SOMALIA appears destined to sink deeper into chaos as armed factions battle it out in inexplicable blood-letting. Such hostilities may have been understandable but never excusable over a year ago since the militias were fighting to fill the power vacuum that existed in the failed state for 14 years following the ouster of dictator Mohammed Siad Barre.
But that is not the case now for there is no power vacuum and a government is in place, including a parliament since last year.
More than 150 people have been killed and scores injured during the past one week in what is the second round of fighting this year in the capital Mogadishu. There was spurt of violence last March that claimed 90 lives. The Speaker of parliament Shrarrif Hassan Sheikh Adan has called on all the warring factions in the Somali capital to declare an immediate ceasefire following the week-long fierce fight. President Abdullahi Yusuf has similarly called for a ceasefire. In fact he issued stern warning to ministers who still lead militias into battle. Kenya, neighbours and indeed the world remain alarmed over the senseless fighting and killing in that god forsaken country. The situation in Somalia is getting so bad that philanthropic and humanitarian initiatives have virtually dried up even as their suffering of the Somali intensify. The situation has been exacerbated by the pirates who operate with impunity both at the ports and off the coast, hijacking ships carrying badly needed relief food and other supplies as they demand hefty ransoms.
It has been a long and rough road to get the country where it is today. Negotiations for peace and restoration of central government went on for nearly a decade and a half before some semblance of a structured government was cobbled together. Kenya and the other IGAD member countries took the lead in this exercise at tremendous cost to the tax payer. Indeed it is commendable that IGAD leaders realised that African had a special duty towards addressing themselves to suffering fellow Africans even where the calamity was self-made as has been the case of Somalia. But despite these efforts, sacrifices and the subsequent installation of a national government in Somalia, stability is still elusive. In fact the head of state has never operated and applied his authority on the country from the capital Mogadishu. He has administered in virtually from the sidelines and specifically Baidoa because his security in Mogadishu cannot be guaranteed.
Conflictual
The possibility of applying military muscle to correct the ignominy that is Somalia remains tricky since the US debacle while on pursuit of similar efforts 13 years ago. In fact the US still rues the day it sent its troops to Mogadishu in a bid to restore order following the humiliation her troops were subjected to. And which is why it is difficult to understand why the Bush administration appears to be courting the same troubled waters by supporting a section of the warlords in the name of combating terrorism. Is it not proven that fractious Somalis close ranks immediately anything perceived to be a foreign front appears? The cynicism of allowing the Somalis to fight in peace is rooted in this reality.
Besides its size and hostile terrain which inhibits unilateral military intervention, there are inexplicable traits rooted in their clan based world view which accentuates conflictual predisposition, making dialogue a tough call. For how else would one explain the cynical abrogation of accords and ceasefires so painstakingly worked out? We are not standing here in judgement but Kenya and Somalia are not only neighbours but there are Somalis who are Kenyans. This duality is the cause of our concern. Leaders in that country must realise that until the spirit of give and take prevails among the them, the chances of all the militias in Somalia ever coming together to patch up their clan dredged differences will continue to define their miserable world.
Re-energise
Yet the cycle of suffering among the ordinary Somali people must come to an end in one way or another. That is the challenge that the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations must face. It is true that Somalia poses a complicated situation. However, must the ordinary Somali continue to suffer at the hands of bestial militias and warlords as the world watches on unmoved? Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju recently challenged a gathering of lawmakers in Nairobi that the burden of reconstructing Somali has been inordinately too heavy on Kenya and asked the rest of the world to do their bit too. The world must take advantage of the shaky ceasefire now in place to re-energise a faltering resolve to get Somali back on her feet. After 15 years of unmitigated lawlessness and nihilism, the ordinary Somali deserve peace and the experience of human dignity. The world has looked the other way for far too long.
Source: Kenya Times, May 16, 2006
