Open Letter to Ahmed Ould Abdallah, the UN Special Envoy to Somalia

[Sophist]

Open Letter to Ahmed Ould Abdallah, the UN Special Envoy to Somalia

 

 

His Excellency: Ahmed Ould Abdallah, the UN Special Envoy to Somalia.

 

Your excellence, I would like to congratulate your office for its restless effort to achieve peace settlement in Somalia and are encouraged by the attempts made so far. I also commend your office for upholding the territorial integrity of our country.

 

Ever-since the Somali conflict started, with exception of a brief period with Ambassador Sahnoun in the early 1990s, Somalia was lacking an honest peace broker, therefore, like most of Somalis inside and outside the country, I appreciate your endeavour and welcome the agreement between the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) and The Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) on June 9th 2008, in Djibouti as a step forward to the onerous road to peace.

 

While I acknowledge these efforts, I also would like to express my concern for the emergence of the division within the opposition groups and lack of inclusiveness in the process amongst resistance, to whom without its inclusion the lasting peace in Somalia will remain to be elusive. Therefore, everything must be done to reach out to all those opposition groups, particularly the military arm of the ARS whose influence cannot be ignored.

 

Your excellence, since December 2006, the invasion of Ethiopia and its subsequent occupation are the main causes for the pandemonium and violence in Somalia. In order to build the trust of Somali people in the peace, your office must facilitate the immediate withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops firstly from the cities and towns followed by its withdrawal from the rest of the country. This move will be the road to building the trust of Somali people in the peace process.

 

The people of Somalia have been brutalised and raped off their humanity by the occupying forces. War crimes have been committed by the occupation forces, in Somalia, a fact backed up by human rights organisations such as: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others. What is more, thousands of Somalis are incarcerated in prisons inside the country and in Ethiopia, without due process; hence, I urge the UN representative for Somalia to work on their immediate release from these detention centres. We also ask your office to push for the appointment of a special UN commissioner to investigate these alleged war crimes.

 

The history of international intervention post “Operation Restore Hope” UN in Somalia is not very encouraging, however, I welcome the deployment of an international stabilisation force from countries that are “friends of Somalia” with a mandate that will help the re-establishment of inclusive government, that will pave the way for a multi-party political system.

 

I acknowledge Mr. Ahmedou Ould Abdallahis courageous and tireless under these difficult times. I encourage the UN Representative for Somalia to carry-on his efforts of finding lasting solution for Somalia. We remind his Excellency for this to transpire, the peace process must be inclusive. By that we mean, all the influential actors within ARS must be included. Their absence will only continue to exacerbate the situation. Furthermore, it will reinforce the notion that this process was the West’s grand plan to derail the insurgency and divide the opposition groups between “modern v hardliners”.

 

Recommendations

 

A year and half has elapsed since the invasion by Ethiopian forces. The situation in Somalia went from bad to worst. Moreover, it seems things are going back to the dark years of the early1990’s - the worst periods of Somali civil war. The international community, particularly those who have participated directly or indirectly to the present day conflict in Somalia, should share the responsibility for this tragic state of affairs, namely the United States, who had not only given political and economical support to the Ethiopian government but has bombed as recently as March 2008; the southern Somali towns Dobley and Dhuusamareeb, where many innocent women and children lost their lives.

 

Therefore, in order to make the efforts of UN and UN Special Envoy for Somalia more effective and bring lasting peace; I make the following recommendations:

 

1. To address Somali concerns and to make the peace process more effective and inclusive I urge;

 

a. That UN Representative for Somalia to help lift ‘terror labels’ imposed upon the groups and individuals, who can play a crucial role in the peace making in Somalia.

 

b. To speed-up replacement of Ethiopian troops with multinational peacekeeping forces, led by United Nations troops that are culturally acceptable to Somalis - preferably from Arab, Islamic and African states.

 

c. The United Nations must be seen as an impartial mediator, for it to play a trusted role between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the opposition.

 

d. UN member states must stop counter productive activities such as; dumping waste in Somali territory, illegal fishing off Somalia shores, and failed simplistic U.S.A. policies towards “war on terror”.

 

2. When Ethiopian troops vacate Somalia;

 

a. The United Nations must set up a war crimes tribunal/investigating panel, to look into allegations of war crimes committed by warring parties in the conflict.

 

b. Cognizant to the fact that people of Somalia have, in no so many ways suffered for the past 18 years, therefore the UN should help civil societies to heal and put an end to the painful psychological sufferings.

 

c. United Nations must urge the International community to provide all the necessary economic and developmental assistance needed in order to re-establish a progressive and prosperous state based upon the principles of good governance.

 

 

Shirwa Jama

[Sophist]

What your thoughts Forum!

[Castro]

I acknowledge Mr. Ahmedou Ould Abdallahis courageous and tireless under these difficult times. I encourage the UN Representative for Somalia to carry-on his efforts of finding lasting solution for Somalia.

We remind his Excellency for this to transpire, the peace process must be inclusive. By that we mean, all the influential actors within ARS must be included. Their absence will only continue to exacerbate the situation. Furthermore, it will reinforce the notion that this process was the West’s grand plan to derail the insurgency and divide the opposition groups between “modern v hardliners”.

 

Recommendations

 

A year and half has elapsed since the invasion by Ethiopian forces. The situation in Somalia went from bad to worst. Moreover, it seems things are going back to the dark years of the early1990’s - the worst periods of Somali civil war. The international community, particularly those who have participated directly or indirectly to the present day conflict in Somalia, should share the responsibility for this tragic state of affairs, namely the United States, who had not only given political and economical support to the Ethiopian government but has bombed as recently as March 2008; the southern Somali towns Dobley and Dhuusamareeb, where many innocent women and children lost their lives.

 

Therefore, in order to make the efforts of UN and UN Special Envoy for Somalia more effective and bring lasting peace; I make the following recommendations:

 

1. To address Somali concerns and to make the peace process more effective and inclusive I urge;

 

a. That UN Representative for Somalia to help

lift ‘terror labels’ imposed upon the groups and individuals, who can play a crucial role in the peace making in Somalia.

 

b. To speed-up replacement of Ethiopian troops with multinational peacekeeping forces, led by United Nations troops that are culturally acceptable to Somalis - preferably from Arab, Islamic and African states.

 

c.

The United Nations must be seen as an impartial mediator, for it to play a trusted role between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the opposition.

 

d.

UN member states must stop counter productive activities such as; dumping waste in Somali territory, illegal fishing off Somalia shores, and failed simplistic U.S.A. policies towards “war on terror”.

 

2. When Ethiopian troops vacate Somalia;

 

a.

The United Nations must set up a war crimes tribunal/investigating panel, to look into allegations of war crimes committed by warring parties in the conflict.

 

b. Cognizant to the fact that people of Somalia have, in no so many ways suffered for the past 18 years, therefore the UN should help civil societies to heal and put an end to the painful psychological sufferings.

 

c. United Nations must urge the International community to provide all the necessary economic and developmental assistance needed in order to re-establish a progressive and prosperous state based upon the principles of good governance.

Someone who speaks like this is called a warmonger in this wretched forum. Yet those who cheer pie-in-the-sky agreements are called peacemakers.

 

Aduunyooy xaalkaa ba'.

 

I salute Shirwa Jama.

[NGONGE]

^^ Buy him a mardoof while you're at it. The man sounds as high as a kite.

[AYOUB]

^^ Easy now, Shirwa is a buddy of yours. Friendly fire mise saaxibadda xitaa kama naxddid?

 

That letter has some very good points. That backed by genuine efforts and sincerely from the factions involved, then there's hope.

[NGONGE]

^^ Good points but the Open Letter format is a waste of time. Not to mention of course that the UN is hopeless.

[AYOUB]

^^ Maybe the letter will be handed to the envoy after contribution and correction by SOL intellectuals like yourself. Go on, chip in.

[Sophist]

Ngone, it has been handed to him personally old chap!

 

Other than just being the cynic you are, any quams with the points raised?

[NGONGE]

^^ You could have mentioned that important fact earlier, saaxib. My qualms are usually with hopes and dreams aired on the various Internet sites, not the ones delivered by hand. Like I said, he makes very good points.

[xiinfaniin]

Welcome back Sophist! These are very good points. Especially, the need to lift the arbitrary terror labels.

[Fabregas]

I don't about that particular man changing the "terror policy", but this what mr Abdallah said a few days ago :

 

quote:All Somali parties have initialled the agreement except two individuals who are regarded as terrorists by the UN Security Council and the Americans,"

 

ps. Shirwa Jama= Sophist?

[Sophist]

Xiin, thanks brother.

 

I met Ahmedou yesterday at Chatham house. He is a seasoned diplomat and it seems he is increasingly becoming well versed in the art of Somali politics and how to direct 'hostile' attacks away from his office. He delivered very emotional sermon about how great Somalia was and how it's ill-educated leaders messed the country. He utilised very emotive language and most of the audience were subdued. As result the questions were moderately cosmetic and the responses he had given were equally simplistic.

 

I was fortunate enough to ask a question. Mine I had hoped will let the Genie out of the bottle. I simply told him that it was easy to make peace with friends, but the challenge is making peace with your enemies as such it seems what has happened was simply the former rather than the later. I followed with, “What will become of the ‘real’ opposition, those whom large numbers of Somalis believe to be the real insurgency? Is your office going to reach out those influential actors within the Somalia or will it implement what many think to be Bush’s policy and that is to isolate the military wing of the opposition?

 

His response was of course, the door is open and we want peace in Somalia.

 

Nice enough chap!.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Brofessor_Geeljire:

ps. Shirwa Jama= Sophist?

If that's even remotely the case, then I owe the man an unconditional apology.

[Sophist]

Castro, no need to apologise; we have alot to do.

 

Noblesse Oblige brother!

[Juje]

Nicely put Sophist - and I liked your question yesterday - though the answer was short and not wholly addressing the queries you raised. I wished the Envoy will delibarate more, but as you said he is a seasoned diplomat and gave a cautious answer - nevertheless the issues you mentioned are apparent and short answers as yesterday will not be a solution - the Envoy and his entity should be more forthcoming and display their assests on the table.