Closed Cities for Somalia

[Chimera]

Closed cities were specially designed urban hubs in the Soviet Union protecting important national assets and individuals. It was a bulwark against potential foreign attacks and spies. In Somalia today, where we are plagued by demonic creatures like Al-Shabaab and khat-induced gunmen, the solution for optimum security for civilians, businesses and investment would be closed cities.

 

Imagine all the major urban hubs like Mogadishu, Bosaso, Hargeisa, Garowe, Berbera, Kismayo and Galkacyo completely sealed off on all sides, and the entire populations of those cities disarmed. Not only would the mayors of those cities dictate who could come in or go out, and prevent the influx of sinister groups, the unchecked flow of arms would be a thing of the past through rigorous searching sessions.

 

You might say, but Chimera, this would only result in large scale isbaaros, but I say; not really. If every check-point is manned by Alpha Group soldiers, you would have a very disciplined force securing these cities. They're already responsible for total security of the capital during major events. Secondly these same soldiers when relieved of their shift would be thoroughly searched as well so that their is no doubt that they are clean and have not enriched themselves with the wealth of citizens.

 

If we could maintain this for at least five years, especially in the Southern and central cities, we would have vibrant urban hubs where investment is welcomed, where culture is flourishing and tourists can flock to in big numbers. A similar solution could be implement in the fertile regions of the country, with plantations completely cordoned off and their supply routes heavily protected all the way to the panamax ports of Somalia.

 

 

All the check-points would be professional ones, not the rag-tag we see today. Compare them to border-control points, with high-tech hardware that can detect bombs, weapons and other potentially harmful materials. Each road leading into the city should have something like this at the start, the first line of defense and prevention:

 

 

Car-scan

[Somalia]

A similar thing is happening in Gaalkacyo and crime has fallen sharply, both north and south checkpoints are manned and several have been set up inside the town.

 

There were plans to create a green zone in Mogadishu in 2007 however it was rejected by the TFG, you can't cordon off and have rules for one part while people outside the city would be faced with more lawlessness than inside the city.

[walaalkis]

Chimera have you given the chance to consider joining reconstruction groups in Somalia. You can enlighten them with your ideas of giving the city new look. Before any investment or any construction takes place in anywhere in Somalia, you need money and only way to get money by

either asking world bank and other rich nation for donation.

 

What Somalia need is control export material that gives the country uplift for income. How can a country built without a fund ? soon or later

countries will get fed up with our begging for money.

[oba hiloowlow]

Chimera send me a pm imma fix you a job in villa somalia bro!

[Salahudin]

Oba.. misaajidka ciyaarta ka daa bro.

[General Duke]

Chimera, great idea. However this should be temporary at best. The nation should be open to its citizens..

[Chimera]

Apophis;876608 wrote:

This is a nutty idea.

 

First you'll be alienating the population from each other.

Wake up, they are already alienated, in-fact they have been pushed into other countries. A closed city that is a strong economic hub with stability could have absorbed those populations if this policy had been put into place five years ago. It will take about four to five years before Somalia has trained all the necessary manpower to provide countrywide security, but for now the main revenue generating national assets should be given priority.

 

Al-Shabaab is assymetrical, and their hit-and-run tactics in the capital not only are devastating, they are demoralizing, no matter how much hope and optimism thrives, if car-bombs go off on a weekly basis, nobody will invest and nobody will feel safe, they will only be desensitized.

 

You may create security but at the expense of giving the mayor (who can choose who to let in according to you) extensive powers which can be open to abuse ( Mayor from clan A may choose to let in more As than Bs).

Don't be silly. your clan is not written on your forehead, how could he even allow or refuse thousands of people in or out based on their clan, when its government soldiers answering to Villa Somalia manning the checkpoints? You think I would propose such a corrupt system if a mayor serving the diverse inhabitants of our cities could play clan-politics? I was clearly referring to armed groups, such as the clan-militias currently still in the capital undercover and worrying Tarzan and the civilians.

 

They would be disarmed or escorted out and wouldn't be allowed back in.

 

Economically it's also not viable. You will essentially be blocking roving nomadic business from the city (time spent going through your heavy checkpoints means money lost).

Why do you pretend as if the current set-up is economically viable? Not only is this 'roving nomadic business'' destructive to the city surroundings, they are a serious burden on a unsecured city, and make pocket-change compared to what they could really make with investment and a good economic plan. However if stability is assured in the form of a closed city/region, lots of investment would flow in, more live-stock treatment facilities would spring up, and sustainable wells could be drilled providing water and grazing pastures all year long.

 

And finally, for a major city such as Mogadishu, it would be impractical. The population is too huge to be boxed in.

The whole city doesn't pack its bags in the evening and returns in the morning, the vast majority is pretty much static, and the check-points would easily be capable of handling trade- trucks, travelling groups and individuals.

 

The closed city was a Russian idea of the '40s, thought up by a paranoid state and leader. It was meant for cities whose purpose was entirely linked to the defence of the state (such as cities manufacturing war-planes, tanks etc) it wasn't meant for major urban centres. This cities weren't even on maps as they were classified.

Yeah I read that too on wikipedia, tell me something new. The idea in the case of Somalia is sound. Do we have the manpower to provide total security across the whole country? No! However we could devise a plan where specific cities and areas of the country are completely protected so as to generate the necessary wealth to not only stand on our own two feet, but in the case of the government exert a monopoly of military force and ensure security/stability.

[Jacpher]

Somalia does not need physical barriers to achieve peace and security. We already have clan barriers and that doesn't seem to be helping. I don't think we hate each other to the point of requiring closed cities to live together. Our problem is not hatred or animosity. Regardless of clan differences, Somalis are one people with same culture, religion and language. The problem is political instability and walling off each city isn't gonna fix that. This will work in places like Israel/Palestine or Nigeria where they are burning down a mosque or church every few weeks.

[Chimera]

Apophis;876625 wrote:

I see a lot of fancy rhetoric but nothing of substance.

As opposed to the dismissive rhetoric with no substance from you? Mine is a theoretic excercise, yours is a lazy form of contributing to a discussion.

 

You're devising a very complicated system to solve a simple problem of insecurity. We do not need to wall off cities so as to protect them.

Nothing complicated about having all the major roads into every city manned by a professional check-point, I don't know why you make it seem that way.

 

The country needs to build up it's police and military capability and this should be enough to help reduce the threat of Shabab and their ilk. Sierra Leone, Angola, Rwanda Liberia have experiences similar to ours. We should follow their examples. Somalia isn't unique and neither does it have the resources to implement what you're suggesting. Lets stay in reality.

You have taken the Soviet analogy way too far, nobody is asking for massive walls and watch-towers. Instead thirty professional soldiers for each check-point would be enough. This is a temporary solution until the army and police forces are back to prewar levels. However this 'let's watch the situation and do nothing' attitude your promoting is backwards and something we endured the last two decades. Somalia's issues are unique in Africa, and are paralled only in Afghanistan and Iraq in complexity.

 

The concept of closed cities would result in all the intermediary towns becoming 'closed towns' and the surrounding regions 'closed regions' until you have a fully secured and flourishing province.

[Chimera]

Jacpher;876618 wrote:

Somalia does not need physical barriers to achieve peace and security.

Nicely twisting the idea behind the concept, well done. A thief or a murderer might see a neighbourhood with a manned gate as a 'barrier', but I can assure you to the residents its the direct opposite.

 

We already have clan barriers and that doesn't seem to be helping. I don't think we hate each other to the point of requiring closed cities to live together. Our problem is not hatred or animosity. Regardless of clan differences, Somalis are one people with same culture, religion and language. The problem is political instability and walling off each city isn't gonna fix that. This will work in places like Israel/Palestine or Nigeria where they are burning down a mosque or church every few weeks.

Jacpher, what the hell? These professional check-points would be implemented as protection against Al-Shabaab/offshoots and roaming gunmen. What's all this 'Somalis are one people' coming from? Al-Shabaab doesn't care about politics, clans or Somali interests, they are pure destructive force, and they need to be kept out permanently.

 

My whole idea behind this concept was that this policy would ensure investment was safe, and Somalis from all walks of life could prosper in a stable environment.

[Tallaabo]

Mr Chimera; I don't know if you had been to Somaliland in the last two decades but Hargeisa and Berbera do not need any checkpoints to be secure. They are already much more safer then cities like London and New York where murders, robbery, and rape are committed on daily basis.

[Chimera]

Apophis;876632 wrote:

Since when has ego stroking ever been referred to as "theoretical exercise"?

I created a topic to discuss an idea, since when is that 'ego-stroking'?. Oh wait, I must have accidently added a picture of myself alongside my personal accomplishments and then had a case of amnesia.

 

Thank you for reminding me.

 

The shell is impressive (as evidenced by the fawning from other SOLrs on this thread)

It seems your issue is with the reception extended to the original post of mine by the other members, rather than the content itself, take it out on them.

 

but it's hollow.

Latent anger much? You speak with such authority, its amusing.

 

You're stating the obvious. Of course there should be checkpoints, especially the situation the country is in but in no way would this be referred to as a "closed city".

A sealed off city, is a closed city. Its our version of the concept, it is us who will refer to it as such. Think outside of the box, and be independent in making a new definition of the concept, instead of having to seek approval and recognition from a Western source.

 

Besides, even if your idea was implemented it would offer no more security than now. Shabab, converting to insurgency tactics, would still be able to infiltrate any "closed" city and cause havoc.

They would be severely limited in their operations, far greater than they are today. If we achieved even 1% more security through this measure, then its one worth taking.

 

The country needs to build it forces and, through extensive education programs, "unwash" the Wahabi brainwashing of the last 20yrs. This is how you kill Shabab or their type.

What about the 60 thousand + gunmen who drink, watch porn, don't pray and care little about education. How would you 're-educate' them in a unsecured conflict zone? You can't! This is where a secured city comes into play, where a safe environment for our real culture, and traditions can flourish, and education can thrive. These gunmen could make a new life in this secured city, when they leave behind their weapons at the check-points. (all of the arms-markets btw would be shut down in a closed city)

 

India has a dozen liberations armies roaming its country, but you don't know it, because all of the cities are well protected.

[RedSea]

Chimera is thinking outside of the box. Lets not shoot down his ideas, lets encourage and perhaps start debating how we could make our country and people saver and progress towards a better future, certainly chimera is doing so.

 

One q.

 

How would be the cost in your estimate both in terms of man power and money that something like this would require?

[Macallinka]

I agree with Apophis here, no need for 'closed cities' instead lets beef up the police and the military and of course there should be check point in every corner maned by professional that being said this thread is good coz we are discussing best ideas of how we can safeguard our country so thanks Chemera for posting this at the right time.

[NGONGE]

Tallaabo;876634 wrote:

Mr Chimera; I don't know if you had been to Somaliland in the last two decades but Hargeisa and Berbera do not need any checkpoints to be secure. They are already much more safer then cities like London and New York where murders, robbery, and rape are committed on daily basis.

Have you been back lately? They have checkpoints at the entrances of all SL cities, saaaxib.

 

As for the topic; stuff and nonesense as ever.