It was mission impossible a year ago but a different story to day.

[Camel Mlik]

By Ali Halni, IOL Correspondent

 

MOGADISHU, October 12 (IslamOnline.net) – Faced with a mission that seems impossible, newly-elected Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed hopes to see a federal Somalia under a strong central government.

 

Following years of chaos, Somalia interim parliament, gathered in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, has selected Ahmed Sunday, October 10, to be the first president in 14 years for the war-ravaged country.

 

Twenty-five candidates entered the race, 24 of which were either eliminated in the first two rounds or withdrew.

 

Ahmed won the race in the third round run-off ballot after trouncing his rival, former diplomat and minister Abdullahi Ahmed Adow, by 189 votes to 79.

 

Military Career

 

Born in 1934 in the central Somalia city of Galcaio, the Somali president graduated from military faculties in Italy and the former Soviet Union. Joining the ranks of the Somali Army, Ahmed promoted, rising to the rank of colonel during the era of dictator Mohamed Siyad Berre.

 

Ahmed also studied at the faculty of law in Somalia but was arrested by the Somali security authorities and did not obtain a law degree.

 

In 1969, Yusuf was detained for six years following the military coup of led by Berre in October 1969. Following the outbreak of war between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977, Ahmed was not only released, but was also appointed as an army commander.

 

Barre held dictatorial rule over Somalia from October 1969, when he led a bloodless military coup against the elected government, until January 1991.

 

Failed Coup

 

In 1978, Ahmed, along with other Somali senior army officers carried out a failed coup against the then incumbent president Berre.

 

Following the failed bid, a group of officers were sentenced to death, but Ahmed escaped Somalia for neighboring Ethiopia where he formed the first Somalia Salvation Defense Front to oppose Barre.

 

In 1986, the newly-elected president was arrested by the Ethiopian authorities under an agreement between Barre and his Ethiopian counterpart Mengistu Haile Mariam.

 

In 1991, Somali warlords overthrew Barre and turned their guns on one other, dividing the country of about 7 million people.

 

Ahmed took a position in the Somali city of Bosaso in southeast Somalia with his Salvation front, causing bloody conflicts with the Islamic Union front stationed in the area.

 

In 1993, he was arrested by the Islamic Union militias but was later released following a tribal mediation.

 

He was nominated in 1998 president of the autonomous northeastern region of Puntland.

 

Federalism

 

The new president is known for his strong inclination towards federalism as the best means to achieve stability in Somalia after years of civil war.

 

He is also known to favor open market policies and establishing strong relations with western countries.

 

Following elections, victorious Ahmed vowed relentless efforts to reconstruct the country which has been devastated by years of factional fighting since 1991.

 

Since the 1991 fall of Barre, Somalia has lacked almost all the trappings of a functional state, such as national systems of education, healthcare and justice.

 

The African Union has said it was considering sending such a force, but no detailed plan has yet been unveiled.

 

The last international intervention in Somalia was a disaster.

 

A UN mission deployed from 1992 to 1995 provided famine relief but failed to restore peace.

 

The United States also hurriedly withdrew its forces after 18 of them were killed during a botched mission in Mogadishu in October 1993.

 

--------------------

Be the change you want to see in the world.~~ Mahatma Gandhi

[Camel Mlik]

It was mission impossible a year ago but to day it's a different story. That New was written a year ago. so what's you guys think did the President made the mission impossible to possible well i think so.

[General Duke]

He is 90 km from Mogdishu. Has kept 70% of both branches of government under his control. The next year wil see even greater changes..

[MR ORGILAQE]

Can we mute the Yusuf camp for a bit even though i belong in that camp.Can we let the voices of dissent raise their heads above the water and let them breath for a change.You are all suffocating diversity here.I dont fancy singing his tune like most of our people sang Siyaad Barre's tune till he came to think he could do no wrong.So let's all chill and use our heads for a second people,otherwise we are all going to end up in the same old crap system of governance.You know the type where the head of state thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread!

[Camel Mlik]

loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

 

you are funny brother.

[MR ORGILAQE]

I AM NOT LAUGHING

[Alpha-Geeljire]

It was mission impossible a year ago but to day it's a different story. That New was written a year ago. so what's you guys think did the President made the mission impossible to possible well i think so.

He is 90 km from Mogdishu. Has kept 70% of both branches of government under his control. The next year wil see even greater changes..

How sad, they are trying to convince themselves.

[MR ORGILAQE]

geeljire

Just 'cos i am not laughing dont mean i dont agree with the points raised here.I want you to question policy and suggest a better way but let us not fall on the same old crap somali opposition systems of criticising even if the other party has done something right.

 

I admit the current administration is still in it's infancy,and i stress infancy] because it had nothing to inherit from any previous administrations except a nation that is divided,without any form of unified security services,with the population at large armed,with fiefdoms in every 10 square miles,poor,no infracstructure.

 

So when they form the first and most important branch of the government i.e the security apparatus that will help bring law and order into this ravaged raped and run down nation of ours i Applaud them,careful at the same time not to over praise lest it should go into their heads!

 

Give credit where credit is due even if you dont approve or support that administration.I did not support the Barre Administration because it nearly wiped ouut my entire kin! but i stil give it credit in that it was a national Government however corrupt,however cruel,Schooling was available to the kids,there was free health care however limited,we were a nation as one,not a fiefdom,our citizens were able to travel to all four corners of their beautiful nation and live there.So brother let us for once kick this disease of Tribalism and look things in an objective way.I look forward to your comments

[Jabhad]

I want you to question policy and suggest a better way but let us not fall on the same old crap somali opposition systems of criticising even if the other party has done something right.

Very true.

 

I'm very tired of Mogadishu camps inability to offer any other alternatives or counter proposals instead of complaining and critizising anything that comes from the Jowhar camp good or bad.

[General Duke]

ORGI, I agree with you, its not good to sing and dance over nothing. Yet I aim to counter the myth of the warlord media and their endless attempt at creating ever more obsticles for the people.

 

This government has 1. avoided conflict, ignored provocation and has worked on the most important project which is security. 2. It has suceeded in bringing, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djabouti together for the first time. The "opposition" are stuck, they have the support of hardly anyone.

 

The President want to bring back security and restore law and order. Compare that to Yusuf Inda Cade, Xasan Dhari, Qaynyare and Co what do they want to bring to the people?

 

For me this is a no issue, we must support the government, the fake wadaads, the drug barons, the scrap merchants should not be seen as any kind of "opposition" apart from opposing our country to thrive...

[Camel Mlik]

well said Duke.