An Open Letter to the TFG / ARS / SRSG / Security Council & the Somali People

by Abdirashid Khalif Hashi
Friday, May 30, 2008

Preamble

I request the leadership of the TFG and the Alliance as well as the SRSG, the Members of the Security Council, the Somali people and the international community at large to consider this peace proposal. I encourage all Somalis to put forth their vision for Somalia

The Rationale

Whereas the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance of the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) are the two most organized and internationally (and nationally recognized) political actors in Somalia;

Noting that the TFG and the Alliance accepted to participate in the upcoming reconciliation talk to be help in Djibouti in the last week of May 2008 - organized by the United Nations;

Convinced that durable peace could ONLY be attained in Somalia through a negotiated settlement that produces a win-win situation or at least an acceptable outcome for the TFG and the Alliance;

Cognizant that neither the TFG nor the Alliance (despite their rhetoric) has a clear mandate to govern from the Somali people and that the reason the two entities have their current dominant position in Somalia is due to their war-making capabilities;

Recalling that Somalia has had since 1991, a half a dozen interim and transitional governments who, at the end of their mandate, left a more muddy political scene;

Convinced that establishing, yet again, another prolonged transitional period for incompatible political actors, (i.e. the TFG and the Alliance) could be a recipe for unnecessary and avoidable political quagmire,

Underlining the fact that Somalia went through two-decades of turmoil and that it is a moral responsibility to address the root causes as well as the aggravating factors of the current crises;

The following eighteen-point peace plan is proposed. It attempts to address the needs of the current political actors but also tries to lay the foundation a new Somalia where the Somali people decide the future of their country.

 The Plan:

Stabilize the Situation & Let Somali People Decide Through Free & Fair Election

1. There should be an immediate ceasefire throughout Somalia. The TFG and the Alliance should also commit themselves to a non-violent politics where all differences are solved through dialogue or the ballot box, 

2. It is clear to many that it will rather be difficult for the TFG and the Alliance to form a workable / coalition government where these archenemies govern side-by-side. The ongoing escalation of violence in Mogadishu attests to this sad reality. It is also a fact that the TFG and the Alliance are important political actors whose stabilization in the current political scene of Somalia is indispensable, since they are the most organized political actors in the country. Hence, there should be a compromise solution where the two sides could cooperate (and somewhat) share power in the remaining year and half of the TFG mandate. To overcome this challenge - that is, enabling irreconcilable camps to form a workable partnership):

1. The TFG and the Alliance should co-select an independent / non-aligned / non-partisan Prime Minister and a lean cabinet. This will be a technocrat Caretaker Administration. The main responsibility of this caretaker government shall be to stabilize the situation, act as the executive organ of the state, represent Somalia in the international scene and work with the United Nations. The selection criteria for the cabinet members of the caretaker government shall be merit and not clan affiliation. The caretaker cabinet shouldn’t be no more than eleven members including the Prime Minister and their mandate shall end by August 2009; furthermore they should not run for office in the election of 2009,

2. The TFG and the Alliance shall jointly appoint interim judges of the Supreme Court. The term of this provisional Supreme Court shall end after a national election in 2009. This highly qualified neutral and agreed-upon High Court shall arbitrate all legal disputes between the government camps (the TFG and the Alliance), 

3. In order to end the current situation where everyone is at liberty to issue all sorts of fatwas, a national Mufti / religious leader or religious council shall be agreed by the TFG and the Alliance (as well as other concerned Somalis). The role of the national Mufti / religious Council shall be advancing the peace and to be the voice of Islam in Somalia - not the voice of one religious group – but that of the whole country,

4. The TFG and the Alliance shall accept in principle the creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which shall commence its work right after the peace pact. This National Commission shall investigate all atrocities and human rights abuses that took place in Somalia and the Commission shall present its findings to the elected Parliament (in 2009 / 2010) who shall decide the next steps,

3. There should be a UN managed national ELECTION in Somalia. This election should take place at the end of the mandate of the TFG (August 2009). The efforts of the international community should aim at facilitating a free and fair election in Somalia. Rewarding gun-totting men with national political power is what created much of the ongoing and prolonged mayhem in Somalia. Free and Fair election is the oft-ignored but easy and achievable solution for much of the Somalia crises,

4. There should be a UN Peace Building Mission for Somalia and the international community shall organize a donor conference for Somalia. The UN Peace Building Mission should support the work of the Caretaker government (particularly the demobilizing and reintegration of militias) as well as recovery and reconstruction work of the subsequent elected government,

5. All the TFG Members of Parliament whose membership was revoked should be reinstated including the former Speaker of the Parliament who should assume his post until the election of 2009;

6. The Constitution of Somalia (adopted on July 1, 1960) shall be used until the Somali people elect their leaders and decide whether they want to keep using that Constitution or introduce another one. The Constitution of 1960 addresses the aspirations of democratically or Islamically inclined Somalis. Every Somali should read and re-read this neglected national treasure. http://www.benadir-watch.com/Constitution1960.pdf

7. Until the national election, the TFG President should continue his post as the President of the Republic; he should exercise ONLY the powers outlined in the 1960 Constitution;

8. The seat of the TFG President and that of the Parliament should be in Baidoa; the  Caretaker Council of Minister shall operate out of Mogadishu and may have secondary offices in Baidoa;

9. Until the 2009 election, a governor appointed by the Alliance and agreed by the TFG should manage Mogadishu & its environs – under the authority of the Caretaker administration;

10. The President, the Prime Minister and a Representative appointed by the Alliance shall form a National Leaders Forum where important POLITCAL issues and new appointments are discussed and compromise is sought. Issues the Leaders Forum could not agree on maybe be referred to the Supreme Court – to mediate and if not successful to render its judgments which shall be final and binding;

11. A 5000 strong International Stabilization Force, preferably from the Arab and Muslim states – under the auspices of the United Nations - should be deployed to Somalia. The International Stabilization Force shall work with and under the authority of the Caretaker Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers,

12. Within four weeks of the signing of peace agreement between the TFG and the Alliance, all Ethiopian military and security personal must leave the Somali Republic. Somalis, particularly the Alliance and their associates must give the Ethiopians a safe passage and the international community must verify and guarantee the total withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces; Ethiopia should pledge not to reinvade Somalia, Somali parties must commit themselves to a non-aggression policy towards Ethiopia, 

13. During the four weeks that the International Stabilization Force are arriving in Somalia, the Ugandan and Burundi contingents may be deployed to Baidoa and Beli-dogle Airbase to safeguard the TFG President / Parliament, as soon as the International Stabilization Forces arrives, the Ugandan and Burundi contingents shall depart from Somalia;

14. Both the Alliance and the TFG must demobilize all their militias; each group should transfer to the Caretaker government 3000 future soldiers / police officers;

15. The retrained and amalgamated 6000-strong former TFG / Alliance security personnel / militia shall form as the national police / security forces and shall work under the authority of the Caretaker Government;

16. Somali groups and individuals who are interested in political power particularly the TFG and Alliance members should renounce violence as a means to gain power and should  join or form political parties;

17. The TFG and the ARS shall  denounce and oppose all forms of terrorism; the parties should also commit not to equate Islam and citizen’s legitimate political positions with terrorism and the issues relating to terrorism shall be addressed by the ELECTED Government that shall take power after the 2009 election;

18. The TFG and the Alliance should accept the UN as the lead agency in the mediation / recovery / rebuilding efforts. The Security Council shall be the GARANTOR of this peace accord. The caretaker cabinet shall be designated as the Somali counterpart to the international community / UN / Security Council,

Abdirashid K Hashi is a Somali-Canadian writer.

Formerly, Secretary to the Somali Council of Ministers &

Deputy Chief Cabinet, Somali Prime Minister’s Office - TNG

Comments are welcome:     rashid2025@yahoo.com

momo519 @ 6/4/2008 11:13 AM EST  I agree with Gadhhaye and jabdulle1. Wishful thinking? YES. Naive? YES. But pro TFG? NO. Aqonyahan and Lamadage are missing the point. I'd love to see Lamadage and Aqonyahan's proposal. My proposal would add another 18 points to this writer's. I would call to prohibit the preseident and the PM and the Speaker of the Parliament to travel outside of the country and participate any international forums, especially during the transition period. I'd also propose the member of parliaments be required to wear traditional gowns(labo go oo cad cad). My point here is to minimize the glamorization of public offices.

Nasir Adan @ 6/3/2008 1:06 PM EST  LABA GUMEYSI MID DOORO. Waxaa iimuuqata marka aan ka hadlo aniga rayigeyga qof ahaaneed in ay soo wajahdey xornimadii umada soomaaliyeed laba gumeysi oo kala daran oo mid walba uu jiho kasoo weeraray. Waxaa runtii ah wax aad iyo aad looga murugoodo markaad aragto dad walaala ah oo is wada cunaya. Siyaasadeenii qaldaneyd ee ku dhisnayd “Ii talin maysid, kuu talin maayo, Ila talin maysid, kula talin maayo, wada tashan mayno, kala tegi meyno” weligeen sidaas baanu isu qaniinsanaanaynaa ilaa saacada qiyaama. Masiibadaas waxay dhalisey labadan gumeysi oo maanta mid walba uu midka kale ka daran yahay oo ka xun yahay. Mid walbana uu jiho kasoo weeraray isagoo shaadh gooni ah gashan, gumaysiga muuqda oo ah nimanka tigreeyga ah (TPLF) iyo gumeysi qarsoon oo ah carabta cunsuriyiinta ah ee qaa’imiinta ah ee noosoo xirtey qamiiska iyo cimaamada. Mid walba midka kale ayuu kadaran yahay gumeysiga tigreeyga (TPLF) oo uu horkacay Males Senawi iyo gumeysiga carabta (AL-Qaa’ Ida) oo uu horkacayo Usama bin Ladin. Waxaa hore loo yidhi “qof aan waxa soo socda garanin, waxa taagan ma garto.” Waxaan ku macneyn karnaa laban gumeysi oo kala ah “kud ka guur oo qanjo u guur.” Ama tigreeybaa ku gumeysanaya maanta ama carab cunsuri ah baa ku gumeysnaya berito. Sababtoo ah tigreeyguna waxay guursadeen qaar ka mis ah siyaasiyiinteenii, carabtuna waxay guursadeen qaar ka mid ah culumadeena diinta u nasab sheegata. Walaal waxaan filayaa in aan hadalka kugu badiyey, laakiin bal aan ku weydiiye dheriga maxaa karka ka keeney? Saw maaha kuleylka dabka ku shidan? Marka ha’ila yaabin, sababtoo ah waxaa hore loo yidhi “far keliya fool ma dhaqdo.”  Mar hadaanan awood u lahayn in aan labadan gumaysi iyo eydooda in aan umada ka qabto, oo waxa keliya oo aan sameynkaraa ay tahay in aan ku baraarujo oo waxa jira kuu sheego, si’aad adigana kuwa kale aad usii baraarujiso. Walaal waxaan anigu aamin sanahay in ay isagu kaaya mid yihiin, in uu faransiis na gumeysto, ama in uu ingriis na gumeysto, ama in uu tanyaani na gumeysto, ama in uu axmaar na gumeysto, ama in uu tigreeyna gumeysto, ama in uu carabna gumeysto waa isku mid, maxaa yeeley gumeysi waa gumeysi. Waxaan aaminsanahay in ay TPLF na gumeystaan, ama in ay AL-QAACIDA na gumeysato ay isku mid inoo yihiin, sababta oo ah gumeysi waa gumeysi, diintuu doono ha haysto, midabkuu doono ha lahaado, luqaduu doono haku hadlo, gumeysi waa gumeysi.Waxaan aaminsnahay in uu Males Senawi na gumeysto ama Usama Bin Ladin na gumeysto in ay isku mid inoo yihiin, sababta oo ah gumeysi waa gumeysi. Gumeysi waa gumeysi, Gumeysi waa gumaysi.

jabdulle1 @ 6/2/2008 7:17 PM EST  You’re intelligent enough to produce this wonderful article, at the same time; you are so naive about the situation of your own country.  When I read your 18 point proposal, I remembered the king of France when he said “if the people cannot afford bread, why don’t they eat cake” What I mean is if Somalis are major enough to understand what is good for them, they wouldn’t be where they are today. PS> Somalia has undergone a drastic change since 1960 and 1960 constitution can be used as ref point but may not be applicable now.

halganka @ 6/1/2008 3:02 AM EST  SYL halgamo faro badan oo ka dhaadheer oo boqolaal kun oo qof oo soomaali ku dhinteen ayaa jira, hase yeeshee doodu ama hadalku maanta ma taagna SYL ayaa sidan ah iyo mayee kuwii ka horeeyey ayaa sidaas ahaa, ee doodu waxay taalaa WAR NIMANKA AQOONYAHANKA SOOMAALIYEED SHEEGTA HADDII AY DHAB KA TAHAY WADANIYADDA AY KALA DAMBEYNTA AY U QAYLINAYAAN, MAXAA U DIIDAY INAY AFKA SOOMAALIYEED KULA XIRIIRAAN DADKA SOOMAALIDA AH, MISE AJINABIGA AYEY DOONAYAAN INAY AFAARAHA SOOMAALIYA IYO SIRTA UMMADDA SOOMAALIYEED BANAANKA SOO DHIGAAN?? halkan ka daawo taariikhda soomaaliya oo laga sheekeynayo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHznZOCBdW8

Erigavo @ 6/1/2008 1:27 AM EST  Note this, as long as you stoke division and hatred within Somalis, Ethiopia will never withdraw. You  barbarians are giving the Ethiopian troops to remain in Somalia for many years to come. Support the government and renounce violence.