right on the money

[zynab]

In Search Of Good Governance

- Thursday, December 04, 2003 at 16:19

 

By Dr.Ali M Abdullahi Barkhadle

 

Countries in the Middle East have been facing tough times recently. Saudi Arabia, led by a King and once a rich and prosperous country it has seen a decline in economic activity, a rise in unemployment, some banks are in deep troubles, governance has shrank beyond repair and they are about to become yet another Arab basket case.

 

 

 

Arab Sheikhs who a decade ago where rolling on a Cadillac are today doing those "dirty jobs" immigrants used to do. Some would be happy to do anything that comes across them and the Saud Family is being challenged by unemployment. There are suggestions from some quarters of the ruling family that most immigrants should be thrown out and be replaced with Saudis- a challenging task assuming that Saudis have the technical capability to being self sufficient. Sprinkled with a class action worth trillions of dollars in the US, Saudi Arab sheikhs are in deep, deep troubles. Yet they do not want to reform themselves to have a representative government. The days of the Kingdom are just but numbered and the population is getting restless.

 

 

 

Egypt led by Hosni Mubarak for almost two and half decades is another country that is badly managed it has had a huge fall in trade, and tourism, culminating in higher unemployment coupled with an autocratic Mubarak administration that is to hand power to his son. The recent collapse of Mubarak at a radio broadcast did not help either. A succession problem is already brewing and a number of analysts have reservations on who will take power. This has not helped investors either and a number of investors are on the way out or are considering leaving for other countries. It might culminate in a massive capital flight that could seriously challenge the Mubarak government or its successor. Consider this, the Egyptians use archaic methods of seniority and nepotism to positions of influence culminating in cronyism, wastage, and corruption.

 

 

 

The Nile Pact, a draconian treaty that was signed in the 1929 and later manipulated in 1953, before most countries that are signatories to it were independent, these countries have put a question to its validity at one session of the East African Parliament. The pact categorically denies any developments that tamper with the flow of the Nile and any government that wants to do development must first get approval from the Egyptian government. Most of these countries want to repeal that pact for it hinders their economic growth. A good example is the Bujagali Hydroelectric plant in Uganda that took almost a decade in its negotiations with the Egyptian government that has ultimately imposed limits on its expansion. Limits that can make the dam uneconomic to produce power for future growth in power needs of the Eastern African countries. Limits that are forcing some investors to dump the Bujagali Project.

 

 

 

Libya with its recalcitrant strong man Muamar Gaddafi (He took power in a coup in 1969 and has never had any elections in his 3 decades in power) has suffered enough from UN sanctions that were imposed after the lockerbie disaster, a clear sign of International terrorism at work. The Sons of Muammar Gaddafi are on the line in inheriting from him shortly. Government departments rarely work, bureaucracy is rife, and authoritarianism is the order of the day. Human rights are violated continuously and the few immigrant workers who come from other African states are referred to as "abdi- literally meaning slave". The oil industry infrastructure has deteriorated and investors are not forth coming due to the high risk of investing in these volatile country.

 

 

 

Sudan another state in a civil war has also seen tough times of late. The Al-Bashir government was not elected and does not represent the average folk on the street. The Arab north have even tried to eliminate the southerners (a genocide that has not been documented) but they have not won any war for the last two decades and the southerners are even getting stronger by the day due to moral and technical support from overseas (Talisman Energy a Canadian oil company pulled out of Sudan due to pressures from shareholders and other governments). A peace process to be signed in Naivasha within a couple of days will ultimately free the Southerners from the clutches and Slavery of the North.

 

 

 

We can thus postulate that most Arab rulers are military Juntas, Kings, or Presidents that have no mandate from the people they lead. It also follows that they are in shambles themselves and cannot help themselves let alone others. It also follows that they are badly governed. The Somali proverb "Labbo qaawan isma qaaddo"(translated as two necked beings cannot help each other) is being proven to be true. Arabs who did not help Somalia during its hour of need in 1991(even though the Arab league charter states so) and did not help in any shape or form the two administrations (Puntland and Somaliland) want us to mimic their type of governance. Should we accept it?

 

 

 

It is remarkable that even Italy that has governments every couple of months even is dictating to Somalis to either tow its line or face funding shortage. What funding can this poor European government give ye Somalis? Perhaps they will stop paying your hotel bills in Nairobi using EU money! Let them first find solutions for their corrupt Prime Minister and the crony capitalism that controls them. Let them find solutions to the North (Milanians) that wants to succeed from Italy. Let them find a solution to its corrupt judicial system, and ultimately to the Mafia controlled economy a heritage that has been passed onto Somalis.

 

 

 

It is almost a whole year and the Somali Peace process has not yielded any government it seems Somalis have themselves to blame. Their intellectuals are to be blamed (I wonder whether there are any Intellectuals at all, the fellows I saw at Eldoret are just but a bunch of thugs with fake credentials) their leaders are also to be blamed, It is embarrassing when the TNG still claims to be valid when it virtually expired on 15 August 2003 and to make matters worse the media warlords at the BBC have the audacity to call Mr.Abdiqassim Salad Hassan as President, what is to be blamed here? Maybe media ethics at the BBC Somali section. But the problem is these leaders are not leaders but remnants of the former administration and warlords that has put Somalia in a situation that is extremely hard to recover. Even Riyaale Kaahin refers to them as ".some were thieves and crooks and now they are wearing ties and suits.. ". Riyaale, the President of Somaliland, who was a former Spymaster in the dictatorial regime of Siad Barre and who is know to have a questionable past in how he suppressed Somalis can even comment on how the warlords are horrible. The incredible things being that the clans that have put him in power in Somaliland are the same ones he used to put in jails without trial. A clear indication that Some Somalis have no principles. Or morals.

 

 

 

Finally, what is hindering the Somali peace process that is said to have been the best chance Somalia has had for a while? A peace process that has been going on for almost a whole year. The answers are many but these points stand out:

 

 

 

1. Lack of transparent and coherent media especially at the BBC Somali section

 

2. Funds from some Arab countries that is used to destabilize Somalia

 

3. Weapons from some countries that benefit directly or indirectly Some warlords

 

4. Lack of proper financial support from the International community in completing the peace process

 

5. Lack of Project Management skills at the Mbagathi conference

 

6. Petty politicking of the Italian government

 

7. Petty politicking by some Kenyan power brokers

 

 

 

In summary, though Puntland has compromised its authority by accepting the 4.5 rule and Mogadishu as being the capital in the Draft Charter, they ought to be congratulated for trying to find an all-inclusive federal Somali government or are they negotiating poorly? Or do they have other hidden agendas? Let us wait and see. I would encourage warlords at Mogadishu who have left the conference to go back and assume negotiations. I would also appeal for Somaliland to participate at the Somali conference and negotiate along the lines of Confederacy a chance the Puntland administration missed.

 

 

 

Let us have a Somali Union (SU).

 

 

 

The Writer was a former Consultant to IGAD at the Eldoret conference and can be contacted at amsas@amsasconsulting.com

 

 

 

 

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[rudy-Diiriye]

so surreal my sista! and 1 more thing! where the hell is the un! how come un (adnan) & his monkeys

do not hold the somali peace conference? arent we part of this world? or we alien from outer space? i mean, kenyanians or any arabs aint gonna give a rats a$$ about us? but only use us for the buck! believe me! as long as the peace conference is happening in the same 3rd world nation and un is not part of it, this conference is not gonna get world attention and will 4ever drag!!!

 

forget about bbc being a cheerleader for the warlords!! u just posted an article where they operate remote controlled nomads!lol...so watch your back!!!

[zynab]

rudy brother i never knew u grow up so fast

any way i totally agree with you

but if this peace conference dosen't work that is it.

so lets wait after the 9th ok

salan wanaagsan