Is the U.S. Government Fueling Civil War in Somalia?

Democry Now
Friday, May 19, 2006

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The Bush administration has been accused of funding warlords in the Somali capital of Mogadishu as part of the “war on terror.” Since May 7th, battles between the warlords and Islamic militants have killed at least 150 people and wounded more than 300. It is the worst fighting the city has seen in 15 years. We speak with the Executive Director of the Somali Justice Center and an Africa specialist at the Congressional Research Service. [includes rush transcript]

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We turn now to Somalia where over the past week violence in the capital of Mogadishu has intensified between Islamic militants and an alliance of warlords who say they that the militants are harboring foreign fighters and Muslim extremists, including al-Qaeda. Since May 7th, battles between the two factions have killed at least 150 people and wounded more than 300. It is the worst fighting the city has seen in 15 years. Somalia, a nation of 10-million people in the Horn of Africa, has been without a functioning government since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 plunged it into anarchy. Since then, warlords have been battling for control of the country.

But new reports reveal that the warlords, who call themselves the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, may be funded by the United States. Last week, UN monitors released a report to the Security Council saying that they were investigating an unnamed country’s violation of an arms embargo through clandestine support for a local warlord group.

It is widely believed among officials of Somalia’s interim government and U.S Africa policy analysts that this country is the United States. On Tuesday, Somali Health Minister Abdel Aziz Sheikh Yussef told the Arab League in Cairo that “The US is behind the latest violence through its financial and military support of warlords and its interference in the country’s internal affairs.” At a White House press briefing yesterday, Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked about U.S involvement in Somalia.

• White House Press Secretary Tony Snow

For more on the issue we speak with two guests:

• Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St Paul, Minnestoa.
  
• Ted Dagne, Africa Specialist at the Congressional Research Service. The service is the public policy research arm of the U.S Congress.

Source: Democracy Now, May 18, 2006