Somalia: an African country colonised by its neighbour

[Jacaylbaro]

It is a phenomenon that an African country is colonising another African country in the twenty first century. The UN convention and the African Union charter were all invalidated. We were driven back to the Dark Age’s survival of the fittest. The Security Council led by the US legitimises and blesses the occupation of Ethiopia as a Christian country over Somalia as an Islamic state. Somalis are panelised simply for their faith. The privileged support of Ethiopia recalls the worst colonial practices in the region. It is a pity and really sad measure of the insouciance with which the international community treats Somalia. We have witnessed the negligence of the Security Council and other international institutions most emphatically by the evident paralysis of the international community in the face of the bloodshed of Somalia.

 

Although the collapse of the Somali State brought about the disintegration of the country’s political order, the warlord’s reckless acts pushed the entire society into the abyss of total disintegration. But the Islamic courts brought about peace and provided security to all citizens as well as reactivating all social services such as education and heath. Nonetheless to capture Mogadishu by force is a cliché which has become fairly fixed in some clan’s lexicon. As a result of this a decision was taken to impose the TFG assisted by Ethiopia over the people that recently maintained law and order in their city. It is understandable if not practically edifying’ that Somalia should delve into old notebooks and dredge up to old memories. Riven by the Ethiopian forces and their warlords, Somalia is truly an enigma and has become an epitome of a failed state.

 

For almost two decades many warlord dominated conferences were held abroad but never have been successful. However the Embagathi conference manipulated by Ethiopia with the help of some IGAD countries formed Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Despite all its shortcomings and illegalities, the international community accepted it as a legal Somali government. As pre-planned the infant government leaders immediately requested foreign troops including Ethiopia to restore order in Somalia. The parliament refused such a demand which brought about the split of the legislative body. On the other hand some warlords backed by the CIA regrouped and termed themselves as anti terror alliance declared war against the Islamists in Mogadishu. The warlords waged war against the Islamic courts but public insurrection occurred as the population rallied behind them and eventually the city was freed from the grip of the warlords. When the Union of Islamic Courts came to power, crimes have been significantly reduced and it became the first time that the people tasted peace and tranquillity. After the victory of UIC the TFG panicked making baseless accusations and seizing the opportunity to pave the way for foreign intervention and to gain the support of the US.

 

President Bush’s more bellicose sentiment and revengeful acts against Somalia encouraged Zanawi’s virtually simultaneous display of uncalculated disdain. The US launched to impose its policies and pursue its interest in Muslim countries with shock and awe, an unprecedented onslaught of military power. Somalia’s conflict is symptomatic of the status quo in the Islamic countries. The main US argument is that Mogadishu may be a safe haven for Al-Qa’eda with no tangible proof but with their help they turned the city into hell on earth. Therefore, the west deluded by the Ethiopian intelligence and hatred towards Islam was a pretext to sustain the dominance of their client warlords who were responsible of the ruthless devastation of the nation. Imposing a warlord led corrupt dictatorial TFG on the Somali people further diminished inspirations of the public. The scope and depth of involvement in the political and economic affairs of Somalia is extraordinary yet little attention has been paid to the public and the civil society of the nation. If anything it is dominated by Ethiopia beatified by the west. However external players with political and economic influences show the interests and motives underlying continued engagement on the horn of African region particularly Somalia remain diverse, misled and at times diffuse.

 

Ethiopia is waging war against Somalia under the camouflage that it is fighting against Islamist terrorists and that purports to defend its homeland. The theory has been embodied into Ethiopian colonial doctrine and the notion of pre-emption is predicated on the right to self defence justifying that it is permissible to conquer another sovereign nation. To designate the present conflict fighting against Islamist is a false term mystifying our perception of the situation instead of allowing us to think of the real truth. Hence Zanawi is trying to obscure his economic and strategic interest behind the invasion of Somalia which is supported covertly by the US foreign policy and the western media disinformation serving as an integral part of war propaganda. The Ethiopian armour rolled to fight the Islamic court fighters around Bidoa while the US fighter jets and Apache helicopters gunship pirouetted low in the furnace sky of the frontline. After heavy losses they made their leaving bash to the Islamists that brought the peace and tranquillity to their people. Therefore Ethiopian armour trundled off to capture Mogadishu without having to face any fierce resistance due to the sharp dichotomy between the Somali politicians.

 

The traumatic takeover of Mogadishu presents such a poser for the Somali nationalists. At least it seems to have quenched the egoism of the west. But woe betides the country if more draconian measures of massacre and destruction take place. Whatever the subliminal message to Somali patriots it will not succumb, neither their Islamic values nor the resilient culture of the Somali people. There was something unequally ominous in the air, as visceral and ferocious anti-Ethiopian sentiment boiled over. It triggered the conflict between the Ethiopian invaders and the proponents of an independent sovereign Somalia. The root of the crisis is profoundly parochial and has more to do with practical power, prestige and clan issue than ideology. Hence the situation is extremely murky and will take many months and many years to tempt the public backed recalcitrant Islamic militias and tribal gangs. The Ethiopians are accused of raping women and still defiling the holly mosques and Islamic traditions. The daily occurrence of new grievances by their action together with the focus provided by the nationalists has portrayed their occupation. The foreign forces behaviour has caused intimidation, harassment, alarm and distress to the public in Mogadishu. The ruthless massacre of women and children in the streets of Mogadishu is a tragedy. Hence occupation has always been perceived as a process by which to rob the identity and dignity of the people.

 

Ethiopia is seen as a Christian club with a dodgy imperial past. This strengthens the claim of Somali territories which is a geo-strategic error of history but not an untenable position. Its objective is to destabilise peace, unity and undermine the emergence of an independent Somali state. To satisfy their colonial ego, they want to divide the country into weak political units that can be exploited. To occupy more Somali territory and get an outlet to the coast is also embodied in their dream. So there is a great threat posed by determined Ethiopian predators that face their colonist attitude who will never wear ermine. Zanawi may see an opportune moment to trample the Somali nation but his already lacklustre policy offered a toadying tribute to the leadership. His follies and efforts to ensnare the orchestrated original list of terrorists as a reason of invasion have ended in vain. This situation is probably the worst with vast destruction mass rapes, other atrocities and thousand killed. Ethiopia waged war against the tribal militias of ****** clan creating a new civil war while deliberately supporting one party rather than mediating a peaceful agreement between the parties. As most westerns and African watchers agree a quick end to the war in Somalia is very hard to envisage. Now that the war has taken new dimensions, the Zanawi team have weakened and is squirming although he and his aids offer a slew of reasons.

 

The ill conceived foreign intervention exposed the TFG and is seen evidently as ineffectual and dependent only on foreign support. The TFG is under Ethiopian control conducting arcane meetings with their boss Zanawi accompanied by several of his staff including his terse foreign minister, taking orders without demur. Yusuf policy remains in thrall to the Ethiopian state but most Somalis vehemently oppose the idea of occupation. In addition, the stooge government is used to camouflage the real objective of the military operation, providing a moral and principled image to the invaders. Their conviction to distort the evidence they put before their people is itself a tragedy. The Ethiopian troops forcefully occupied Somalia but not with the approval of the Somali people and the international community. The message is clear, Ethiopian forces are there to stay only because the TFG have asked them to stay. Do they mean the puppet government under their mercy? That is the well known imperial rhetoric! I am supporting the Somali government but in reality Zanawi is only with his own colonial objective as he kept the Somali territory in iron grip.

 

The unlimited support of the US for Ethiopia’s incursion is itself a crime against humanity. The wars have caused an exodus of refugees and internally displaced a quarter of a million people. The people are obliged to flee their homes by indiscriminate shelling of heavy artillery suffering persecution on account of their political opinion and ethnic group. Obviously states have the fundamental responsibility to provide life supporting protection and assistance to their citizens. But when the government and the occupation forces denies access to populations at risk and deliberately subject them to starvation and abuse, the international community must find a way to feed the victims. Nonetheless, when government and the occupation troops fail to meet their obligation under international law they should be held accountable. Moreover the wars harbour threatening diseases thus the people at risk cannot be abandoned. In the meantime the UN failed to act effectively to the security and the humanitarian crises and the government deprive its citizens of basic freedom through outright coercion. The international community has obligations to protect the vulnerable, rescue the displaced and feed the impoverished.

 

 

Yusuf is ensconced as president to be, was picked by Ethiopia after long cosseting by their intelligence in collaboration with the CIA. To get foreign troops in order to suppress the Somali people has been the brainchild of Yusuf regime and his followers. The claim looks preposterous and only wishful thinking of individual cronies of dictatorial regimes. He seems more tribal than national, revengeful, bloodthirsty and obstinate dictator. He has not shown signs of a more nuanced approach with the office of president rising above tawdry matters. The TFG is in a brazen mood. After years of dithering, the government has still not gained grounds in impressing the population or accommodating the opposition. As government became more intransigent, reconciliation seems less realistic. They started to develop a riposte not to talk to Islamic leaders and this was repeatedly enunciated at all press conferences. Yet, Yusuf appeared to rebuke Islamists for not stopping the fight while his action was too squalid to be comprehended. The government is quick to vilify anyone who criticises it in public similar to late Barre’s regime. The vagaries of the political cycles are beyond the reach of this president.

 

After booing and heckling the Ethiopian forces in the city, the AU once again leered of cumulative new Ugandan troops which indulged in rampant violence. The AU actions and ideas towards Somalia resemble the self-justifying colonial era prejudice; that tried to legitimise western plunder by portraying Africans as helpless people who periodically exterminated each other inexplicable tribal conflicts. If Africans are still practising their master’s imperial policies among themselves, many countries will be liable to be colonised and so leading to more bloodshed and underdevelopment. Therefore the AU should act with great circumspection and should not do any action that might cause civil war. Astonishingly enough Ethiopia bears no responsibility for these heinous crimes of invading an independent country and killing its people indiscriminately let alone the respect of human rights and sovereignty. War crimes have been committed by targeting specific clans. No government can be established with a foreign whip but with the will and democratic acceptance of its nation. It would be preposterous to argue that the domestic policies, state structures and ideologies of Somalia are going to be transformed by military might. Africans also fail to understand the depth of the feeling among the Somalis against the occupation of a century long enemy.

 

 

The apparently defensive dissolution of the contest between the ideology of the west and Islam seemed to show that democracy have been misused and has been identified with eruptions of bloody conflicts many of which had already been underway for decades or more. Ethiopia with the help of the west is bombarding a country that already reduced to rubble, with no infrastructure, repeatedly destroyed by war for the last two decades. The air strikes, artillery and tank shelling quickly turned the city into ghost town displacing thousands of innocent citizens. The cost of Somalia civilians can be only devastating as miserable Somalis fled to nowhere under the threat of bombing. None were sustained by the international food aid which is a deliberate imposition of mass starvation. Ambulances are not allowed to take the wounded to hospitals while the medical staff cannot freely attend their work. This demonstrated the burden of overwhelming force against defenceless opponents. There is no sense of leadership to act with ferocity in a country where no one cares and there is nothing to destroy. In the case of human rights, Ethiopia’s conduct of the war and violations of the Geneva Convention is totally illegal and inhumane. The occupation has been extremely violent, stained by ruthless torture, massive use of force against civilians, and other cruel despotic methods as well as lack of respect of human and religious rights whatsoever. It is really genocide, an ethnic cleansing focused on Hawiya clan executed by the Ethiopians under the sponsorship of the Americans.

 

In democracy particular interest group can’t cling unchallenged to power. The government ought to be embrace by the people not to be imposed on them by an iron fist. Ethiopians claim they have killed over a thousand Islamist what an irony! All Somalis are Muslims so every women, child and elderly civilians are a dead Muslim for them; that is the logic behind their animosity. We have seen quite a number of violence from war to genocide around the world but never gained worldwide coverage although these events represented a set back to international law and to humanity. The occupation forces closed Al-jazeera and other independent media offices in Mogadishu which is a deliberate attempt to deter reporting the atrocities and the war crimes they commit. Hence the Ethiopian commoditised media which is corrupt and influenced by colonial policy silencing the freedom of speech and the rights of the oppressed. .However some European and African countries have great doubt about the efficacy of present political and military policies in Somalia while the Arab League as usual decided not to touch the problem with a bargepole. All seize fire negotiations between the warring factions namely the ****** clan elders and the Ethiopian occupying forces demonstrate that the Somali government has no power in the current affairs of its nation.

 

 

We appeal for the AU, EU, US, LAN and the rest of the international community to act rationally, stop financing and assisting Ethiopia to commit genocide. We also strongly urge those international laws to be observed and all Ethiopian troops to be withdrawn unconditionally. If the perceived genocide, injustice, unfairness, occupation and hopelessness of the situation in Mogadishu is allowed, the essence of humanity will remain questionable. Ethiopian forces are not the solution but on the contrary have become a problem. They have caused mayhem. Therefore purely an effective indigenous mediation process is essential. The idea of conducting reconciliatory conference seems unstructured, ill organised with less passion and commitment. The clan factor is the Achilles heel of Somali nationhood. But the prospects of a decisive new direction do not hang on the quality of tribal analysis but on political will. The victims of a nationalist hubris emanating from the governing bodies are with extraordinarily narrowly defined political goals. Yet the government has fair chance to prove itself by facing the real challenges and other inherent fragilities in a peaceful cautious manner. Although Somalis has capacity to resolve differences yet they are extremely fractious domestically when competing for political power. The rescue of Somalia could be a new internationalism but reconciliation between intimate communities should be a priority. Though not exhaustive but based on experience, the government should act vigilantly to prevent any fratricidal wars on their watch. Moreover all cross sections of the civil society and the opposition parties ought to take part in the reconciliation conference. An independent neutral committee has to organise the conference in order to minimise friction and lack of communication which often leads to misunderstanding, feelings of neglect, resentment and alienation. Much of the foreign analysis about Somalia seems stuck in false and destructive binary. Somalia responsibilities for sorting out its problems should be left for the Somalis to decide and no overseas imposition is permissible. However Somalia has been a sovereign state and with the help of their religion and culture is able to solve their problems in their own way.'

 

 

 

By, Ahmed Mireh Mohamed

 

 

HERE