Hiiraan Online

There are two issues that need to be dealt with here. First of all Somalia does not need a government to be imposed by outsiders. The current TFG was created in Djibouti and is seen by a lot of Somalis as a foreign tool and therefore lacks confidence of the Somali people.  It is also the case that this Government, if you can call it a government is not inclusive. It actually is becoming irrelevant, because all decisions are made by the UN Envoy, Ahmed Ould. A government ought to lead and not be led by someone else. A government should have its own armed forces, be in charge of its own finances and foreign affairs and have effective ministries in operation. The TFG has none of those mechanisms. To cut it short the TFG is a government only in name.

Secondly, we do not need foreign forces in Somalia. The AMISON forces are as much to blame as the Alshabab, Hizbu Islam and the TFG militia for the destruction and displacement of innocent civilians from Mogadishu. Their original mission was not as peacekeepers but as compatatents.   It seems Museveni is milking the blood of innocent Somali civilians and Somalia has become a cash cow for his Armed Forces.

It seems that Somalia is becoming a country that is free for all. The UN, USA, EU, AU, IGAD and neighbouring countries have all their own agendas while we Somalis sit and watch. I think, we, Somalis are good armchair revolutionaries. We talk, the talk but we do not walk, the walk. One might ask where we go from here. Can a reconciliation held in Somalia be the solution? Who is to blame Somalis or others? Do we really want to be reconciled? Are the solutions Somaliland, Puntland, Banadirland and Jubaland to name a few? Can a viable, unified Somali state be recovered? Are we falling into the traps set by our enemies? The solution might be to go back to basics and do things in the traditional Somali Ways.  The problem that can arise here is the traditional leaders are not currently respected as before i.e. they do not have the same clout, exclusivity of decision making and they might be responsible for this mayhem as much as anyone else.

I believe anything that we, Somalis put together in our own country would be much better than those created in other countries. We should implement hands free approach to ensure and minimise the involvement of others regardless and particularly neighbouring countries, namely Kenya and Ethiopia.  I do not think these two countries want the Somali State to be reconstructed. And especially the regime in Ethiopia wants to ensure that Somalia never recovers from this catastrophe.  And it partially achieved this through the creation of Somaliland and Puntland where it really calls the shots. The whole idea of Federalism is an Ethiopian plot to fragment Somalia.  Do we need Federalism? Absolutely NO. This is because, were are homogenous. We are one race; we believe in one religion, we have the same culture, and so on. Federalism is relevant in country where there are people of different races or religions i.e. Ethiopia and Sudan to an extent.

The Somali Parliamentarians recently rejected the sea agreement reached between the TFG and the Kenyan governments.  I think that is something we ought to be proud of and this gives me a glimpse of hope that there are still people who have their best intention of Somalia at heart.

I once spoke to a friend of mine from the Sudan who lived in Somalia before the civil wars. He said Somalis are very good people as individuals but when more than two Somalis come together, that is when clan mentality overpowers them.  I said to him may be you’ve spoken the truth. Until such time that we tolerate our smaller differences and are honest with ourselves and others the road ahead will not be easy.  Whether we can do that time will definitely tell.