker . Their predatory behaviour and thinning wallets have earned the disdain of many in Mogadishu, although their military clout is still feared. But crime is rampant due to the presence of tens of thousands of displaced, hungry youths who see the gun as the only passport to employment . So three years ago Weheliye and other elders decided to create a police force to enable their Hamar Jediid area of south Mogadishu to live in peace. The force is part of a new self-help trend seen in many walks of life in Mogadishu. The movement is driven by a belief that substantial Western aid will not return anytime soon and Somalis had better roll up their sleeves and help themselves. U.N. development work in Mogadishu began winding down after the 1993 U.S. debacle and has been meagre for years. Washington now sees Somalia primarily as an ideal location for "terrorists" wishing to operate beyond the gaze of global law enforcement. Weheliye says warlords tried to disrupt his police during their first two years of operation but gave up because the force was so popular with the area's multi-clan population. Today, common thieves are put on display in a big metal cage that stands outside Weheliye's house alongside his cattle-pen. "The political factions cannot affect us because we have enough force to defend ourselves," he said. "We do not respect them. We do not obey them. We do not support them." Most households pay 1,000 shillings or five U.S. cents a day as a contribution to the 150 gunmen who patrol the neighbourhood of 6,000 homes. Not all homes can afford to pay but when they eventually can, Weheliye said, the force will be expanded. "Many times the warlords tried to make us collect tax. But the community met and decided not to allow them inside the area," he said. "We have a right to defend our children and women. We will never obey and support any political faction." The experiment among Hamar Jediid's sand-blown alleyways, corner shops and bungalow homes has been copied in several Mogadishu districts, prompting observers to wonder whether this is the birth of a new sort of local administration in a city devastated by conflict for more than 12 years. "It is a serious trend, because it has genuine support. But at the same time a return to full-scale factional fighting would do it real damage," said peace activist Abdullahi Shirwa. Elsewhere in south-central Somalia, communities in the mostly rural areas have an easier job maintaining order because makeshift local administrations tend to be organised on clan lines and clan tradition ensures some respect for authority. The job is more difficult in Mogadishu's cosmopolitan society where clans are mixed and social tensions, aggravated by the daily influx of internally displaced people, are acute. Hamar Jediid's force has built a network of popular support. Khalif Ahmad Diini, who runs the "Little Aden" corner shop in Hamar Jediid, is content to pay $3 a month towards the force. "Before my suppliers were afraid to deliver -- their vehicles would be robbed before they even got close!" he said, his elbows leaning on a display of soap detergents and Kenyan cigarettes. "That doesn't happen now. I respect the police force as a civic action, and I will continue to do so until we have a national government again." "Policeman" Abdi Ali Mohamud, a former driver, says he enjoys the prestige his new job gives him. "My wife and kids respect me for this. It's dangerous work, but there are always three or four of us. And it is compulsory, because we have to protect our people." Decade After US Debacle, Mogadishu Warlords Falter Other Stories: Sick of male leaders: Somali Women Vie for Presidency Arms, Miraa Trade Keep Somalia Aflame Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
