Som. 14th Reconc . Conf. Another Fiasco in the Eyes of the Int. Comm/ty

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SOMALIA’S FOURTEENTH RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE IN ELDORET& NAIROBI, KENYA: ANOTHER FIASCO IN THE EYES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

 

By bare Mohamed S M Hersi

 

 

The Eldoret-Nairobi Reconciliation Conference is the fourteenth or fifteenth of its kind about Somalia after the overthrow of its last government, the military regime of Dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre. The entire previous one’s had failed. Unfortunately, I am among the majority of the Somali people who were and still are not expecting any positive outcome of this latest Conference.

 

My pessimism is based simply on this:

1. The international community is negotiating with the same criminal gangs responsible for the evil acts that have destroyed and divided and are still destroying and dividing Somalia; have disintegrated its people and regions; have killed hundreds of innocent Somalis and still killing many others on a daily basis; have forced hundreds of thousands of Somalis to live in Diaspora or internally displaced (IDP).

 

2. Unfortunately, the IGAD (on behalf of the wider international community, if that applicable) is dealing with the wrong people, i.e. the same murderers (the warlords) of hundreds of thousands of Somalis and who want the same thing as the past 15 failed conferences, “the power” to rule Somalia.

 

3. Sadly, these criminal gangs are called “Somali leaders” by the international community and the media. This sounds and makes the Somali people hopeless and eternally a hostage of unseen enemies. We are condemned to stay in the same cage with tigers, lions and bears. We are defenceless in the eyes of the international community who have a moral duty to protect the Somalis. I cannot see why the Afghans have the human rights of protection and are liberated from the Taliban, the Iraqis from Saddam Hussain but not the Somalis from the warlords

 

4. Sadly, these criminals enjoy good treatment from many government and international organisations. They receive huge money on behalf and in the name of the Somali people which money will then be paid back by the Somali people with huge interests. The warlords or so called leaders are accommodated in five star hotels and travel free every where they wish

 

5. There is undoubtedly a general belief that some IGAD member States are manipulating, if not dictating the conference according to their national agenda and interest in Somalia.

 

6. Unfortunately, this conference coincided with the international political crisis where issues of terrorism and the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan have overshadowed attention for Somalia (as happened in 1991, when the then Gulf war overshadowed Somalia’s civil war.)

 

The only part of Somalia which has not fully participated or nearly rejected those conferences is the North Western Regions which has declared secession from the rest of the country in 1991. The region shares with the rest of Somalia power hungry men who are hijacking the people to their wishes.

 

Again, those who claim control of Somaliland, past and present, are the same loyal, officers and/or collaborators of Mohamed Siyad Barre’s regime. Its actual and third president, Col. Dahir Rayale Kahin was in fact a high rank officer of Siyad Barre’s repression force, the National Security Service (NSS).

 

Col. Abdirahman Ahmed Ali “Tuur” and Mohamed Ibrahim Egal respectively preceded him. “Tuur” was the creator of the secession in 1991 when everybody in Somalia was out of his control as the wounds from the collapse of the State and the civil war were the highest level. Mr Ali later has had corrected his mistakes and reclaimed unity, but it was too late because other men took advantage of the already ready ground for power.

 

The right man at the time was the late Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, the last prime minister of the former Somali Republic before General Mohamed Siyad Barre came to the power through coup d’etat in October 1969. He was arrested by the military regime for several years but became loyal to it and collaborated with it until its collapse.

 

Although Egal was a mature politician and had many statesman friends he failed to secure recognition for the tiny and very poor Somaliland but he managed to run the Region until his death last year in South Africa even if he was accused of ruling with iron fists with dictatorial manners and suppression of his political opponents.

 

The claimed secession did not have any legal basis. The claimants referred the so called 1960’s “union” of North-South Regions of Somalia previously colonised respectively by Britain and Italy to justify the secession.

 

The logic and legal term of that union should read “reunification” and not union.

 

Somalia was united country with no borders before the arrival of the European colonisers and was disunited and divided by them in five parts: the said North-South Regions, the Reserve Area or Ogaden given to Ethiopia by Britain, the North Frontier Distric (NFD) given to Kenya by Britain and the French Cost of Somalia colonised by France (actual Republic of Djibouti).

So, the Somali people of the said two parts of Somalia who fought equally and together with their colonisers for their lost freedom were again reunited, like the two Germans and other parts of the peoples of the World separated by man made disasters.

 

I would like to invite who ever have any concern or would like to ask me clarifications about my point of view in this matter, to please to contact me by email and I will be happy to discuss with accordingly.

 

The warlords are responsible for the extinction of what the World knew as the Somali Republic, and by consequence the Somali citizenship, on 26th of January 1991. On that very day, a coalition of armed militias led by United Somali Congress (USC) mainly from Hawie clan ousted dictator M Siad Barre from Mogadishu, the former Somali capital (sadly, this once beautiful & peaceful city of Mogadishu has also lost its status of being a capital).

 

In effect, Somali citizenship does not exist nowadays according to the International Law. Somalis are a stateless people and have been for 12 years. These warlords are solely the cause of this tragedy. The present status of Somalis is similar to that of the Gypsies in Europe or even worse. At least the gypsies are recognised as stateless every where and for that reason, they enjoy certain rights such as residence within those country who recognise them. Contrary of that, no country wants to recognise the Somalis as stateless people.

 

The reason is, in my view, to avoid the burden of giving residence or to accommodate of hundreds of thousands of Somalis despite those countries being aware of their legal status. Some countries who do not recognise Somalia as a State or any functioning government, recognise Somali passports which are nothing other than an identification document with the details and picture of the holder. My question and concern is now, how can some countries recognise those false documents while not recognising its issuing authority? Those countries, being neighbours of Somalia or overseas, who are signatories of the International Convention on stateless persons have obligations to protect the Somalis and accept them as genuine refugees until the current situation in Somalia is resolved and a genuine and democratic government is established.

 

The citizenship is issued by a state through its government and laws. There has been no government or law in Somalia for more a decade. The international community does not recognise Somalia as a State or having a central government. How then can the same international community recognise the Somalis as "citizens of Somalia"? This leaves the Somali ethnic population living in a chaotic situation. Hundreds of thousands are of "Somali origin", especially those in the Diaspora. Many of the warlords and their families are among them today.

 

Coming back to the warlords, at the beginning of the civil war in 1990-1991, those men were instigating the Somali clans each other only for their personal interest: "money and power". They started fighting against Dictator Siyad Barre not to salvage the country but to inherit the unlimited power that he had for 3 decades.

 

Ninety-nine of the current faction leaders were his aides or close collaborators. After they succeeded ousting him, they turned the guns to each other with the pretext or excuse of protecting clan interest using Darodism or Hawiism. This false image of clan protection or interest disappeared after a few years and then the same warlords started alliances between them in order to divide and rule the Somali people. In fact, as every body knows, those bloody criminals have all shifted from each for more than once, at one faction to another as ally or joining/merging. Today, their alliances are even larger with new names: SRRC, G8, TNG etc. Each of these groups has behind it a “sponsor” who has its particular interest in Somalia.

 

The SRRC is sponsored by Ethiopia; the G8 by Somali tycoons and drug dealers who have got rich from booties obtained by plundering; The TNG by some Arab countries and the neighbouring tiny State of Djibouti.

 

To give the reader a brief knowledge of those who led the above 3 groups, let’s look briefly their background.

 

The SRRC is led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, a colonel of the former Somali National Army. This man is well known as one of the most dominant and high-handed men in Somalia and famous for his dictatorship as well. A loyal and a trusted friend to Ethiopia since 1980’s.

 

Currently, Abdullahi Yusuf occupies illegally the Northern Eastern Regions of Somalia or Puntland’s administration after overthrowing its legitimate new democratically elected government of Jama Ali Jama in Garowe, the Puntland’s Capital City in November 2001. His occupation was fully supported by Ethiopia’s Melez Zenawi. The above election was made under the provisions of Puntland Constitution after the expiry of three years mandate of the Puntland’s previous government headed by Abdullaahi Yusuf himself. Even during his term of office, the Puntland Administration suffered the worst disrespect of its constitution and laws by the ruling class Mr Yusuf refused to recognise the change and to hand over the Office to the newly elected President of Puntland Mr J A Jama. Instead, he had chosen state sponsored violence and use of force in order to retain the power. With the Ethiopian full support, Abdullaahi Yusuf invaded the most important cities of Puntland such as Bossasso (the commercial capital and port), Qardho, and Garowe with heavy artillery and caused devastating destruction of already weak infrastructure and economy of those cities. He is also fully responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians including traditional leaders and intellectuals who openly opposed his politics. Puntland is no longer safe to anybody and has lost its status as the 2nd peaceful part of Somalia after Somaliland since Abdullaahi Yusuf’s abusive control. Ethiopia is not giving only arms to Abdullaahi Yusuf, but money to pay for his mercenaries.

 

What makes every body up set and unbelievable is the fact that Mr Yusuf has acted as having been given a “licence or a permission to kill” his own people by the IGAD Technical Committee when he was given 3 days leave and went back to Puntland but remained there for 3 months, killed more than a hundred of civilians among them traditional leader and intellectuals such as Sultan Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud “Hurre” shot dead on 17 August 2003 at Kala-Bayr village on his order. Many other important personalities and ordinary people met the same sort of treatment before and after Sultan Ahmed’s assassination, directly or indirectly by Abdullahi Yusuf’s bodyguards (the lists below are among those victims), arrested many and displaced hundreds while there was a ceasefire agreement he signed in Eldoret.

 

Those killed directly by his bodyguards:

 

Name Place killed

1. Mr Yaasiin Khaliif Ahmed ‘Faragaab’ Galkayo

2. Mr Farah Mohamed Said (Farah Dheere) Garowe

3. Mr Abdurahman Ugas Yassin. Garowe

4. Bashir Sheikh Mohamed Galkayo

5. Abdullahi Farah Qoordheer Galkayo

6. 4 men killed inside a Mosque at Burtinle Burtinle (last year)

7. 2 men killed in Burtinle after removing

from where they were arrested Burtinle

8. many other civilians in Qardho including

months pregnant woman and 3yrs old girl Qardho

 

Those killed indirectly for revenge:

1. Colonel Molas Bossasso

2. Bashir Abdi Madobe Bossasso

3. Dahir Yusuf Yey (his own brother) Garowe

4. Mursal Togox Galkayo

and many others

 

 

We were hoping that this man would be incriminated and arrested after committing all those crimes. What was again absolutely unacceptable was that Mr Yusuf has been welcomed in the Conference Hall again as an honest and victorious man who enjoys impunity. Abdullahi Yusuf relys on Ethiopia’s support in order to carry out his terror acts against the Puntlanderes and other Somalis and to achieve his political objectives who now wants him to become Somalia‘s head of state at all costs. To sell at the conference table, the Ethiopians have taken another step. They sent back A Yusuf again to Puntland and make peace with General Adde Musse who led the military wing of the exiled government Jama Ali Jama. Gen. Adde who gathered a powerful militia of over one thousand men at the border between Puntland and Somaliland was preparing to attack and oust A Yusuf in May 2003; Adde has set up a new faction called GBP (translated: Puntland Salvation Committee), with 25 members of central committee and a number of executive committee, in the same time, he declared extinct Jama Ali Jama’s government because of “ineffectiveness” (please see the PSC’s programme which is written in Somali: Barnaamijka Golaha Badbaadinta Puntland.doc).

 

The two men have made an unauthorised peace agreement in the name of Puntland. This agreement lacks legality whatsoever and for that reason will not have legal effects on Puntland people. This was orchestrated by Ethiopia. In one hand they ordered Abdullahi Yusuf to simulate a false peace agreement and the other hand gave ultimatum to Adde Musse to give up his ambition to attack Abdullahi Yusuf’s militia, and, to save face, to simulate being counterpart with A Yusuf. The Ethiopians gave much pressure also the president of Somaliland to expel Gen Adde Musse and his militia from Somaliland’s soil. The bogus and camouflaged peace agreement was scheduled to finish as quickly as possible because the Ethiopians wanted Abdullahi Yusuf to be back to Nairobi before the 18th of June with extra reference to sell at the Conference to be qualified as president or at least as a candidate for president. In fact, the two men have acted alone and refused any advice or interference with their respective aides and collaborators i.e. Abdullahi Yusuf’s so called cabinet ministers, mps and other members of his false administration; and Adde Musse’s two mentioned committees. They have not even consulted with Puntland’s real and natural authority “the Traditional Leaders (Boqors, Ugas’s, Grad’s etc.) who number more than fifty and who were active and important part of the Congress that had established both the first and the second governments of Puntland in 1989 and 2002. The two men have undermined and ignored totally the importance of Puntland’s traditional leader’s authority, but instead have borrowed two others from the neighbouring Somaliland as simulated “mediators”. Why Abdullahi Yusuf has ignored the Puntlands traditional leaders? Because they have already dismissed him when he insisted to retain the office despite his term was over.

 

As every body knows, Yusuf had a long dream, like his late friend Aideed, to overthrow and replace the former dictator, general M Siyad Barre as Somalia’s hea of state and still has that dream. As every body knows, there is a Court proceeding against Abdullahi Yusuf in London. The application was lodged by the wife and the children (who are also British citizens) of the late Sultan Axmed Mohamed Mohamud who was murdered by Abdullahi Yusuf bodyguards by his order. The trial will take place in the next couple of months but it seems that Yusuf will be prosecuted in absentia as he avoids coming to London for fear of being arrested.

 

Ethiopia is not and should not be included at all in any mediation process in the current situation in Somalia including the conference in Eldoret and Nairobi.

 

Allowing Ethiopia to mediate between Somali opposed groups is like trusting Ariel Sharon to mediate between Palestinian movements of Al-Fatah and Hamas.

 

Other failed warlords and mini warlords of SRC are Hussain Mohamed F Aideed, the heir of the late warlord general M F Aideed, general Mohamed Said Hersi “Morgan”, Ali Mahdi Mohamed, Musse Sudi Yalaho, Colonel Hassan M Noor “Shaati Guduud” (Red Shirt), and others such as Mohamed Dere, Hilowle Iman, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, Hassa Qalaad plus many more.

 

5 of these men have already claimed or auto nominated presidents either for Somalia, Regional Administration or secession of some Regions. They are:

 Ali Mahdi Mohamed

 Hussain M F Aideed

 Colonel Hassan M Noor “Shaati Guduud”

 Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf

 Colonel Dahir Rayale Kahin (he is the only one that at least numbers of people have voted for and can say he represents)

 

As some readers might recall, other men are also in his priority list to be killed just because they disagree with him or they speak out or put in writing their political opinion. In Augus last year there was a list of names of six Somali intellectuals published on Abdullahi Yusuf’s propaganda Web Site called Allpuntland and other Web Sites such as Somali Talk. It will not be any one’s surprise if any of these men will be targeted by Yusuf’s henchmen. These are:

 Professor Abdulcadir Ismail (genetico)

 Professor Abdulcadir Nur Salad (Fisico)

 Dr Abdisalam Mohamed Isse-Salwe

 Dr Mohamed Dahir Afrah

 Mr Abdulcadir Shube

 And myself

 

This warlord’s fatal mistake is that he thinks that, if he kills one or more of his opponents or those who criticize his totalitarian politics, then he will silence any opposition against him for ever. But for his misfortune, that will only increase opposition and people’s anger

 

One thing that these men have in common is that they are all ill experienced and are unknown qualities as regards their role in political negotiations. That is one of the causes of failure of the previous peace conferences and lack of expectation of the current one.

 

The G8 is led by a group of men with little knowledge of politics in general and the Somali political history in particular but from the civil war chaos (to kill and/or destroy, to size/to take possession of by force). The main leaders are Osman Hassan Ali nicknamed “Atto” (skinny) and Qanyare Afrah. They are the production and remnants of the worst butcher warlord that Somalia has ever seen, the late general Mohamed Farah Aideed who is said to be schizophrenic and obsessed to become president of Somalia (like his friend Abdullahi Yusuf) and once even auto nominated/proclaimed as president although his control was confined part of South Mogadishu where he was one of the powerful warlords until when he was shot dead by Musse Sudi and Osman Atto’s alliance militia in Medina District in 1996 . These two men and their collaborators have made and are still making money from extortion, abduction, kidnapping against Aid Agencies, expatriates from international organisations helping the starving Somali people and all ordinary and unarmed civilians. These men have claimed victory over Dictator Siyad Barre, but they should be accountable to the international community (who should ask them) for whole assets of the former Somali Republic, public and private (money and kind including millions of dollars and other foreign currencies and gold from banks) that they have looted, exported and sold abroad. Examples are the whole monuments, cultural and heritage treasure and factories that they have looted and exported as scrap. Some of the same men are involved in illegal business including drugs since the collapse of the last government of Somalia. They are fully responsible of the permanent instability of most parts of the central and southern regions of the country and Mogadishu in particular.

 

The TNG is led by the most loyal men of Mohamed Siyad Barre. Its president, Abdiqassim Salad never lost a key post in that regime since its collapse in 1991. So was Hassan Abshir, the prime minister and other members of the two main ruling chambers (the cabinet and the parliament). The judiciary is only a symbol like that of their former regime. The so called government was born in Djibouti in 2000 after several months reconciliation conference proposed by President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and sponsored and host by Djibouti government in Arte, near Djibouti. . This government is in fact nicknamed “Arte government” by its opponents. About 200 Somalis were invited or participated in their own. I myself was one of many Somalis that have high hope on that Conference and I sent a long congratulating and encouraging letter to President Omar Guelleh for his noble initiative. My hope was not based only the fact that large number of Somalis have participated but that, for the first time, the warlords were ignored or denied as leaders of Somalia. The gathering generated euphoria and chanting of nationalistic slogans like (Soomaaliyey Toosooy) “wake up Somalis” followed with happy laugh, cries, hags and forgiveness. Abdiqassim was at last the winner of number of candidates for an interim government’s president. Abdiqassim made his firs mistake or was in bad faith of accepting the adoption of the Somalias 1962 Constitution which was parliamentary system where the president of the republic is only a custodian of the constitution and have little influence of interference of running the government after nominating the prime minister. His 21 years school of taught of siyadism could not accept parliamentary system. Either by mistake or in bad faith, he acted swiftly running the TNG directly putting aside the 1962 Constitution and adopting instead – in practice and in mind – the 1969 first and second Chart of 21st October of his former Boss Mohamed Siyad Barre. The result explains it self: Ali Khalif Gallaidh former prime minister, Hassan Abshir Farah the actual prime minister and Abdalla Derow Issac the speaker of parliament could not do their jobs because of Abdiqassim’s interference of their duties. Millions of Dollars donated mainly by some Arab governments are waiting for accountability and the regime is about to collapse. Yet Abdiqassim and members of his regime are seeking another term of office or perhaps are expecting high posts from the ongoing Nairobi Reconciliation Conference.

 

Other countries may also have some hidden agenda in Somalia.

 

Now, on behalf of the international community, the IGAD States expect to have the final say about the Conference, but in my view, the outcome of their mediation could be one of the following 3 options/actions:

1. They (the international community will nominate another Hamid Karzai or General Garner creating a kind of government similar to that of Afghanistan or Iraq: in this case civil war will be inevitable because, the humiliated warlords will re-ignite another clan fighting every where in the country.

 

2. If one group of those above 3 groups (because, the civil society or the minority groups will not expect any way to lead any government) is chosen to form a government, then the other groups will form new alliance or coalitions and fighting will be again inevitable.

 

 

3. Finally, if the international community abandon this latest hope that many Somalis rely on, without forming a government, then we will have a situation similar to that in 1995, when the massive and strong US led United Nations Intervention and UNOSOM in Somalia failed. Again, the warlords will go back to Somalia triumphant and will exercise their anger turning their guns on the already suffering Somalis.

 

My modest suggestions at this point are:

 

1. To arrest all the above men and any others not named, for the crime they have committed for more than 12 years and take them before an international criminal court for trial.

 

2. The international community should then come to Somalia with elaborate and specific programme of disarmament and disarm totally the warring factions and autonomous administrations from all Regions of Somalia. This is including the two existing administrations: the North Western Regions or Somaliland State (declared succession from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but so far not gained recognition as an independent state) and North Eastern Regions or Puntland State.

 

3. Interim Regional Administrations (IRA) should be established as a bridge before any central government and the formation of political parties and general election. This should be in the form of grassroots, the civil society and the traditional leader’s and local and regional councils.

 

4. At this stage, I believe that the Somalis have the capability and any outside interference or influence should be avoided if not for providing economic and technical (but not foreign experts!) support toward those aims and objectives.

 

5. Once regional councils have been established countrywide, then genuine delegates of representatives of equal number from all the former 18 Regions should convene in a conference), in Somalia – not outside – (This will not be a reconciliation conference but reconstruction or rebuilding conference as the warlords and their militias & weapons are not a threat any more) and form an interim governing council of 18 members. This body should be given a clear job description and authority such as their power (internal/external, the duration of their mandate and the location where they will be based by an interim administration rules or constitution). My suggestion would be in Hargeysa. The reasons why I have chosen Hargeysa are for example:

 

a. it’s the most peaceful city in Somalia at the present

b. it was the second most important city in Somalia before Mogadishu had lost it’s status as the Capital of Somalia

 

6. Once the criminals and all weapons are cleared and the Somali people will not be the hostage of the warlords and dictators, then a free, fair and democratic election should be held. Such an election should be monitored by the international community whose members shouldn’t include any from countries that have particular interest in Somalia such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Italy.

 

7. Individuals with criminal, war criminal or human rights abuse record should not be appointed any public job ever in Somalia and a war and human rights abuse tribunal should be created accordingly in Somalia. In this I totally agree and support the last month’s Amnesty International press release addressed to the Nairobi Conference.

 

Errors and omissions excepted

 

 

By Mohamed S M Hersi

Lecturer in law, Faculty of Law

Former Somali National University

E-Mail: xumbul@hotmail.com

[Haashim]

Garyare, welcome and thanks for sharing with us, there is an arabic saying which says: FAAQIDU SHAY LAA YUCDHII, which means THE PERSON CAN'T GIVE OTHERS WHAT HE/SHE HIM/HERSELF MISSES, so how they can give us peace, justice, good government etc, which they themselve miss.