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By Ahmed Raghe
Sunday, April 26, 2009
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| From left to right:Louis Michel, Omar, Somali FM, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, EU European Commission president, Jose anuel Barroso, Photo: European Communities, 2009 |
After 20 long years of neglect, the world has at last shown some interest in Somalia by organizing in Brussels a two-day (22-23 April 2009) emergency conference exclusive on Somalia and pledging 250 million dollars to restore order. The presence of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki
-moon, EU foreign policy chief, Javier Salona, EU Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barosso, African Union Chairman, Jean Ping and other distinguished delegates representing the Arab League, gave the conference the full support of the world community.
Back home Somalis cluster on the radio, listening to the latest news from Brussels and expressing their gratitude to the international community for this historic and generous assistance to deliver our country!
Wherever Somalis are, inside their country or in the diaspora, the expectations are very high! For the first time in 20 years the Somali nation shows signs of optimism in the ability and intentions of its fragile government. This time, we hope and anticipate the TFG will avert the pitfalls which had plagued the previous governments. We need to learn from our costly past mistakes.
Since the indicators for success are now present-the government is based in the capital, the overwhelming majority of the population physically supports the peace process and the local security forces have adequate funds to operate; the government should capitalize these helpful tools to pave the way for a secure environment in the capital. Once the capital is save, you have a solid base to build upon! We should move quickly and methodically to confront the complex and intricate security issues before the situation degenerates into a worse stage.
Consequently, we can expect a concrete and tangible progress in building the infrastructure of law and order, in halting criminality, in protecting the innocent victims of wanton killings and eventually disarming the capital by year 2009! This is the one expectation the TFG should realize or risk complete failure in front of its people and the supportive world community.
Actually, much will depend on how well the TFG performs in training, deploying and maintaining its security forces who will be required to police Mogadishu and its vicinity on the one hand and defusing the threat from the opposition groups through whatever methods and means available. This is incredibly delicate operation which calls the expertise, prudence and the tenacity of the government and the people together.
Above all, the government should realize that the payment of such a huge donation is contingent on the fulfilment of certain conditions and strict guidelines to be followed. Failure to comply could entail delayed or even suspended payments thereby jeopardizing the smooth running of this vital project.
In conclusion, we can expect that the combination of this much needed donor assistance, the efficient and responsible behaviour of the TFG in office plus the unwavering support of the Somali people, will put our country on the long and steep journey to recovery.
Ahmed Raghe
[email protected]