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by Ali Osman
Monday, January 05, 2009
I am greatly troubled by the recent media reports putting the blame of what is going on in Somalia solely on the shoulders of the resistance movement against Ethiopian aggression and occupation.
To put things into perspective, two years ago, there was genuine peace and normalcy in South and central Somalia. The regions that fighting and humanitarian crisis is taking place now were peaceful two years ago. The Islamic Courts has restored peace and brought justice and order before they were preemptively attacked by Ethiopia in their own home land.
It is universal knowledge that under their control, civilian killings came to an abrupt end. Warlords and their mayhem have been put to rest. The major population centers such as Mogadishu, Jowhar, Balcad, Afgooye, Marka, and Balad Weyne saw peace fist time since 1990’s when the previous military government was toppled by clan militias.
The Islamic courts to certain extent consulted with the elders, intellectuals and people of understanding. They have taken the power out of the ignorant warlords and clan militias and gave responsible people a chance. They have created a council bringing more than the eighty (80) of the most respected elders of the areas they have controlled to decide the affairs of their respective communities. It is undeniable truth that the hotels, airlines and any form of transportation destined for Somalia was full of Somalis abroad who realized there was peace and security and were eager to visit their loves ones. Others including foreigners were eager to do business with Somalia.
The international organization such as UN, WFP, UNHCR, Amnesty International and world media has testified the turn of events in Somalia. There were calls from many corners of the world that this unexpected wind of peace needed moral and material support. All these good deeds were done by men and women who sacrificed life, limb and material to better their society. There was no support coming from nowhere except their sincere efforts and their local population.
They were no threat to Ethiopia, United States or any other nation outside of the true borders of Somalia. Out of this backdrop, the enemy of Somalia and peace loving people everywhere has conspired to eradicate this candle of hope to make sure the Somalia descended into chaos one more time. They hired Ethiopian Christian soldiers to do indiscriminate bombings, lootings, raping and even forcing Somali civilians to act scouts so they are the ones hit by resistance fire. They committed crimes against humanity to earn their money. They spilled the blood of innocent Somalis who were building their nation and their people.
Some printed media have chronicled the crimes of Ethiopia and their supporters. According Bloomberg a news “The ensuing conflict has displaced 1 million people and left 3.2 million in need of food aid, according to the UN. The seas off Somalia have become the world’s most dangerous for piracy and at least 500 refugees have died or gone missing this year attempting to flee across the Gulf of Aden”. A reporter Eliza Griswold of The Atlantic Monthly states “In the nearly two years since, at least 6,500 Somalis have died and 1,000,000 more have lost their home in fighting that continues. Right now, three and a half million people--almost half of the population of south-central Somalia--is facing potential famine”. We know the number is conservative estimate but the death toll is twice that higher.
Lately, many in the media and credulous Somalis are tricked to re-write history and convince us, all the deaths and destruction Ethiopia has caused are somehow the work of the Islamists. Let me remind the reader, before this invasion of Ethiopia there were no crimes and certainly no deaths taking place in Mogadishu and cities in the hands of the Islamic Courts Union. In reality they were welcomed with green leafs and flowers in many cities without firing a bullet until the enemies of Somali Ethiopia invaded, killed by the thousands.
For example, an article in The Jawa Report it stated that “Mr. Gedi called the Islamist victory, which the US fears could lead to the development of a Taleban-style African state, "an excellent step forward" today, telling Radio France Internationale that the fallen warlords had been "hurting the reconciliation, stabilization and pacification of Somalia" This is before Ethiopian censored the former prime minister and he become a sworn enemy of the Islamic Courts.
The premier world human rights organization Amnesty International’s reported crimes carried out by the Ethiopian military against innocent and defenseless Somali civilians. I quote few of the crimes reported USA TODAY from the Amnesty International report. The paper states “A leading human rights group on Tuesday accused Ethiopian troops in Somalia of killing civilians and committing atrocities, including slitting people's throats, gouging out eyes and gang-raping women” The newspaper continues “The people of Somalia are being killed, raped, tortured. Looting is widespread and entire neighborhoods are being destroyed," Michelle Kagari, Amnesty's deputy director for Africa, said in a statement from Nairobi that accompanied the report.”
The resistance against Ethiopian occupation is legal one under the United Nations International covenant on civil and political rights under article 1 it affirms the legality of self determination from occupying powers. The Ethiopian occupation is illegal under the United Nations as the UN charter does not permit in any of its published articles the self-defense against a perceived future threat which is exactly what Ethiopia justified invading Somalia.
The media is bombarding us that we should consider the resistance against Ethiopia a bunch of lunatics taking orders from Afghanistan and bent on destroying civilization. Lately, they have been using an allegedly a young girl stoned to death by extremist who some reports show she was a victim of rape. If that is the true case any human being regardless of their faith would condemn such an action in the strongest terms. However, I found the story one sided, similar acts and some times more gruesome killings are being committed by the Ethiopians and are not equally reported or condemned by the same sources that are broadcasting this story. We should be fair in reporting and we should report crimes that are committed on both sides.
We cannot equate with any justice the tens of thousands that Ethiopian soldiers kill, rape, and torture and displaced millions to a few rogue elements on the other side who have committed few despicable crimes here and there.
Amnesty International after interviewing more than 75 witnesses concluded Ethiopia routinely uses torture, rape, murder and indiscriminate shelling against Somali civilians. The US TODAY quotes from the Amnesty International Report that “In one testimony, Haboon, 56, said her neighbor's 17-year-old daughter was raped by Ethiopian troops. The girl's brothers tried to defend their sister, but the soldiers beat them and gouged their eyes out with a bayonet, Haboon was quoted as telling Amnesty”. I ask the question does raping young girl and then gauging her family’s eyes with bayonet less gruesome than stoning a girl to death? Does this despicable crime deserve the same condemnation and world media that the stoned girl was accorded. Certainly it does deserve the condemnation of the humanity but it does not further the agenda of those who want to keep Somalia under the shackles of Ethiopia and warlords. Most media and unfortunately, some Somalis are blaming the victims rather than the Ethiopian aggressors and their financiers and supporters.
Let me ask the reader this question what does a 20,000 Somalis killed by Ethiopian shelling mean to you? What do displaced 3 million Somalis mean to you? What does a million facing starvation mean to you? What do over 30,000 injured some of them permanently mean to you? What does pirates drenching our good name in mud while funding Ethiopian generals and their friends mean to you?
If that does mean anything to you, then how can you compare these atrocities to exuberant youth who have allegedly flogged few men who were eating narcotic Qaad in the market or vandalized graves people were circling around? If you are interested in justice you should report and blame the Ethiopian hired guns and those who provided cover for them to invade and occupy Somalia.
We are blaming the victims who have been attacked and are defending their homes and land. Ethiopian soldiers according to Amnesty International have entered Al Hidaya mosque and slitting the throat of 21 worshipers who were not armed or was engaged in any conflict and we expect the Muslims of Mogadishu to accept such a brutality. We are being asked to believe these barbaric acts are somehow dignified because those who carried out were non Muslims. If they were Muslims, you can bet your life it would be broadcasted around the world within hours. Have you seen in the news a headline saying Ethiopian soldiers slit the throat of a 21 Muslim Somalis in prayer hall? Is it not the same barbaric act regardless of who does it? So why the Ethiopian slitting the throat of 21 Somali worshipers are somehow koshered and not reported by the media?
Secondly, we are told the resistance against Ethiopian occupation is anti peace. Is this really the truth or it is a myth manufactured in Addis Ababa and dark caves? The resistance movement is doing their best to ensure any means possible to dislodge the Ethiopian occupation and restore peace and order to Somalia are tried. Sheikh Shariif’s efforts are testament to this. It shows the true leaders would stretch their neck with considerable risk to exhaust all possible venues for peace. Others are rightfully keeping pressure on Ethiopian occupiers to make sure their eventual withdrawal from Somali soil is realized because Ethiopia would not leave our homeland without resistance.
The resistance against Ethiopia is legal under the UN article for self-determination where the Ethiopian aggression has no bases under the United Nations charter for preemptive attack against sovereign nation for alleged future threat. Next time you see someone blaming what is taking in place on Islamic Courts or even any Somali entity remember it was not Somalis who created this disaster but Ethiopian illegal occupation of a country coming out of ravages of civil war which Ethiopia took part from the beginning.
Ali Osman
E-mail: [email protected]
Omar, Hamsa, and McLure, Jason. (2008, December 29) Somali President Resigns After Failing to Bring Peace. Bloomberg News. Retrieved on December 31, 2008 from
Griswold, Eliza. (2008, December 22). Somalia Revisited: Everything is not all right.
Shackleford, Rusty. (2006, June 6). Islamists Take Mogadishu, Set up Sharia Courts: Echos of Kabul. The Jawa Report. Retrieved on December 31, 2008 from http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/180178.php