INSURGECY IN MOGADISHU: Freedom fighting or Bid for clan hegemony?

[NASSIR]

Note, clan names are censored. Go to the source to get full view of the article

 

INSURGCY IN MOGADISHU:

Freedom Fighting or Bid for Clan Hegemony?

 

By:Abdalla A. Hirad

November 13, 2007

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Most Merciful

“If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses, until it complies with the commands of Allah; but if it complies, make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves who are (fair and just).”

The Qur’an, Alhujurat, (49:9)

 

The daily shelling in Mogadishu, the infamous occurrence of piracy in the coasts of Somalia, the deaths of hundreds of citizens of Somali origin in their attempts to cross the seas for safety, the assassinations of government officials and the dislocation and displacement of citizens from Mogadishu in their thousands to outlying places near the capital, and to the Central Regions, have been but commonplace in recent months. Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi), the Somali poet, in an interview with the BBC, Somali Service, has expressed his distress, on Sunday, November 11, 2007 with the situation in Mogadishu.

 

Although I am shocked that a minimum of 70 Somali individuals have been killed and about a 100 were injured in Mogadishu in the last week; there is also no excuse that the so-called insurgency uses the masses in Mogadishu as a human shield and drags the Ethiopian corpses on the streets. I must also express my dismay and embarrassment at these horrible acts. This is a violation against humanity by any standard. Yet, the leaders of the section of the population calling itself the “insurgency” continues to adamantly encourage their foot soldiers to continue the fighting with the sole purpose of deposing the TFG, in the hope that they will replace it.

 

The leadership in Asmara comprises the leaders of the former Union of Islamic Courts, the so-called “Free Parliamentarians” who have been, earlier, sacked and replaced by others from their subclans in the TFG Parliament in Baidoa, in accordance with the darned 4.5 formula, the so-called “Elders of ****** Subclans” who are based in Mogadishu. I heard the notorious Yusuf Indha-adde, the Defense Secretary of the Asmara Group and former Governor General of Marka, speaking on the BBC, Somali Service, claiming that he has contacted the BBC from a place in Somalia. He mentioned that he believes that they have been exiled from their country by the Ethiopians and that they are compelled to fight and resist. He further asserted that the Islamic Shari’a should be imposed on Somalia—an idea on which the mainstream of the current leadership in Asmara has put lid on for a while. It is not surprising that Indha-adde should speak now that Sharif Ahmed, the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Asmara Group has silenced the character they call Janaqow from speaking in the name of the Group.

 

The Somali people are known to be 100% Muslims, Shafi, and that most everyday businesses and functions are conducted in Islamic principles and laws. It is not strange that Yusuf Indha-adde told the BBC, Somali Service, that he was in Somalia. Political observers from the south, especially from the lower Shabelle, assert that the same entourages of Indha-adde remain in control of Lower Shabelle—Marka. They have lately killed a number of individuals from the Biomal clan who were themselves in jail in Marka. The analysts from the area confirm that he was there, in Marka, to encourage the Habar Gidir administration to continue these operations. But the same analysts assume that the Habar Gidir remain in control of the Lower Shabeelle to utilize the proceeds from there to fund the operations in Mogadishu. It is bizarre that this is happening in the reality; despite the fact that the TFG is supposedly running the show in all these parts. It seems they have the resources, the money, cheap labor, the management of the area and the control of the media—a government within a government. Or so they intend! It is not, therefore, surprising that the Shabeelle Radio has been shut down by the government!

 

The Asmara Group has refused to accept peace and reconciliation, despite attempts by the international community, Somali elders and wise men and the leadership of the TFG. They have violated the Ayah quoted at the top of this paper. Rather, the group is attempting to feed into the preoccupation of the West with democracy and insurgent movements, such as we observe in Burma and other parts in the world. Hardly do they conceive the fact that Somalia is different in that it has remained without a government and that the international community is now in fear of further infestation of international Islamists, criminals, drug lords and warlords the way it has been for the last 17 years.

 

These elements come not from the Abgal, which happen to be the majority of the ****** clan dwelling in Mogadishu. But it is alleged that they come from the ***, Saleeban and Duduble subclans, all of which hail from the Habar-Gidir clan, which come from the central regions. The operations of these insurgents are augmented by the notorious a-Shabaab which Yusuf Indha-adde claims to be a member, as do Adan Ayrow and many others. That does not mean that many Habar Gidir clansmen and women are law abiding and are supportive of restoring a government.

 

But they overlook, first, the fact that they are using the cloak as their masquerade for power grapping, claiming Shari’a as the manner to rule the country, where they are a minority against the rest of the Somalis—they are even considered a minority in Mogadishu. Second, they are claiming they are resisting the Ethiopians who have attacked them in their own city. I beg to disagree. The Ethiopians are invited by the Transitional Federal Government for the only reason to reinstate Mogadishu to the status of cosmopolitan Capital it used to have.

 

They are here to fight thugs and criminals who have and are still occupying the government infrastructure and private properties of the people who fled the Capital since January 1991. For example, credible reports allege that one of the most known of the so-called Elders of the ****** Subclans may have killed several non-****** individuals since 1991. In one occasion it is alleged that he then buried the corpse in front of the house itself, and married his wife by force. She is still married to him. Another rumor goes that he killed, or made arrangement to kill Abdikarim Gaaffaa, who attempted to sell him his Hotel in Mogadishu. The rumor goes he still owns the hotel of the late Abulkariim. The same individual also took hold of many government structures—including army barracks—over which he continues to fight the TFG and the Ethiopians. Of course, I would rather not want a government in place if I committed such a horrendous crime.

 

Still, they have a chance to make a truce with the other Somalis—through the TFG—while the sun shines. Otherwise, they will be annihilated if they continue embarking on the same strategies. And that is the shortest cut for the Ethiopians to return to their country—that the leadership of the insurgency reaches a settlement with the TFG. In general, the Ayah cited above shall be most pertinent, and Somalis shall all fight them to clear the Capital of all criminals and hooligans. It is only just that all peace loving Somalis, including the ******, which happen to be the majority in Mogadishu, should unite against the killers and hate mongers.

 

It is also high time that in the future it will require that the Capital city, Mogadishu or any other, should be given away to the federal government, just like Washington, DC. Hence, there will be no one single clan that can claim its ownership, like Mogadishu. I strongly believe that unless this is done through a Parliamentary decision, Somalia will not exist as we knew it, after the termination of the TFG term. If good Somalis cannot unite against the transgressors, “Somalia is Gone for Good” as I wrote elsewhere—www.hiiraan.com.Wardheernews.com and Marka Caddey.com among other websites, when the UIC took control of Mogadishu in the Summer of 2006. In this eventuality, Somalia shall crumble into its constituent territories (i.e. Issac Land, Puntland, Central land, Digil and Mirifle land, and Juba land), at a minimum, just as I. M. Lewis et al Study Group of Europeans, funded by the EU, had predicted in the early 90s.

 

Abdalla A. Hirad

MHirad@aol.com

 

Source:

[Jacaylbaro]

Both .........

[N.O.R.F]

I'm enjoying seeing these guys run around trying to find something to try and justify why they support the Ethios. Its becoming beyond a joke!

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

and you don't? know thats really a joke. Come to hargeisa but don't go to Muqdishu. will hand you the ONLF fighters who have done nothing to hargeisa but the tfg can't ask for ethio help to fight terrorist in muqdishu. we get you argument, plain and clear but i think your only fooling yourself.

[NASSIR]

JB, it is a government within a government as the author indicated. Something has to be done to stop the mayhem these groups initiate and perpetrate using crowded population as their main weapons.

[Juje]

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed:

and you don't? know thats really a joke. Come to hargeisa but don't go to Muqdishu. will hand you the ONLF fighters who have done nothing to hargeisa but the tfg can't ask for ethio help to fight terrorist in muqdishu. we get you argument, plain and clear but i think your only fooling yourself.

In others words are you admitting that the TFG is sucking up to the Ethiois just as the SL government is doing so..

 

JB, it is a government within a government as the author indicated. Something has to be done to stop the mayhem these groups initiate and perpetrate using crowded population as their main weapons.

Caamir both the the idea 'they are terrorists' and 'they are using women and children as shields' are by now over used and cheap rhetoric.

And it is not big secret that Mr.Hiraad is a fan of TFG, if he was not he would have pointed out the other clan hegemony that could spiral the current situation into unpredictable scenario. But typical of him and those that find his writing stimulating they have only short term objectives.

[Fabregas]

Is this a new Fatwa?

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Most Merciful

“If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses, until it complies with the commands of Allah; but if it complies, make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves who are (fair and just).”

The Qur’an, Alhujurat, (49:9)

Magaca Eebbe iyo aayadiis Quraanka Kariimka uu kusoo dajiye faraha haka qaado, kan qoraalkaas qoray asagoo u adeegaayo Xabashi gaalmadoow ah.

 

Nin Xabashi gaalmadoow kaare wato soo koray, oo dadweynaha Soomaaliyeed aan waxba galabsan lagu leeynaayo, lagu xasuuqaayo, lagu gumaadaayo, haddana aayad Quraan iyo magaca Eebba so wataba.

 

Since when are "if two parties among the believers" fighting? Ma Xabashka gaalka madoow ah ayaa "believer" noqday haddana?

 

War dadkaan ma xishoodaan miyaa, haddeeba dadka kale ka xishoon, iyaga shaqsi ahaantood iskuma xishoodaan miyaa?