Hiiraan Online

While combating Extremists and Their Foreign Allies

Said Liban
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The road map set for the continuation of the peace process, the government’s immediate landing in the capital; as well as its adoption of Sharia as the law of the land, were all welcome signs supporting the fact that we may finally have a functioning government and open peace process.

However, the government’s recent appeal for the neighboring states’ military intervention as well as its subsequent erratic policy and practices painfully indicate that the promising peace process is once more in jeopardy to be derailed. It seems extremists within the government took over the reign under the pretext of fighting lunatic fringe and their foreign allies who are hell-bent to topple the government.

I consider extremists those claiming to be fighting for a just, religious cause, but are engaged in suicide bombing, targeted assassination and indiscriminate killing. Equally, those calling neighboring military intervention while claiming to represent the government are not any different than their opponents.

To be fair, these elements might genuinely believe that they are acting to the best interest of the country, but their choice of brute force over other methods for resolving conflicts is what makes them extremists. It seems the government’s early achievements are threatened by extremists in both camps.

It is mind boggling to imagine what the speaker of parliament, Sheikh Aden Madobe, had in mind when he made the announcement inviting neighboring states to militarily intervene to assist the government. What is unquestionable, though, is the fact that government has gradually shifted away from its initial encouraging journey to genuine peace and reconciliation towards the road of further militarization and violence.

In response to the ferocious attack by misguided Al Shabab with well-financed foreign allies, it is understandable that the fledging government would seek support domestic or international. However, there was no any reasonable justification to seek help from the same actor/s (i.e. Ethiopia) who arguably are attributed to be partly responsible for the catastrophic mess we are in.

One would wonder why the Islamists and other respectable government officials did not block the dangerous political gamble. At least they should have paid attention to the Holy Koran’s verse:”... Let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah...” (ch. 5, v. 8).  No doubt, it would have been more just and honorable to give priority to the security and well-being of the people over any other consideration. 

The government’s subsequent panic reactions following the ill-advised appeal also made the matter even worse. These include,  among other things,  the government’s alliance with merchants of war and political opportunists;  government officials’ frequent visits to Addis Ababa and other foreign capitals while half of the country is burning; and worst of all calling almost the entire government’s critics as terrorist. These knee-jerk responses so far produced poor results, and most likely would backfire with devastating consequences.

We should remind ourselves that the people revolted not against few individuals in the old Transitional Federal Government (TFG), but they were against its destructive policy and practices. Repeating the old habit no matter how indispensable it might appear only serve as useful ammunitions to government’s detractors who already labeled it as a copy of TFG, and a puppet regime.

Certainly, as President Obama has indicated in his historic speech in Ghana, the Somali problem is a global problem and demands a global response. However, the best our neighbors could do at this juncture is to stay away from the fray. Surprisingly, the political savvy Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, seems to have grasped that reality as he rebuffed the ill-advised appeal, saying: “Our reading of the situation in Somalia is slightly different from the one of the speaker of parliament that if there is no foreign military intervention, the transitional government will collapse.”

Admittedly, we are in an extraordinary critical situation whereby our last hope of finding a peaceful solution to end the violence is again in danger of being crushed. We have also greater opportunity today than ever before partly because of foreign fighters in our midst with their megalomaniac agenda extending beyond our borders. Majority of the Somali people initially supported the unity government. Equally, powerful nations and indeed the whole world are on board and mainly supportive

More importantly, our neighbors, particularly Ethiopia, seem to have finally realized that supporting and keeping Somalia in separate small clan-based enclaves is more dangerous than united Somalia. As Kenyan author perceptively reveals:“the scrawny alley cat is proving to be more formidable than the lion that was once the Somali state.”  No doubt a democratic, peaceful united Somalia is less dangerous to its neighbors than warring clan-based fiefdoms. The so-called world Jihadists have already secured a foothold in some of these enclaves, and are marching on to the other enclaves, thus threatening the region and beyond.

Despite the exceptionally favorable domestic and international environments, there would be no lasting peace unless the government and indeed the Somali people collectively stand up to those advocating for violence as violence only begets more violence. Though we are grateful to the international community, there is no much it could do to secure peace and stability by sanctions, much less at gunpoint.

Towards the road of peace and reconciliation, the government daunting task is to come up with home-grown solutions, using religion as a bridge. No doubt restraining the war impulses of the extremists within the government while avoiding sensitive activities that undermine its legitimacy in the eyes of the masses are important steps towards that goal.

After all, the unity government, like its predecessor, is cobbled at international conference, with limited domestic support; it should strive to gain domestic legitimacy. As the UN Secretary-General’s representative in Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah rightly said: “the winner-take-all culture of Somalia must end… Somali leaders have to accept the very notion of compromise”. Only a compromise solution could yield a durable and lasting win-win solution. Anyone who rejects such a solution is definitely an extremist and should be seen as such.  

A crucial and relevant question is: can a few in the government accomplish such a monumental task ahead of us?

Absolutely no, I would say. It is imperative that the genuine Islamists, nationalist, and indeed all Somalis, who were instrumental in defeating Ethiopia’s early intervention, to join forces in support of the government to marginalize the equally dangerous local extremists in both camps. Inaction or indifference will only help these elements perpetuate the conflict as they are better suited in fishing in troubled water. As the late civil right activist, Martin Luther King, said the ultimate tragedy is not bad people committing oppression and cruelty, but the “the silence over that by the good people.”

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