by Capt. Paddy Ankunda
Monday, September 03, 2007

For the last sixteen years, Somalia has not had a government and people were simply living on their own; no central bank, no national army, no ministries, no parliament and all the other organs of government. It sounds strange but it’s true.

Collapse of Somali state

The once powerful Somalia that boasted of the largest and most modern army in Africa, succumbed to the mismanagement of the same military and lost her nationhood. In fact, Somalia had the most advanced air force in eastern Africa at the time

In the picture, are some of the Somali Russian made Hunters on a military parade in the 1970s.

The Somali army was effectively decimated in the 1977-78 war, when they sought to annex the Ogaden region from Ethiopia, an operation that terribly boomeranged. To date, the country has not had a force of her own.

Indeed, the political impasse that reigns in Somalia today is deep seated in the role the military played in the affairs of this country. None the less, just like a necessary evil; Somalia still needs an army in order to regain her former great self.

African Union role

The African Union mission in Somalia has a role to play in restoring the state of Somalia. The AU mandate categorically states that AMISOM “…will assist in the implementation of the National Security and Stabilisation Plan (NSSP) of Somalia, particularly the effective re-establishment and training of all inclusive Somali security forces…”.

In fact, AMISOM would make a big difference if it turned into a training mission.

Way forward

Training the Somali military will mean practical empowerment of the Somalis to defend themselves. It will also enable the Transitional Federal Government to consolidate its authority over the entire country that is now torn apart among the different clan militias.

It is important however that all clans are represented during recruitment so that the national army is all inclusive.

Such training must emphasise issues of professional and ideological discipline, as well as training on protection and promotion of human rights. This way, the trained force would form the nucleus of a Somali People’s Defence Forces that would undertake the supreme role of protecting the people and the sovereignty of the Somali nation.

Capt. Ankunda is the spokesman of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia

muraad @ 9/18/2007 11:04 PM EST  Very tragedy some here are glorifying the former dictator responsible much of Somali's tragedy.  Undemocratically, after the death of our last democratically elected president, he held Somalia hostage for 21 paving the way for todays destruction.  Crimes committed by the dictator is many including enriching his clan at the expense of millions of Somalis, encouraging and arming clans to fight each other and resisting peacefull transion from dicatator to democracy and lastly his war against the religion of Islam by massacring and arresting our learned Ulema.  Lets not glorify our dark past so that we dont repeat it again in the future.

halac @ 9/9/2007 4:52 AM EST  Paddy Make your quike money at Mog.airport,and leave before it is too late.Somalia is like naked women walking through gangsland expecting not to be harmed.

Camel Girl @ 9/6/2007 5:28 PM EST  y Capt. Paddy Ankunda Monday, September 03, 2007 Thank you Sir. Thanks for saving a dead city “Mogadishu”. Very dead City.  Somalis we invested in this city. We try to save secure grounds us clans. However, we try and the world is listening to us.  Isaac, Hawaii, Darod are Somalis .The city belongs to ABGAL thank you if this President is a nonsense the Darod will take him back with a very good word from the Mogadishu families. Do we want to keep Hon. Ali Mahadi/Prime Minister Geed? We will take Abdullah Yussuf, which will not happen soon... Siyad Barre tried to put Somalis in one page/road, He wrote our language. He tried to unite  the Somali family put his efforts to help the youth by bringing them from north to south to teach and show them what family meant he dealt with difficult adults to teach/show/learn Somali was one.   I love our flag, I die for it I love Ethiopia/Uganda they made Somalis focus in their stupidity/ignorance sabotaging politics. The international community is applauded and I hope Somalis listen to this closely.

Abzamo @ 9/6/2007 8:58 AM EST  Yeah u are right somalia need it is own army, but we don`t need an army that dance to the tune of ethiopian music.every country earmarks astronomical amount  of money for defence purposes, therefore the army job is to defend the country from external agression .but if the army takes orders from another government, then the concept of forming an army is defeated in the best sense of the term.Capt Paddy Ankunda what somalia needs is peace, and that can come when other countries stop porking their dirty nose at somali affairs.Army will eventually come the moment we finish putting our houses in order.a man in the first place has to look a safe and condusive place to live after that he can go and fetch a wife for himself now that he got a house to entertain his wife.

ameriko @ 9/5/2007 4:31 AM EST  waxaa la yaab.ah mudo 16 sano ah 3 madax weyne medkoodna ma saxna hadaba yaan sugeenaa amxaaro soomaliyeey ka gura