Somalia and Kenyan Presidents in bilateral meeting ahead of London Conference

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Somalia and Kenyan Presidents in bilateral meeting ahead of London Conference

Office of the Somalia President

Saturday, April 27, 2013

 

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E. Hassan Sh. Mohamud today had a short working visit to Mombasa to meet with his counterpart H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya.

 

The President was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Fowziya Hagi Yusuf Adam and Minister for the State-House H.E. Farah Sh, Abdulkadir.

 

The President said, “We have had a very good bilateral discussion today concerning a wide range of issues of mutual interest. We have many shared interests and a determination to see the region continue to progress towards peace and prosperity.

 

“We have talked about the need to stand firmly together against the global problem of extremism and terrorism, and we are committed to removing the scourge of Al Shabaab, to defeating them and preventing any spread of their malignant ideology." Said President Hassan

 

“I have also taken the opportunity to brief President Kenyatta on the aims and objectives of the London Conference coming up next week.”

 

At the end President Hassan stated, “We have talked about the need for Somali refugees in Kenya to return to Somalia as soon as the time is right and preparations have been properly made.”

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Oodweyne spot on the only difference is that the Kenyans are after resources offshore while the Rwandans and their proxies M23 rebels , who are directed by Rwandan generals are taking the resources in the interior. The only way Hassan sheikh can defeat the ill intentions of the Kenyans is if he creates awareness that the Kenyans want to create a buffer zone inside his legal sovereign territory. He already started with this with in the African union and European union when he was in Brussels that he wants Siera leon troops. He also needs to train capable forces inside Somalia he can get equipment from many countries. But he needs to train competent military forces who can fill the vacuum the most important objective for him should be boots on the ground.

[The Zack]

Jubbaland wey duushay, I am glad Oodweyne and Xaaji finally got that. So much for "Kenya will be told to leave.....".

 

P.s. W.W. already posted this piece and you commented on it, not sure why you felt it another thread was necessary. Perhaps, you think using different title will make you sleep better. Oh well...

[Somalia]

:D

[Waranle_Warrior]

^Here is headless Odwayne with his illogical and silly remarks as if Somalia equals Zaire/DRC. Wishful thinking.

 

One fact for you: Somalia is equals to Somaliland, Puntland, Galmudug, SFG, AHWJ, Alshabaab, Jubaland and what have you and the SFG controlls the least area. Actually I forget the areas that are controlled by Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Searra Leone and Djibouti.

 

That headache and complex situation that Somalia is markaad fahamtid caqli suuban meesha la imoow Oodwaynow inta kale iska seexo.

[Chimera]

Oodweyne, Somalia is not Congo. The Federal government has powerful international allies in the form of Turkey, Qatar and UAE, who have reached a certain economic and international power level they're currently using in Somalia's favour. The Government of Kenya is also no longer the darling of the west. The recent inauguration of Kenyatta and the non-existant presence of high level western delegates spoke volumes in terms of being served with a clear international snub. This is a very important difference with regards to the Kagame analogy, for the latter was considered a champion of African progress, and hence the west was all too eager to close their eyes on his designs in the eastern congo.

 

Uhurro, however does not enjoy such status, he is an alleged war-criminal, and any mention of a buffer-zone in a neighbouring country will be firmly dismissed by the international community, hence you can't find any mention of this in 2013. The Kenyans missed their chance in 2011 all the way to August 2012 to initiate and complete a buffer-zone. The moment a permanent government took seat in Mogadishu, that was the end of this nonsense. Already, the President of Somalia has received the papers of more than 30 ambassadors from various countries around the world ready to strengthen ties with Somalia. You had the Obama administration a few months ago re-establishing relations with the Somali government, the arms embargo was partially lifted, you had the British government re-opening their embassy in Mogadishu yesterday, and a planned major economic conference next month.

 

Time is on Somalia's side, with each passing month the capacity of the government will increase, its clout will increase. Its international reputation will increase for the better. While the highest sovereigns of the Somali Republic have no blood on their hands, their Kenyan counterparts stand accused of major war crimes. While the Federal officials of the Somali Republic are establishing ties with all parts of the world, and initiating admirable education and healthcare programs that are winning the praises of the west, their Kenyan counterparts are busy burning bridges by using the "China card" against the west.

 

Therefore the government does not have to lobby for anything, the international community is well aware of the situation. They have teams of experts, analysts and strategists at home and abroad with direct knowledge of what is happening in Somalia. A simple complaint filed to the UN is more than enough to do damage to any project that stands in the way of the Federal government re-establishing its sovereignty. Not a single major country will come in Kenya's defense to pursue such a project, this is not the era of Kibaki and the transitional Sharif, this is an era of sovereign to sovereign country status on the international field. Any single ally of Somalia, be it Turkey, Qatar or the UAE is more than enough to press home the advantage. In-fact considering Uhurro's status, the UK and US might play the role of enforcer, since they enjoy putting loudmouths in their place.

 

Somalia was a bigger prize to the superpowers of the past than Kenya was, and this remains a reality today based on its location, and vast resources alone. If you add the security issues that the west will no longer tolerate - piracy and terrorism - and the arrival of China on the African scene, then its quite clear that the west, including the sole superpower of the world will not allow the legitimate government of poor Somalia succumb to a project planned by its poor neighbour of Kenya. The situation of Congo can never happen in Somalia, the locals wouldn't tolerate, the government wouldn't tolerate it, the international community wouldn't tolerate it.

 

I am no longer worried about the Jubba situation, that was in the bag once Uhurro was elected, and the US-Somali relationship was re-established. The esteemed bowlegged President of Somalia, along with PM Saacid Miskiin are playing chess while the rest are playing checkers:

 

[Waranle_Warrior]

Odwayne, you became boring and tiring as you keep repeating the same old points like a broken record.

[Chimera]

The Kenyans made their choice when they elected Uhurro, it placed Somalia at an advantage. The fact that William Hague went straight back to London after his visit to Mogadishu rather than stopping over in Nairobi is very telling indeed. In-fact no major western official has visited Uhurro in person since he was elected President, no they have all welcomed the highest sovereigns of the Somali Republic, such as President Hassan, Prime-Minister Saacid, and Foreign Minister Fawzia, while also visiting the country on several occasions, and that is pretty damning.

 

I don't think you have ever seen extreme optimism from me, Oodweyne, that would upset a lot of people.

[NGONGE]

Chimera makes it sound as if there are no Kenyan soldiers controlling that part of Somalia. Once Hassan Sheikh manages to get them out all that you speak about will start to make sense. For now, they sadly hold the land and what they want is what's taking place.

[Chimera]

NGONGE;943925 wrote:

Chimera makes it sound as if there are no Kenyan soldiers controlling that part of Somalia. Once Hassan Sheikh manages to get them out all that you speak about will start to make sense. For now, they sadly hold the land and what they want is what's taking place.

They fall under AMISOM with a clear mandate, none of which includes a "buffer zone", which is why the latter hasn't materialized despite five years in the making. This is real-politicking, the chess pieces won't move in direct sudden moves, it will be a slow process, but the Federal government will prevail, no doubt about that. They have scored one goal after another, while the Kenyans have shot themselves in the foot repeatedly.

 

I give you a year, and everything I have written will materialize. You can quote me on that.

[Chimera]

Oodweyne, one country enjoyed relative peace in the last 20 years, the other still has one foot in a war. Its clearly unfair to compare current western investment accumulated in Kenya over that period with their lack of presence in Somalia today. Its like comparing Western investments in eighties Jordan with their lack of investment in war-torn Lebanon of that same era, when today its quite the opposite.

 

What is a fact however is that Somalia has many assets the West desperately needs, and which we can provide at a much greater quantity and quality than the Kenyans could. To say that Somalia is more strategically located than Kenya is not "confusion", to say that the estimated reserves of resources in Somalia eclipses the estimated resources of Kenya is not "confusion", to say that the west and Somalia are now intricately tied via a prominent diaspora with voting rights is not confusion.

 

Any reader of history knows that Somalia was always a bigger prize to the world powers than Kenya on the scale of importance. Its why the first friendship treaty between the Soviet Union and an African country was with Somalia. Its why the biggest US embassy in Africa was constructed in Mogadishu. Its why China build more major construction projects in Somalia than any of its neighbouring countries for several decades.

 

You're taking the humiliating experience of the last two decades and superimposing it upon what a legitimate and permanent government of Somalia is capable of generating on a global scale in terms of investments, allies and support. That is a big mistake.

[Chimera]

Oodweyne;943947 wrote:

^^^^Saaxiib,

 

today's reality is that Somalia is not even in the same scale of importance to the western world as Uganda is. And Uganda can't hold a candle to what Kenya is to the western world in so many areas. And if you don't know this much then I should leave you get on with your fantastical delusion of what Somalis are in your mind.

Go ahead and showcase this so-called importance Kenya enjoys before all of its neighbours. Show me point by point, and you will have every single one of them torn to shred in a careful analysis, provided with sources. I already know what these so-called 'important ' advantage points are, hence my current optimistic confidence, but I want you to back your words.

 

The fact that the former pariah Uganda is more important than Somalia today is a good example of how the fortunes of a country can change easily with the right ingredients, and Somalia is gaining all the right ones. (Legitimate leaders, anti-corruption, strong allies, etc)

 

Of course I am

not

trying to dissolution you in here but merely I am trying to show you it's fool's errands to believe that Kenya is today some country we can out-compete her when it comes to how important she is to the western world.

Kenya's importance is recent, only after the collapse of Somalia and the war in Rwanda did it gain a status as a regional hub of humanitarianism. The 2008 election violence put a dent to that reputation, and the election of Uhuru did not help either.

 

As for the Somali history, never, were we more important to the west than Kenya.

If the West equals Britain, maybe not, but to the rest of the block Somalia was far more important.

 

And that is why we have lost every diplomatic engagement we took against Kenya ever since 1960, since every time we had squared off with her the west to a country took the Kenyan side. That why Egal gave up the ghost of fighting a diplomatic battle against Kenya for the NFD in 1967. And that is why even Gen. Barre gave up the last battle against Kenya in 1984 when he was forced by Reagan's government to accept Moi's government in effectively signing off the last residual claim we had on the NFD.

That has nothing to do with importance, the west supported the Organization of African Unity and their charter with regards to colonial borders. Not even Egypt(the most important African country) would find support from the west if they sought to annex the neighbouring regions of either Sudan or Libya, even if it had historical claim to them.

 

In other words, saaxiib, our history with the west has been one long loosing streak when it comes to our neighbours; and in fact the only time the Somalis have had a comparable advantage was in the early 1970s when Soviet Union was our "joker card" in our fight against our western supported neighbours, such as Kenya and Ethiopia. And as you know, even that advantage (or joker card) came to an end in 1977 when the Soviet's regime have done a volte-face reversal on us and started supporting the Mengistu's regime.

Here again you're using the actions and policies of a single country (Britain) and pass them off as the west. The fact that you ignore how Somalia, a sovereign country without the excuse of fighting terror invaded a neighbouring country and only received mild condemnation in the process is a good example of how you're over-hyping the importance of our neighbours in the eyes of the west. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the whole US army was deployed in the latter's defense. When Somalia was cooking up a fully-fledged insurrection in the NFD during the 60s, there was only indifference from the west.

 

We cannot blame the west for the Somali habit of not pressing home victory, or their political immaturity.

 

All in all, I do not know what history you been reading, but this rosy view of what Somalia were to these western powers, even in the heyday of the Somali Republic's existence, is essentially a fiction of your own imagination.

I clearly said Somalia was more important to the world powers, some of them are outside of the west. However, tell me, are these impressive landmarks in Somali history rosy figments of my imagination, because I can provide a source for every single one of them:

 

- Somalia was hailed as one of the greatest democratic countries in Africa in the 1960s, and President Aden Abdulle was the first head of state to step down peacefully in an African election year.

 

- Somalia made the greatest advance in literacy history, outshining the much hailed Cuban literacy campaign.

 

- Somalia maintained a military complex considered in the top five militaries of Africa, a continent of 50+ countries. It send troops to Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and trained the South Africans and the Eritreans during their independence struggles.

 

- Somalia was one of the few self-sufficient countries in Africa, and the breadbasket of the Middle East, and even exported food to Europe. A single Somali crop like 'bananas' was the biggest employer of people in East Africa.

 

- Somalia was the first muslim country to grant equal rights to women through the 1975 Family Law, and the participation of women in the work-force was higher in Somalia than the percentages of Algeria, Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco put together.

 

- Somalia in peace was building more deepsea ports than any country in East Africa.

 

- Somalia was building more highways and roads than its larger neighbour Ethiopia. Even today Somalia's paved road-network remains larger than the road-networks of Uganda and DR Congo put together whose combined territory size is five times larger than Somalia.

 

Somalia's aviation sector maintained Africa's largest runway at the Berbera Airport, whose record was only broken by the 4500m runway expansion at Mogadishu Airport. They had partnerships with NASA and the Soviet Space Agency.

 

- Somalia's 1000 year old city of Mogadishu was one of the cleanest and safest cities in Africa, and a major political and cultural capital hosting fashion shows, sport-events, major political conventions and annually presided over two of the four largest African Film Festivals.

 

- Somalia was the only country in Africa with whom the Soviet Union signed a friendship-treaty, and the first African country to be visited by a Soviet Head of State.

 

- Somalia attracted the most diverse Chinese investments in Africa in the form of factories, stadiums and a fully-fledged highways. (China was doing in Somalia 30 years ago, what it is doing in most of Africa today)

 

- Somalia in 1974 became the first non-Arab country to join a traditionally exclusive organisation like the Arab League.

 

- Somalia maintained the largest commercial Merchant fleet in the Muslim world; larger than seafaring nations like Turkey, Pakistan and Morocco.

 

- Somalia's national carrier 'Somali Airlines' was the only national airlines in Africa to have in its work-force exclusively 'African pilots and technicians' (all professional Somalis) and had one of the largest networks flying to the Middle-East, Europe and other parts of Africa.

 

^All of this happened, and to say it will happen again, and at a larger scale, is not delusional, its logic.

 

But, then I seems to have notice (at least by reading your argument) that what you wish for Somalia to be (a very noble thought it has to be said) on one hand, and what Somalia may have been or is seemed to be confusingly muddled in your mind

The thing is Oodweyne, though people like to throw the optimist card at me when all other cards have failed, one thing you guys fail to note is that my stance is consistent, and with each year its justified. Remember the Who is the Somali big brother? topic. Notice how many of the realities today, you dismissed then?

 

No doubt this will happen again.

[Chimera]

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