By Amb. Ahmed Abdi Hashi (Hashara)
Friday, July 24, 2009

 

UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah

The Washington Post recently carried an article by UN Special Envoy, Ahmedou W. Abdalla, titled “The World’s Duty to Somalia”. This title is way off the mark but more importantly provides us with some insight on the author’s misguided direction for Somalia. The international community is, admittedly, important but it cannot solve the Somali problem; it is primarily our problem and we Somalis can and must solve this problem by ourselves and without foreign interference. ALLAH (GOD) helps those who help themselves. The international community can play a supportive role only if it recognizes the futility of repeating failed initiatives of the past and imposing, through Special Envoys, a solution to the Somali conflict. Ahmedou Wald Abdalla, unfortunately, fails to appreciate this basic fact.

  The claims made in this article are gross misrepresentations, distortions as well as unforgivable lack of understanding of the complexities of Somali politics and the realities on the ground.

Abdalla fails to understand the difference between a revolt by the armed forces of a State against the government of the day and a national group with a mission to resurrect from the ashes of a civil war a Somali State. Abdalla should know better and look at his own backyard- Mauritania- where the armed forces recently staged a coup de-etat. In contrast, what happening now in Mogadishu and other parts of Southern Somalia is a national struggle against foreign invaders and their local agents and stooges. This constant reference to a coup in Somalia is an attempt to cover up the failure of the Djibouti coronation, mislead international public opinion and demean the gains on the ground of the Somali resistance movement.

In various statements as well as in this article, Ahmedou Abdalla tries to sell the fiction of the existence of a legitimate government in Somalia. The question that begs an answer is: which government are we talking about? And where is this government? This so-called government was formed in exile in Djibouti. Its “members” were handpicked by foreigners including Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Ahmedou W. Abdalla was omnipresent at all times, stage managing the circus. Can we really call a government that which hides behind the cocktails of AMISOM and Ethiopian troops; with virtually no constituents and territorial control and holed up in Villa; that which cannot protect itself let alone provide security and essential services for its own citizens and with literally no State institutions.

The 550 member “parliament” created in Djibouti with Ahmedou W. Abdalla’s blessing is in such disarray that it cannot convene for lack of a quorum. This “parliament” ceased to exist for all practical purposes. That is the government that Ahmedou W. Abdalla espouses. It surely is a figment in the imagination of its foreign sponsors.

A legitimate government in Somalia? Every government must derive its legitimacy from the popular support of the majority of its own people and not from foreign powers or individuals. Governments that have a popular mandate from their own people are legitimate; but those which are formed in foreign capitals with no mandate from their own people are illegitimate. The same must apply to Somalia. No government formed by Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, without the support and consent of the Somali people and which requires foreign forces to keep it on life support can be considered legitimate.

The campaign by foreigners to confer legitimacy on this so-called government of Somalia is calculated to mislead the international community, misrepresent and distort the facts on the ground. At the end of the day, the UN and its Special Envoy must realize that any government created outside Somalia is not  and cannot be representative of the Somali people whether the UN recognizes it or not.

The spectre of foreign fighters is raised as a red herring. A well orchestrated campaign is underway. We are told of Afghanis, Pakistanis, Eritreans and others. But the question that begs an answer is: where is the evidence to support these allegations? Time and again, we are told of the capture or killing of these foreigners; that they would be displayed publicly. The world waits. Finally, on one fine day in July 09, with a lot fanfare, an announcement is made: the body of an Afghani later Bangladeshi will be displayed for all. But the body that was displayed was none other than a young Somali lad who was shot in the head with a single bullet inside the Presidential Palace. Murder, collateral damage? Call it what you will, but there is no evidence to substantiate their claims and no credibility. And when there is no evidence, we must acquit.

The allegations of foreigners fighting along aside the Somali resistance are disingenuous and smack of a double standard. Yes, there are foreigners in Somalia fighting for one small Somali faction; the troops from Uganda and Burundi are evidently not Somalis. They are foreigners who in broad daylight shell Mogadishu, kill and maim innocent Somalis, who commit atrocities and other gross human rights violations.

 The Ethiopian troops that cross into our border who kill, rape our women are foreigners fighting in a foreign country. These foreign troops support the faction that is holed up in Villa Somalia. And the UN and its Special Envoy bless these foreign fighters from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia who inflict untold miseries on the Somali people.

There are, however, ulterior motives behind these allegations; they are used as a cover and ruse for more foreign intervention led by Ethiopia which in turn will legitimize the permanent occupation of Somalia by Ethiopia and its regional allies. The recent calls by Ahmedou W. Abdalla to change the mandate of AMISOM into peace enforcement throw the light on this conspiracy. Similarly, Ahmedou W. Abdalla’s lobbying for lifting the ban imposed  by paragraph 4 of UN Security Council Resolution 1725 (2006) “ on those States that border Somalia not to deploy troops in Somalia.” is another indication of this sinister design for our country.

The international community can play a constructive role in the search for durable and sustainable peace in Somalia. The international community must listen to the real voices of the Somali people and not to self-seeking individuals and hostile foreign powers with an agenda to dismember and destabilize Somalia.

 Calls for an AMISOM peace enforcement role must be ignored. Previous attempts at such a role were an utter failure; the US intervention in the early 1900s and the subsequent Ethiopian invasion of Somalia were a disaster. The presence of AMISOM is like putting more fuel into a fire.

A new intervention will not bring peace to Somali but will only prolong the suffering of our people, undermine the very existence of our nation and will internationalize the Somali conflict.

Let the international community understand this fact: there can never be a foreign led military solution to the Somali conflict.

The alternative is to look straight in the mirror, disregard the rosy fictions of Ahmedou W. Abdalla, the ambitions of Ethiopia and other border States and encourage a truly Somali owned national dialogue without interference from outside. This is the only sensible way to peace in Somalia.

Stickorcarrot @ 7/28/2009 3:24 PM EST   I wonder why Lili is so obsessed with Sherif? What is this 100% animosity towards Sh. Xariif?

Stickorcarrot @ 7/28/2009 3:16 PM EST  Shanta; He has not denied the presence of foreign fighters. He just stated the double standard of only complaining about foreigner for one group while inviting more. Both of the groups are guilty of this. The way i see it, this article is right on the money, but the source is of course questionable. In his case, he has no power to prolong the fight inside Somalia, he just wants a group that will appoint him to something to take the helm. If guns are silent today, he will go back his home in N.America wherever that is.

shanta @ 7/28/2009 11:39 AM EST  Stick, Regardless of how our views are different, we are united in one front, and that is the stability of our country.  Shouldn’t these folks work together for that common goal, instead of settling personal score at our expense? Furthermore, Hashara discounts as ludicrous the fact that there are numerous foreign fighters in our soil, something that Al-Haram leaders have reported themselves to the world media? Who are we suppose to believe; the politician or the ground leaders of this chaos?

shanta @ 7/28/2009 11:24 AM EST  Leyla, I stated my personal opinion and not that I insulated the man. Contradictions are nothing new in our political arena, and if the man practices well, it ought to be pointed. Besides, at the end we would like to see anyone who could gather 200 or more votes (supporters) to be the president. Sharif won that title fair and square just like his predecessors did in Jibuti and Kenya.

stickorcarrot @ 7/28/2009 2:47 AM EST  Shanta; He is right about foreign interventions in Somalia must cease including Eritrea. As for TNG, perhaps in his book Djibouti is not in that list. It is all about convenience we know that. The alliance between the likes of this man and XI is just convenience. But when he is right, though his motive is not the same as those inside the country we have nothing else to say but " Hey good job" Let's wait his reversal and his double standard later when he won't see his name in the other rightful governments.

lilisamatar @ 7/27/2009 6:08 PM EST  shanta at least he accepted defeat he did not bring 200 people of his supporters and friends to vote for him!!!!!!!!!!! he receives a medal for that not a shame at all, cay kale la imow!!!!!! to you hashara!!!!!!!

lilisamatar @ 7/27/2009 6:07 PM EST  shanta at least he accepoted defat he did not bring 200 people of his supporters and friends to vote for him!!!!!!!!!!!

Sahalsiidi @ 7/27/2009 1:58 PM EST  Xashare and Abdiqasin were drinking buddies, since their youth while they were students at former USSR and later on when both were serving Ministerial portofolios. So lets drop the notion of both men and their love for drinking, cause it is irrelevant. I only found Xashare and his TNG dream team to be greedy sore losers and flip floppers starting from Abdiaqasin, Galayr, Xashare and Burci Hamza. Therefore, it is not we lack effective leadership only, we lack sincere visionary leaders when our nation is broken. HOW SAD.

shanta @ 7/26/2009 5:24 PM EST  Stick, “The international community can play a constructive role in the search for durable and sustainable peace in Somalia. The international community must listen to the real voices of the Somali people and not to self-seeking individuals and hostile foreign powers with an agenda to dismember and destabilize Somalia.” Is he telling us that Asmara is another Somali city? “At the end of the day, the UN and its Special Envoy must realize that any government created outside Somalia is not  and cannot be representative of the Somali people whether the UN recognizes it or not.” Is he telling us that the government he served “TNG” under A/Qasim was a fraud? The man won on Jibuti round -1, but lost it on Jibuti round-2.

ali mustafa @ 7/26/2009 1:24 PM EST  Badiyow,,,gabarta fiican wiilasha qalbigooda kuma dheesho.layla igaar ladhaho nargale ey aad ugu dheeshey.

Stickorcarrot @ 7/25/2009 9:33 PM EST  Shanta; Do you know Hashara? If you do, what is his motive? And do you have concrete evidence of how Bana was killed?

baadiyow @ 7/25/2009 7:44 PM EST   Layla adiga gabar fiican ayaad tahay, OK.

lilisamatar @ 7/25/2009 7:29 PM EST  he was treatde shamfully because of the clour of his skin while he was dead, just imagine how he was treated for the colour of his skin alive in his own country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lilisamatar @ 7/25/2009 7:28 PM EST  walaahay haduu BANA xamerweyn u dagaalamaya then he was a hero.  May god rest his soul in peace.  instead ay uduceynlahaayeen the criminals were standing on the top of meydka taking pictures while laughing, is there a crime bigger than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!the way he was treated as a dead man is indicative of his value alive!!!!!!!

baadiyow @ 7/25/2009 5:23 PM EST   Dad badan ayaa halkan ku celceliyay Bana iyo maydkiisa, si ay ugu qiil dayaan sababta uu u dhintay. Wiilkaas wuxuu Soomaaliya ugu soo noqdo si uu u dhinto, wuuna helay. Sida dawladdu u isticmaashay maydkiisa kuma raacsani. Waxaase ka daran kuwii soo siray ka dhaadhiciyay inuu hadafkooda guracan u dhinto, haddana inkiray inuu ka mid ahaa, oo dawladda ku dhaleeceeyay inay wiil gibil cad ah Xamarwayne ka soo wateen haddana dilay. Why didn't they feel proud he was amongs them and he died for thier cause. Sad story...

shanta @ 7/25/2009 5:02 PM EST  FYI, Jamal Bana was not liquidated in Villa Somalia, but his lifeless body was brought to certain compound in MOG for identification purposes.  Those who know Hashara, also know his motives.

saba @ 7/25/2009 2:23 PM EST  HOL if you removed the lilli's comment that said Mr Hashara is non-drinker, yu should have removed the two accusing him as well. .......................................................................... Bal dadka Qaran ka sugaaya Xariif iyo Shaaweeye sida walaalkeen Diinow, ila eega tan. Put aside morality, Humanity,Ethics, Islaanimo, etc,etc. Take the Xariif crowd of being deprived of all those qualities mentioned above. Nontheless,SUPPORT THEM for being ABLE and SHREWD to cover their cr*mes. Would you have taken a young man such as Mr Bana, who is in the FBI list of 20 missing men, who is a U.S citizen, his family and freinds in U.S; would you have taken him, sh**t him and PUBLISH his corpse on WORLDWIDE NET. Would anr person with below avage intelligence had done that?!!. What did they think the family and freinds would say when they are told their child became Afghani after he was sh*t?!! Ma dadkaasaad Qaran ka sugaysaan. Maankaal u dhiga Xariif,Janaqow,Shaaweeya iyo Indhacdde.

lilisamatar @ 7/25/2009 12:24 PM EST  I do not support alshabaab and in many ways I abhor their ways of thinking however when it come to a choice between the bad and the worst, perhaps the choice should be clear!!!!!!

lilisamatar @ 7/25/2009 12:22 PM EST  someone has deleted my earlier comment, in which @I said hashara is not a drinker nor cabdiqasim has introduced the 4.5 there is no need to go that way!!!!! regarding the dragging of dead bodies in the streets , what is this fascination with this barbaric acts!!!!!un islamic and no one no matter where they came from deserve to be treated like that!!!!so barbaric ans so inhumane!!!!!!!!!!!and regarding BANA all ha u naxariistee, it is the barbaric acts against him that brought shame on villa Somalia, xaqu malumo dulumkoodii uun baa fadeexadeeyey!!!!!!!!!!

saba @ 7/25/2009 10:26 AM EST   Much obliged honourable Xashara. Clarity, that is what i see in your talk. I do not know the gentelman, i see some are villifying him to have been in C.Qasim "government"; that intself is not a cr*ime.  Many had hopes that C.Qasim would restore the state, for the simple reason of him,C.Qasim coming from the crowed that destablised the south. If C.Qasim failed in acheiving that, there is no reason to blame his then ambassador in N.Y, it is fààlish to do that. I agree with KUCADE's second comment, i do disagree with his first. Indeed Kucadaye, Mr Xashare can be one who doesn't wholeheatedly prefer Alshabab/X.Islam as as first option of leadership to Somalia, nevertheless he supports them for many reasons, some of which he mentioned. I do beleive that this man's way of thinking is leader-like way. One must support what is feasible without compromising nationhood  and values one lives with. The gentelman may not be your typical Shabab, however, given the choice between government of- Xariif,Janaqaw,Indhacadde,Shaaweeye, Cabdishakur(the auctioneer of the Somali territorial waters) and shabab, he sees the choice is clear to one like this author,one who cares for his nation's survival. Regarding Mr Xashara's revelation that Marxuum JAMAL BANNA was sh*ot inside the VILLA SOMALIA, it is a national shame indeed.  In Xariif's time, the villa should be dubed as the VILLA OF HORROR. CNN did a report on returning youth ie,recruited youth. They talked about JAMAL BANA, NEVER once mentioning how he was used as a "foreign fighter" by the government imposed on Somalis by the American Ambassador in Kenya. They painted a picture where those youth can come back to U.S and do their te*rror in U.S. Mr JULIANI was there with wolf blitzer, perhaps JuLIANI will help do the terr*r they talked about and blame it on Shabab; who knows!!. NEVER once mentioning how BANA was k*lled and the lie of foreign fighters. It is scar to all Somalis of the "fanfare" MR HASHARA talked about......... How they paraded a naked corpse in the street of Mogdisho. If i had to choose between GIN and TONIC drinker, like MR Hashara as accuused by some, and a PHONY, LIER, Shame to Muslims Xariif the Naked Corpse dragger......... I will in no HESITATION choose the HONOURABLE HASHARA and buy him a drink.

kucadaye @ 7/25/2009 9:58 AM EST  For those who are bad mouthing the Shabaab, remember they are your liberators. Without out them your country would have been a de facto Ethiopian colony at best or another Kilil. Having said that the Shabaab should concentrate on their country and abandon the 'global Jihad' slogsns, which are music to Ould Abdalla and his NGO consortium in Nairobi. They should also difer the application of drastic Sharia punishments until they secure peace, security, and put bread (or is it Moofo?) on the table for the suffering mothers and children. They should also work hard to gain the heart and good will of the people by example and education on Islam rather than by force and fear.

Diinow @ 7/25/2009 8:28 AM EST  I am saddened by these sick men misguiding our young brothers and sisters! Hashara, if you really believe in Shabaab's mission pick up the gun and go to the front and eventually blow yourself up when you get clos to the "enemy"

pragmatism @ 7/25/2009 7:33 AM EST  "Every government must derive its legitimacy from the popular support of the majority of its own people and not from foreign powers or individuals. " Since when did Shabaab ever enjoy support from the majority of Somalis? Since when did Shabaab announce they want free and fair elections to elect a democratically elected government? "The international community must listen to the real voices of the Somali people" The voices of the Somali people are on the Afgooye road screaming for food aid. "The alternative is to look straight in the mirror,and encourage a truly Somali owned national dialogue without interference from outside. This is the only sensible way to peace in Somalia." "Dialogue" is not listed in the dictionary of the Shabaab. Sharif offered to talk with them, to ask what their demands were, you know what the response was. Why is it none of these writers can look at the situation objectively? I don't think there is a Somali word for 'objectivity'. There are many things Sharif has done that I would question, the retention of the 4.5 system, having over 500 MPs in parliament etc. But these writers always push for one extreme or another. It gets boring after a while.

sas @ 7/25/2009 7:21 AM EST  I thank you Amb. Hashi for your article. this foreign elected so called government encircled in Villa Somalia is farse. I don't think Al Shabab will fly the flag either, coz of their ideology which in my opinion is ant Somalism. so let us come up with something else that reflects the Somali way of life. thank you once more

lilisamatar @ 7/25/2009 6:07 AM EST  realitiguna ma foga!!!!!it is starring you in the eyes!!!!!!!!

kucadaye @ 7/25/2009 12:09 AM EST  Well presented position. I agree him all he said about Ould Abdalla a paid functionay for foreign interests. However, Xashare ('ant' in English) is suffering from credibility problem. The fellow, like an ant, is known to crawl on his four to where the power center is situated at the time. His close friend and protege is none other than Abdiqasim Salad, the author of the notorious 4.5 formula which will continue to have lasting disastrous effect on the Somali political scene.

Sahalsiidi @ 7/24/2009 4:01 PM EST  Mid kale ayaan ka hilmaamay saxiibkeen Xasharo oo ah; Ahmedou W.Abdalla is coming to your home town Ottawa next friday. Why don't you go to the meeting and settle your beef with him. Ahmedou W. Abdalla's is tryng to bring the Harper Government on board with the Somali contact group, not on obrservatory position. But actually donate monies to Sheikh Shariif camp or the next selected individual of the coming months. You know your friend Burci Hamza had buried his hatched against TFG1 since its dismissal by the Ahmedou W. Abdalla and he joined TFG2 as a Minister with or without Ethiopian or Amisom help. Why can't you have a change of heart like him? and take any position they offer you. After all that is what made you all apposition group, isn't it. kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

diplomat @ 7/24/2009 3:31 PM EST  dowlad waa game ee follow by its rules. ee sxb dantaada gaarka waad gaareysaa ee tan guud fiiri.inta badan dadkan qaxootiga naga dhigay waa xaasid adiga oo kale ah.noloshaada wax ku fal.ee hadalada aan soo qoreyso mid aad maan dooriyaha siisid usheeg.marax bilaa edeb play by the rule of the game.nacasnimo weeye inaan maalin walba wax aan umadda dan u aheyn aad noo sheegt.

luckymes @ 7/24/2009 2:50 PM EST  Adeer meeshan wax daacad ahi ma jiraan, ee masaakinta ha waalina. Waxaad tihiin dhammaantiin caadaqaatayaal aan wax isku falayn dad iyo ummadna danteeda ka shaqaynayn. Dhallin yarada u banneeya jagada, talana laydinma waydiinayo hadda, waayo maskaxdiinnu waa gubatey. Waxaa laydiinku ballan qaadayaa in meel xannaanada dhallinyarada cuslaatay laydiin dhiso. Haddii kale Somalia, weligeed waxba kama soconayaan hawlaheeda. Miyaanay aqoon in dadku hawlgab noqdo? Yaab, waa soo taaganyihiin weligood!!

Sahalsiidi @ 7/24/2009 1:40 PM EST  Dearest Ahmed Xasharo, Well said and I agree with your many points on Mr Ahmedou W. Abdalla's bogus claims towards the current Government. But I do differ with you in regard your support of  UIC, alshaydan and xisbul xaraan or equally giving them credit of for the carnage they are causing on our civilians, but only denouncing AMISOM or others. Another thing that I find it very interesting is, your strong view that foriegn made Somali Governments from Jabuti, Itoobiya or Kenya is not legitimate and will not work out. That could be true, but how come you were happy to serve one forieng made Gov't, when you became a head of Somali UN office in New York. Under the mandate of Arta Governmnent of Abdiqasim Salad, that was made 1st Goverment made outside Somalia.

baadiyow @ 7/24/2009 1:30 PM EST   Mr. Hashara keep sipping the gin tonic in Asmara until your lord Afawerki tired of your parasite ass. Come to Kismayo and see if you can survive in one day. This government legitimate or not is repressenting me and millions of Somalis, that is the truth and fact. For those who don't want to see any government to establish keep on moving the goal post..

fiqicigaal @ 7/24/2009 1:18 PM EST  Hmmmmmmm! interesting. And how would you accommodate a national dialogue that may bring peace and stability when those extremists reject to come to the conference table and raise their agenda and terms of negotiation? It is a matter fact that the only government that will servive and work is one that is accepted and  supported by its people. Is alshabaab a favourate for this nation at time and day? Iam not convinced about this UN dude's intentions and his scale of honesty on Somali affairs nor can i go silent of the cruel and unislamic killings of alshabaab on innocent starving Somalis.

Stickorcarrot @ 7/24/2009 12:59 PM EST  Ahmed I must agree with you on this one. This means, if you keep repeating a lie, eventually people will accept it as a fact. Seriff and his co-conspirators are not government. They don't represent me, they represent those who funded, collected, brought them to Mogadishu and still defending them.

ahmedeer @ 7/24/2009 12:15 PM EST  They know the truth, but deny it. they are out there to salvage their earnings from the enemies of Somalia. We are the one to choose a leadership and process that give us the best leader.