Western Envoys Unhappy At Abdullahi's Election

[Suldaanka]

Fred Oluoch, The East African, ANALYSIS

 

NAIROBI, 26 Oct. 2004--There is apprehension that the election of a former warlord could send the wrong signal to other personalities who have taken up arms in Africa

 

THE NEW Somali government might have been welcomed as a major positive step towards peace, but the election of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has been grudgingly received by some representatives of Western countries in Nairobi.

 

Though none has openly expressed displeasure with the election as it is a major development towards peace in Somalia, with the alternative being the continuation of chaos, The East African has established that some Western diplomats in Nairobi are not overly enthusiastic about the outcome compared with how they received the Sudan peace process.

 

They are afraid that the election of a former factional leader will instead create a conglomerate of warlords, who will in turn gain respectability instead of being held accountable for past human rights abuses.

 

Learning from the example of former Liberian president Charles Tailor, a former warlord, some Western countries, sources say, would have wished to see the election of a neutral and untainted personality who would lead the country to a fresh start, leaving behind old rivalries and clan interests.

 

A case in point being cited is the Afghanistan interim president, Hamid Karzai, who had no connection with the various factions in Afghanistan.

 

Already, some of the Somali warlords, led by Hussein Aideed, have warned the new president that he must form an all-inclusive government -meaning include all warlords - or forget about peace in Somalia.

 

The apprehension of Western envoys rises from the realisation that the election of the former warlord could send a wrong signal to other personalities who have taken up arms in Africa and that it does not encourage the rule of law and democracy on the continent.

 

This comes as the Somali people and the frontline states including Kenya, are looking to the international community to foot the bill for the reconstruction and military observer force to disarm the militia before the new government leaves Nairobi for Somalia.

 

The United Nations has estimated that at least $5 billion will be needed to rebuild Somalia in the long run. Yet some stakeholders in the Somali peace process fear that some Western countries may not be too keen on giving grants for the new Somali government to start its operations.

 

But the European Union head of delegation in Kenya, Derek Fee, told The East African that the Union is currently working on a programme to support the new Somali government, though they are yet to decide in what form and how much they are ready to offer.

 

"So far, we are happy with the whole process. We are waiting for the new government to become operational, especially after the appointment of the prime minister, so that we can engage the government on what role we can play," said Mr Fee. The EU has been very supportive of the Somali peace process morally and financially, for the past two years.

 

Also optimistic was the Kenyan Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Moses Wetangula, who despite conceding that some people might be nervous about the new president over the role he played as a former factional leader, was confident that international support would be forthcoming.

 

"This is not the time to think about labels and the president should not be judged by his past, but current posture. A country like Somalia that is emerging from such turmoil needs a strong leader. Furthermore, President Abdullahi has clearly stated that he has transformed himself from a warlord to a peace lord," said Mr Wetangula.

 

Mr Wetangula who has been closely associated with both the Somali and the Sudan peace talks, believes that a broad-based government is the only way forward for peace in Somalia, since, "It is better to engage the warlords in an arena of peace than leave them out and create new avenues for insecurity."

 

He, however, conceded that there is a general donor fatigue over Somalia given the past UN and US experience in the early 1990s when international intervention was ruthlessly repulsed.

 

Still, The EastAfrican established that the Swedish government has planned a consultative meeting for October 27, in which major donor countries and members of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) and Partners Forum (IPF) have been invited to brainstorm on how the international community can chip in.

 

The meeting will also set the timetable for the Donors' Conference on Somalia, which will deal with every aspect of the reconstruction and funding.

 

Notably, the issue of funding and how to transfer the new government to Mogadishu, topped the agenda of the Igad Summit meeting in Nairobi on October 15 that was to be chaired by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.

 

In particular, the African Union (AU) is expected to take the lead through the newly formed African Peace and Security Council in organising a military observer force, though the source of funding is yet to be identified.

 

Despite the recent announcement by Igad and the Kenyan government that the new government will move to Somalia within two months, a recent AU reconnaissance mission that studied the security situation in various regions of Somalia, reported that the government can only be installed after the deployment of the military observer force, similar to that in Darfur.

 

But with the Somali situation being more volatile, experts estimate that it will take at least 15,000 troops to contain and disarm the militia.

 

Those privy to the arrangements intimated that the government may not go straight to Mogadishu, but will be stationed either in Baidoa or Kismayu. In the meantime, sources close to President Abdullahi say that he has been busy trying to reach out to various factional leaders with the objective of forming a broad-based government and has been receiving positive responses

[MR ORGILAQE]

What I see here is pre-bashing of a legitimately elected president via a process that can be described as the only form of Election that Somalia could have at the moment.Say what they may the fact remains that Somalia now needs someone like HE President A Y Ahmed.Somalia needs Abdulahi Yusuf and Abdulahi Yusuf needs Somalia at least for the next five years.Beyond that it our responsibility one and all to ensure that we protect our God Given rights as Muslims and above all As Somali Muslims to choose a leader that is capable to keep up any momentum that he inherits from his predecessor.We must choose with wisdom and with our heads not our hearts.One thing I do know is this and I say this after studying the character that is essentially Abdulahi Yusuf.He will disarm the malitia they can do that voluntarily or if he does have to use force he will do,but only after showing the people what they are "peace haters".I am fed up with what is happening down there.My mother and Father are constantly aching for their homeland and I cant give it to them just yet.I hope he can.He has a lot riding on him and Pray to Allah that he guides him to the right path.We need Allah's salvation we pray to ALLah to get us out of this mayhem.Amen Amen

[A New Born]

There are millions of somalis who are not happy about the outcome of the Nairobi confrence , so these westerners are not ALONE ... it is a FACT that A/yusuf IS the wrong persona for this nation at these difficult times.

Instead of making real peace and reconciliation among the Somali ppl and clans , he is asking for foreign troops to help him.

 

I for one beleive that the Colonel is OLD n his health is VARY shaky, so his advisers ( YES MEN )

are BAD ppl.

 

This nation needs a healing hand , not an old warlord eager for revenge and more blood.

 

the worries and concerns of the westren diplomats ARE substanciated and shared by millions of Somalis.

 

in short .. an opportunity was LOST in that Kenyan Statdium where the SELECTED MPs picked Mr A/Yusuf :mad: :mad: :mad:

[MR ORGILAQE]

He may be old but he can do the job.George bush senior was old and look what he did.Nelson Mandela was old look what he did.Age is not the deciding factor her,e the way things are run is the main point.

There is only one thing that i want from him and i am sure you'll all agree that that is the only realistic goal for the next five years

1)Disarm the malitias and create the national army,police and all the other apparatus of the state

I dont think we can hope to achieve beyind that and even if we do it wont be too far from that.

The goal is very much "down his street".He knows how to disarm malitias

Reasons:

1)they are scared of his fearsome reputation

2)He is a highly experienced not to mention learned military leader(although he probably wont lead a force himself)

3)he is more in tune with the divisions and culture,warlords in our country than any other.

As for the foreign troops

I see my brother says that millions of somalis object I wonder where you got those figures from because everyone can quote such figures and we all know that is impossible as there is no way of polling somalis at the moment

However when we look at the situation realistically the reason thet the carta administration failed is because it did not have the capabiluty to disarm the malitia and had to resort to begging one warlord to after the other

is that what you want? a government that can't assert it's authority that can't gurantee the safety of the people, tha't cant implement the mandate it was given?.

I hope not because if that is what you want then we are obviously not from the same somali blood.

There is no national army at the moment to sort out this malitias out we need the foreign troops in order to impose the will of the people upon the mayhem seekers,blood suckers who have been bullying,robbing,murdering our innocent civilians for the past 14 yrs.I am not saying that he should wage war left right and centre what i am saying is that he should give diplomacy every conceivable chance,but if that fails and that particular warlord refuses to listen to reason and instead of manifesting his political stand via legal political movements,chooses instead to do so via violent means then he should be given some serious *** whipping!.we cant put on hold the lives of more than 15million somalis just so a couple of warlords should feel important.THE NEED OF THE MANY OUTWAY THE NEED OF THE FEW.(especially if the few are trying to hold the many hostages by violent means)

[Nationalist]

What's this ignorant ranting about Abdullahi Yusuf's age for God sake! Since when are presidents recquired to be in physical top condition to govern a country, any country?

To quote Garab Tuujiye's famous line if I may;

 

Wareer Badanaa!

[BN]

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock....