Hiiraan Online

 US Policy on Somalia

Under the Bush administration, the US policies on Somalia were contradictive that oscillated between superficial support and deplorable interventions.  Underestimating the negative consequences of its military gambits, Washington’s priority was to quell nascent religious militants rather than empowering the internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG).  US government has steadfastly supported disreputable warlords who have perpetrated heinous crimes against humanity and sabotaged the TFG.  When that plan has failed with ignoble political embarrassment and the defeat of the warlords in the hands of the Union Islamic Courts (UIC), alleging to preserve the TFG and thwart religious forces from taking over the country, the White House has legitimized Ethiopia’s occupation of Somalia, another dreadful mistake. 

 Ethiopia’s actions have aggravated the crisis in Somalia as mayhem intensified, thousands of civilians were killed, thousands displaced, and abysmal political fissure has crippled the TFG executives.  Though the Islamists had initially suffered a serious loss against the Ethiopian forces, they have maintained indomitable resistance that forced Ethiopian troops to flee. Then Washington has realized that its military strategy is untenable, religiosity is indispensable in Somalia interventions, and eradication of the religious resistance from the periphery is unrealistic.  This reality has forced the US government to change its tactics and wage its war against the Islamists within at the expenses of the TFG.  This process has started with the courtship of Sharif Ahmed (current president) and his group, approving them as moderate Islamists who are open for negotiations unlike the radical jihadists.  But Sharif, one of the top leaders and the spokesperson of the UIC was never less radical than any other jihadist until he unexpectedly got connected with the US officials.  At this point, a new political drill is unleashed portending the termination of the TFG and the unfolding of new chapter of uncertainty.

 The Role of the UN

The UN has taken the lead in the discharge of the new political drama in Somalia which was antithetical to what the UN stands for.  It was a process reminiscent of the old colonial policies (policy of assimilation and divide and rule).  Ahmedu Oulad, a Muslim diplomat from Mauritania who acted authoritarian rather than an advocate of democracy was appointed as UN’s special envoy of Somalia.  Sharif Ahmed, the young jihadist who had no any administrative or political dexterity nor power base in Somalia was indoctrinated to forgo his jihadist ideology to the presidency of Somalia.  Parallel to that, the UN has inflexibly promoted Sharif and a punch of political detractors in Asmara (Eritrea) as a legitimate opposition while ignoring the real opposition, the unyielding religious force that Sharif had absconded from.  In the process, the TFG president, Abdullahi Yusuf was forced to resign and other officials were either bribed or compelled to accept unconstitutional activities that paved the way for Sharif’s presidency.  This is where Somali elites’ cupidity and severe moral decadence have played an immense role in this and other reprehensible political indoctrinations in the past. 

Why the Transitional Union Government (TUG)?

 A number of arguments try to elucidate the puzzling question of why the TFG (secular and ally of Ethiopia) is demoted in favour of the TUG (dominated by ex-jihadists of UIC).  The strongest argument is that the TUG represents US and Ethiopian proxy war on jihadists, a cost effective approach to fight within.   Sheikh Sharif, ex-jihadist from one of the major tribes in the southern regions is seen as a potential candidate for the headship of this new campaign to dismantle the religious resistance that controls most of southern and central Somalia.  Whatever the case might be, it is very unlikely that the TUG fortified by an African peace keeping force will be able to contain the burgeoning religious militants.  It is equally unrealistic that any externally imposed intervention (military or non military) without authentic engagement of the Somalis will result any peace in Somalia. 

This new UN led scheme signifies the making of a new conflict of its kind between President Sharif’s purported moderate Islamists supported by Western countries against the radical groups who probably will draw support from the local masses who are sick and tired of Western double standards and their boneless interventions.  Recently, a group of local religious scholars who met in Mogadishu have issued recommendations demanding the immediate departure of all foreign troops and unconditional cessation of hostilities and bloodshed.  Both the TUG and insurgents have welcomed the recommendations but the President rescinded the removal of the foreign troops as soon as he traveled abroad and solicited for more troops. As a result, he lost credibility and got accused of being an agent provocateur.  

Before Ethiopian forces had made off, heavily armed tribal forces labelled with the religious title, Ahl-Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah (meant here the Sufi denomination) were created in a bid to expel Al-Shabab (the most powerful religious group) from central Somalia.  Heavy skirmishes have left unknown number of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of civilians. The Sufi group in Somalia like the Buddha sect is known to be a peaceful, non-political, non-militant spiritual group who strongly opposes bloodshed even in self defence let alone for political gains  What is searing is a wide scale new civil war in the name of religion. 

 Conclusion

 Ghandi once argued that “the issue facing India was not about home rule. The citizens of India did not really care who was ruling the country. What they did care about was bread and salt”.  Experts in the field of leadership argue that this ‘grounded vision’ was what made Ghandi a visionary leader who was able to touch the hearts and the minds of his people and empower them to work for the common good.  In the past 18 years, the impoverished Somalis have been praying for visionary leaders like Ghandi. People were evaluating the externally imposed governments that did not only fail to restore peace and stability but led to more devastations and stifled genuine leadership.  People are learning the hard way that the bread and salt (peace & stability) are more important than who is ruling the country. Ideology is taking a shape as there is unprecedented popular realization that Islam is the only solution for Somalia, an Islam not too short-sighted like Al-shabab’s nor tainted like Sharif’s moderate one.  A grassroots Islamic framework is what looks possible to create a panacea; a framework to be constructed and administered by a body of local religious scholars/jurists from all the regions of the country.  The arbitration of this body of scholars is highly possible to solicit a general consensus to form a government of the people founded on the tenets of Islam.  If any group rejects any such arbitration, the jurists would be in a position to issue a religious edict for the society to combat that stubborn cluster until it complies with the rule of God.  Some local scholars have already taken a good initiative toward that direction and need genuine support. If the situation in Somalia remains in this hopeless vortex of violence and lawlessness, whether the Western countries like it or not, eventually the radical groups will take over and the Somali society will be better off as far as general serenity is concerned.