By Abdi Egal
Special interest groups led by Abdalla Hirad and Ali Osman Samatar have unleashed a highly charged propaganda against the Union of Islamic Courts by publishing pro-Abdulllahi Yusuf articles in Hiiraan.Online. They blame the Courts for the confusion in the Southern Somalia and for failing to negotiate with the defunct TFG. However, little bit of fact checking shows otherwise. Here are the facts:
1) The Courts were simply defending themselves from the Warlords who declared war on them
2) The overwhelming majority of the public supports this popular movement
3) The Courts have already pacified Mogadishu and its surrounding areas. For instance, there are no more checkpoints ‘Isbaaro’ in and around Mogadishu
4) The Courts have so far resisted to proclaim a government and announced their willingness to talk to the defunct TFG in Baidowa
The Panic-Stricken Defunct TFG’s Response
The hastily convening of the Parliament to invite foreign troops in Somalia dashed the hopes of many Somalis who were expecting the successful pacification of the troubled South. To them, the end of the Warlordism should have paved the way the peaceful negotiation of the Courts and the TFG. What people seemingly forgot, however, was that the leader of TFG is another warlord who just want preserve his power-hungry appetite at the expense of the Somali nation. As most of you recall, Abdullahi Yusuf was the first high ranking military official then who in 1978 crossed the border to Ethiopia, the Somalia’s traditional enemy, in order to seize power at the cost of Somali nation. After almost thirty years in that endeavor and finally at the helm of defunct TFG, he is again seeking the help of Ethiopia to satisfy his power-hungry appetite. His recent BBC Somali Service interview clearly indicates that he has no desire to negotiate with the Islamic Courts. After all, according to analysts who are closely monitoring the situation, the recent so-called Parliament’s vote for inviting foreign troops in Somalia was noting but a last-ditch effort by bandits in Baidowa to save themselves from delusion and paranoia inspired impeding onslaught of the Islamic Courts.
Why Blame the Courts?
Today, the only people who fiercely oppose the Courts are people like Abdalla Hirad and Ali Osman Samatar simply because the new developments dealt serious below to their wishful thinking of a birth of another clan dynasty. It is a fantasy and hallucination to expect a clan domination of Somali politics in the future. The time of nepotism and favoritism in Somalia is over. Those who past benefited from this gross injustice should seek forgiveness from the Almightily Allah and abandon their lust for power.
A Word of Advice to the Islamic Courts:
Finally, I would like to give the following advice to the Union of Islamic Courts:
1) Prepare yourselves and seek public support in defending yourselves from Ethiopian attack. Remember, overwhelming majority of Somalis will side with you if they have to choose between Ethiopia plus its proxies and the Courts. Seize the moment and mobilize the public for the defense of their national dignity.
2) Refrain from regulating the private lives of the citizens. Your top priorities should be to pacify the areas you control and to provide whatever services possible, albeit with no budget, to the public. Explore about the ways to open clinics, schools and orphanage centers. This is how you can win the hearts and minds of the people you wish to lead.
3) Restraint the Jehadists, if any, in your midst. You cannot afford to confront world powers. Don’t allow Baidowa bandits to use ‘terrorism card’ against you. Rather, utilize your meager resources for the betterment of the people in your jurisdiction. Remember, Washington doesn’t care who rules Mogadishu. It just cannot live with a safe haven for terrorist in Mogadishu.
4) Most Somalis are giving you the chance to prove that you are capable to end the misery in Somalia. Seek the consultation and the advice of all Somalis regardless of their political orientation. For instance, establish contacts with the administration in Somaliland which has so far stayed away from intervening the new developments in the South. Moreover, consult with traditional leaders and with moderate religious organizations like Al-Islah who has access to tremendous skills and other resources on governance.
Abdi Egal
| The opinions contained in this article are solely those of the writer, and in no way, form or shape represent the editorial opinions of "Hiiraan Online" |