Minneapolis: Somali Professor Lambastes TFG, U.S. Position

[Jabhad]

By: Abdirahman Aynte

 

Fellow, The Center for Independent Media

 

Minneapolis, MN (HOL)- Somalia was once Africa’s success story, but a combination of “balkanization” and a fatal social AIDS called “warlordism” reduced the country to become the main source of protracted conflict, according to Prof. Abdi Ismail Samatar, a geography and global studies professor at the University of Minnesota.

 

 

 

He was a keynote speaker Thursday at Headliners, a monthly program sponsored by the College of Education at the University of Minnesota.

 

 

 

Back in the 60s Somalia was a beacon and a champion of democracy in Africa. Power was democratically transferred. It took 26 years for the next African nation, Zambia, to achieve that goal, according to Prof. Samatar.

 

 

 

But things got wildly out of control since then. A dictator took over, a civil war followed, an acute famine starved thousands to death, a U.S.-led mission failed, tiny “Balkans” fought over meager resources and a trail of self-anointed “transitional administrations” emerged and disappeared, until the current government was improvised in Kenya in 2004. Warlords, who long agreed to disagree, briefly agreed to the new government, but soon disagreed on it.

 

 

 

Then, out of nowhere, the U.S. threw its dog into the fight. Clandestine services were bankrolling some of those notorious warlords to capture terror suspects. That backfired and gave an unprecedented rise to the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which soon controlled much of the country.

 

 

 

In a classic Somali style, where the power doesn’t rest with one group for a while, the UIC was crushed by the mighty Ethiopian military firepower over the New Years.

 

 

 

But just when you thought things are finally settling, it’s taking yet another downward spiral.

 

 

 

Prof. Samatar pinpoints key problems.

 

 

 

* Ethiopia, known to many Somalis as an arch enemy of Somalia, has a keen interest in either “dismembering Somalia into clan lines, or establishing a government that’s beholden to it,” said Prof. Samatar.

* The TFG is dominated by blood-stained warlords, chiefly the president “who has no fiber of democracy,” said Prof. Samatar. “TFG has not served a glass of water to a child.”

* The U.S. is “seen as an associate of those warlords and Ethiopia,” both of who have an unrepairable reputation among Somalis.

 

 

 

What’s next?

 

 

 

Prof. Samatar, though he said he’s naturally optimistic, offered a grim assessment.

 

 

 

The U.S. and the European Union, which’s the chief financial backer of the TFG, has been pressuring President Abullahi Yusuf to open an earnest dialogue with his opponents and broaden the TFG.

 

 

 

Increasing the size of TFG, Prof. Samatar said, strikes me as an overkill. The TFG, he added, has more than 50 cabinet ministers. (In comparison, the U.S. has 13.) The Somali parliament has 275 members, all of whom are hand-picked by warlords. (The U.S. has total of 535 members in the Congress.)

 

 

 

“Somalis are told ‘you’re clans, not citizens’,” said Prof. Samatar, who observed the last reconciliation conference in Kenya.

 

 

 

The African Union was also in a marathon to send an 8,000-strong peacekeeping force to Somalia upon the departure of Ethiopians.

 

 

 

That isn’t getting enough traction either. So far, Uganda is the only African country that offered 1,000 soldiers.

 

 

 

Add that to the insurgency that’s getting quite a bit of traction in Mogadishu. Sounds of daily gunfire are back in Mogadishu after eight months of silence under the UIC.

 

 

 

“TFG has neither the integrity nor the caliper to serve Somalis,” said Prof. Samatar.

 

 

 

He also accused Ethiopia of exporting its domestic problems into Somalia. He pointed to the election held last year, in which the Jimmy Carter Center, among other international observers, declared it a major fraud. Hundreds were killed in a subsequent protest and dozens of lawmakers are still locked up.

 

 

 

“It’s a perversion of priorities in Africa,” he said, accusing Ethiopia of planning to replicate an equally repressive regime in Somalia.

 

 

 

Asked if religion is playing a role in the current conflict, Prof. Samatar said it’s not, “but if Ethiopians remain in Somalia, it will.”

 

 

 

He said sources told him that the U.S. is encouraging Ethiopia to retain troops in Somalia.

 

 

 

What’s the way out? A serious political solution, decidedly warlord-averse, is the answer, says Prof. Samatar.

 

 

 

Abdirahman Aynte can be reached at Ceynte@hiiraan.com

[Jabhad]

Professor Samatar"“Somalis are told ‘you’re clans, not citizens’,” said Prof. Samatar, who observed the last reconciliation conference in Kenya."

 

The best weapon Somali enemies have to keep Somalia divided and weak.

[Xoogsade]

“Somalis are told ‘you’re clans, not citizens’,” said Prof. Samatar, who observed the last reconciliation conference in Kenya.

* Ethiopia, known to many Somalis as an arch enemy of Somalia, has a keen interest in either “dismembering Somalia into clan lines, or establishing a government that’s beholden to it,” said Prof. Samatar.

* The TFG is dominated by blood-stained warlords, chiefly the president “who has no fiber of democracy,” said Prof. Samatar. “TFG has not served a glass of water to a child.”

* The U.S. is “seen as an associate of those warlords and Ethiopia,” both of who have an unrepairable reputation among Somalis.

“TFG has neither the integrity nor the caliper to serve Somalis,” said Prof. Samatar.

Sounds of daily gunfire are back in Mogadishu after eight months of silence under the UIC.

Golden Facts.

[Garaad Bari]

What is wrong with the Samatar brothers? why do they opposse on everything that happens in somali politics?

 

they are against Somaliland,they were against Abdiqassim government,they were against the UIC and they are against TFG as well. i dont know mush abt these gentlemen, but they seem very funny, what amazed me more is that they are always on the same side?????

[Wisdom_Seeker]

^^^

You just don’t support every politician or military/political group that takes control or desires to gain control.

 

 

The TFG is dominated by blood-stained warlords, chiefly the president “who has no fiber of democracy,” said Prof. Samatar. “TFG has not served a

glass of water to a child.”

[General Duke]

He thinks highly of himself. Those who can do, those who can't teach Stick to the day job Samatar..

[-Nomadique-]

* Ethiopia, known to many Somalis as an arch enemy of Somalia, has a keen interest in either “dismembering Somalia into clan lines, or establishing a government that’s beholden to it,” said Prof. Samatar.

* The TFG is dominated by blood-stained warlords, chiefly the president “who has no fiber of democracy,” said Prof. Samatar. “TFG has not served a glass of water to a child.”

* The U.S. is “seen as an associate of those warlords and Ethiopia,” both of who have an unrepairable reputation among Somalis.

Truth.

[NASSIR]

Social Science is the least knowledge a person can master in his or her educatinoal career. There are hundreds of phsycians, scientists, and MDs, Finance, and a host of other Somali scholars in such fields, but they don't run and go every where to foreshadow political and social upheavals for their country. Instead, they advise and project concrete solution to Somalia taking the most important subject into account, that is a viable Somali government.

 

They popularize themselves unbelievably ludicrous.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Samatar la'aantiisa abaar waaye runtii. His well-thought input is always appreciated. He is one of most rare Soomaali indheergarad and higly aqoonyahan left around.

 

Dankis brother Samatar. Keep doing and exposing the qashin they really are -- Xabash stooges that needs to be quarantined and then eradicated, same like viruses. Wax taas ka yar ma jirto.

[General Duke]

Camir hit nail on the head. This professor needs to stick to his job and teach, if he wants to enter politics, by all means come and take part, but kindly stop pretending to be the panacea to all problems Somali.

 

He is a well known supporter of Arta, which was “Somalis are told ‘you’re clans, not citizens’,”

 

Give it up sir, you are no expert on Somalia, and the US admin does not know you or your brother..

[Castro]

Originally posted by General Duke:

Give it up sir, you are no expert on Somalia, and the US admin does not know you or your brother..

What makes anyone an expert on Somalia? Furthermore, what makes you an expert on Somalia while the person whose judgment on Somali matters everyone seeks is 'no expert'?

 

The Westerners are outsiders, you say, and therefore, are no experts on Somalia. The Somalis who spent their lives studying the country (and the region) are no experts simply because they're in Minneapolis and not Muqdisho. The ones in Muqdisho are no experts because they, naturally you assume, hate the TFG. Well exactly who is an expert then? You? Rest assured that 9000 rubbish posts with opinions coming out of every pore in your body do not an expert make.

 

Give it up sir. You're no expert on Somalia and all your efforts to discredit anyone who does not toe the puppet regime's line are transparent, even laughably futile.

[General Duke]

^^^Saxib Samatar is just another sore loser, nothing more, nothing less.

[Castro]

Originally posted by General Duke:

^^^Saxib Samatar is just another sore loser, nothing more, nothing less.

What makes him a sore loser? What game has he played and failed to win? Even if he is a 'sore loser', does that make him clueless of Somali state of affairs? Does this make you the sore winner? What have you won that you claim he has lost?

 

Just admit you were wrong to attack the person. And the less you back peddle, the better for all of us.

[General Duke]

^^^He played the game of supporting anti government groups, of acting like a bridge between the US admin and these groups and attacking the TFG at every turn, he has failed as the TFG has moved forward and he has been found to be a sharalatn who has no real contacts with the US admin.

 

No I have known of this man for a while , him Yusuf Garad, and other anti-governemnt groups in London. Thus its you who knows nothing..

[Castro]

Charlatan you say? Really? And that makes you a visionary? LOL. You must think we have no memory.

 

Originally posted by General Duke:

^^^The tanks and the armour from Ethiopia was nothing compared to the Eritrean, oromo and outside support for the courts, thus the truth is that one ally defeated another.