Somalia's descent to hell

[Fanisha]

Somalia's descent to hell

 

Simon Tisdall

Wednesday April 4, 2007

The Guardian

 

Predictions that the US-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia last Christmas would hasten rather than halt the country's political disintegration are proving grimly accurate. In the league of failed states, Somalia is runaway leader. With international attention focused on Zimbabwe and Darfur, it is the hidden shame of the world.

 

More than 1,000 civilians have been killed or wounded in fighting in recent days in the capital, Mogadishu, and tens of thousands have fled their homes. The UN says wounded civilians are lying untended in the streets after heavy artillery and mortars pounded residential areas. Since February, 96,000 refugees have swelled the ranks of Somalia's 400,000 internally displaced persons. And despite a temporary truce yesterday, it seems worse is to come.

 

Ethiopia's defeat of local Islamist forces, known as the Council of Islamic Courts, that seized control of Mogadishu last year was accomplished with the help of American air strikes, intelligence and logistical support. It allowed the widely disavowed, western-approved transitional federal government (TFG) to expand its area of nominal control. It may have also furthered Washington's aim of curbing supposed al-Qaida efforts to "Talibanise" the Horn of Africa - although the evidence for that claim is thin.

 

But the intervention, opposed by many Somalis and by Ethiopia's regional foe, Eritrea, was not nearly as decisive as its main architect, Ethiopia's prime minister Meles Zenawi, has claimed. In recent weeks the country has slipped back inexorably into a maelstrom of violent rivalries pitting hostile clans, resurgent warlords, militias, and foreign jihadis against each other in an ever more destructive struggle for dominance. And far from being vanquished, the Islamists, whose support is largely drawn from the powerful ****** clan, may be making a comeback.

 

"Politically Somalia has now been returned roughly to where it was when the TFG was formed in October 2004," says the latest report of the International Crisis Group. "The government is weak, unpopular and faction-ridden, and the power vacuum in southern Somalia is rapidly being filled by the same faction leaders and warlords that the Courts overthrew ... Many Mogadishu residents resent the Courts' defeat, feel threatened by the TFG and are dismayed by the presence of Ethiopian troops."

 

Despite an emergency meeting in Cairo yesterday of the international contact group, which includes the US and Britain, and plans for a national reconciliation conference on April 16, Somalia's prospects look bleak. The African Union has failed to insert an effective peacekeeping force. Only Uganda has sent troops so far - and they have become targets, rather than arbiters, as the weekend killing of a peacekeeper showed. Meanwhile previously peaceful Somaliland and Puntland in the north show signs of incipient instability.

 

Several attempts by Mr Zenawi to set a timetable for an Ethiopian withdrawal, as volubly urged by Eritrea (which is backing the Courts), have meanwhile been thwarted by continuing resistance. The Ethiopians now face an Iraq-style quagmire.

 

According to Michael Weinstein, an analyst at the Power and Interest News Report, the reluctance of the TFG president, Abdullahi Yusuf, to negotiate genuine power-sharing arrangements with moderate Islamists and other forces is likely to scupper the reconciliation conference. Having waited so long to gain power, and after so many years of strife, factions within the transitional government were now reluctant to relinquish any part of it to erstwhile enemies.

 

The western powers, neighbouring countries such as Kenya, and donor countries faced a dilemma, Dr Weinstein said. "If they press the TFG into open reconciliation talks, they risk its implosion; if they stand back and let Yusuf proceed with his approach to reconciliation, they risk increasing instability."

 

Even if it takes place, the April 16 peace conference was "highly unlikely to succeed," he concluded.

 

Instead its failure may signal the next stage of Somalia's unremarked descent into the inferno.

[Wisdom_Seeker]

Damnation is upon this warlord government.

 

People thought Bush was a village !d!ot. Yey prove to be a bigger one.

 

They have brought nothing but destruction never seen in 16 years of lawlessness and no government. Is this what you pro-TFG call a government?

 

Some people need to look up the definition of a government.

[Ebyan]

Please! Mogadishu has been in the pits of hell for 16 years now, the TFG is a force of change. Law and order will be returned to the world's most dangerous city no matter how long it takes.

[Peacenow]

I'm really glad the Guardian is taking notice.

On Monday, I sent countless emails to leading Journalists urging them to take up the issue.

Mr. Tisdall replied to me this morning. Here is a transcript.

I will write a post in the general section on how to contact these journalists, directly in their email.

 

_________________

Dear Mr. Simon Tisdall, Reporter

 

Please, please cover the massacre that is happening in Somalia, right now.

A genocide is in the making and no one is taking notice.

The American backed Ethiopian army have laid siege to the cpaital,

trapping millions of people, without food and water. Artillery shells

is raining down and bodieds lies strewn, everywhere. This is a great

and tragic tragedy, the story must be told, the world must know what

the Ethiopians are their stooges the TFG are doing right now.

 

Please report it.

 

 

Reply Forward

simon.tisdall@guardian.co.uk

to me

More options 03-Apr (14 hours ago)

 

FYI, I have written my column today on Somalia. It will be published in Wednesday's Guardian newspaper. It will appear on Guardian Unlimited website later today or early tomorow.

 

Simon Tisdall

Assistant Editor

The Guardian,

119, Farringdon Rd., London, EC1R 3ER, UK

+44 (0)207 713 4785

[rudy-Diiriye]

thank u thank u ppl!! Plz ppl email n flood this pples inboxes!!

 

does anybody have emails to american news ppl!! plz provide them! lets do the leg work..

 

thanx fanisha, peace, mysti! voileta u need a cadillac....u want me to hook u up gal!! gimme a shout!! loooooool

[N.O.R.F]

Peacenow, good on you.

 

Glad someone has decided to write about the horrible goings on in Somalia.

[N.O.R.F]

Halgeel

 

These neocon PR talking heads, it seems, do not speak a word of Somali! That means they cannot read Somali newspapers, listen to Somali radio, watch Somali TV, or read online sources in Somali in order to gain credible understanding of the actual situation on the grounds in Somalia. But then again how many neocons spoke Arabic when the US invaded Iraq? Here they are again in full force: empty headed, automatic taking machines spouting neocon nonsense of generic talking points: Islamo-fascism, etc!. How pathetic.

 

 

Dhuuso iyo faan baddanoow, maxaad Somalia ka taqaanaa?

Soomali weliiga ma tagteen?

Maxaad ka taqaan xalada gudah ee Somalia?

Af Soomali ma taqaaniin? Bal iiga warama halka xaalada Iraaq marayso? Fulay ayaa faana; geesi ma faano!

 

 

[Peacenow]

Are you the famous 'halgeel84' by the way, Northerner?

[Emperor]

Mystic what do u think could be the Solution? How do u think the TFG would have done better, leave and vacate the capitol or may be resign without trying? How do u think the would have tried? I know most of the members in the forum either TFG supports or insurgent supports, only few days ago believed that the only solution forward was force and only force will has to be used by either side, however, I see many changed tones when they saw the collateral damage war brings, leaves no room of escape for the innocent especially in urban city like Mogadishu.

 

Peace you are doing a good job, although I know the west and rest of the world is fully aware of this but purposely turning their focus away from it as has been the case for the past decade or so. It's tragic whats hapening but I doubt whether it helps or bring about intervention, contrary it may lead to further condemnation on the insurgency, I say this for three reasons: 1st the TFG is recognized, 2nd the world knew about the Ethiopian Army in Somalia and no one single country of the world condemd it, 3rd and most important these insurgents were dubbed as terrorits and crazy Jihadists. For this, I think the world knowledge of this will not bring any Solution to the problem but only add petrol to it as we have seen in the past. It will only bear result and may be fruitful if you could appeal to the Somali people instead, the Somali problem can only be solved by Somalis and that must be done through a peaceful process, no matter how wide and alien the veiws and demands of every group would be, Nothing more nor less.

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by peacenow:

Are you the famous 'halgeel84' by the way, Northerner?

No saxib, this is the first i have come across this chap.

[-Nomadique-]

Good on you Peacenow.

 

I also wonder who halgeel84 is he is an impressive character.

 

Perhaps he is another SOLer?

[N.O.R.F]

This is what America wanted.

 

It doesn�t serve American interest to see countries trying to stand on their feet.

 

The Islamic courts brought peace and stability to a country after years of war. Good old Uncle Sam just came and blew it all away.

 

Why this concern now? Is it because the west is afraid of the Somali refugees who might try to make their way here?

 

USA keeps killing, bombing, and slaughtering other people.

 

I wonder why they hate the American way.

 

 

Even non-Somalis recognise what is blatantly obvious :rolleyes:

[RedSea]

Peacnow,

 

Excellent work walalo.

[Garyaqaan2]

peacenow

Dear Mr. Simon Tisdall, Reporter

 

Please, please cover the massacre that is happening in Somalia, right now.

A genocide is in the making and no one is taking notice.

The American backed Ethiopian army have laid siege to the cpaital,

trapping millions of people, without food and water. Artillery shells

is raining down and bodieds lies strewn, everywhere. This is a great

and tragic tragedy, the story must be told, the world must know what

the Ethiopians are their stooges the TFG are doing right now.

peacenow i am not sure if these do any good for reporter to write in first page of news paper.

 

 

these what the International Contact Group on Somalia Said

 

The Contact Group -- which includes Britain, Italy, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Tanzania, the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League -- condemned the "actions of extremists and terrorists who continue to threaten" the government.

what will these tell you bro.

 

 

they contued to say....

The Islamists, who deny Ethiopian and U.S. accusations of al Qaeda links, were roundly defeated but have now regrouped