by Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, PhD
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Somalia: An Open letter to Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)
Re: A proposal of how best can Somalia be served to have a logical transition: the transitional leadership should stand as referee and not as players
Dear Dr Augustine P. Mahiga, UN Special Representative for Somalia
I would like to put to your attention to a proposal initially recommend by Dr Hassan Ali Mireh during the early stages of Somali reconciliation of 1990s. The proposal advised how best the transitional process can be served.
As Somalia is passing through a sensitive period, much needed element is a logical transition. To have a logical transition, the current leadership should not stand as referee while at the same time try to play the role of players.
Since the initiative of the transitional process is at the crossroads between proposal and implementation, care must be given to its practicality, as it lies between failure and success. Somalia needs a quite process that can help the revival and rehabilitation of the state institutions. A negative result will have grave consequence to the future of country.
Efforts must not be put into a process which can be an obstacle to itself. Allowing the leadership to stand as players rather as referees is tantamount to destroying the very process Somalis need to be successful. The idea of ignoring this ambiguity is exactly what let led previous processes to fail.
Another important factor is the leadership to stand as collaborators rather than rivals. Standing as political candidates, the leadership is poised to stand as individuals rather than as a team. This act may have negative impact on the moral and the much needed national stability.
Collaboration is the best option in order to have a smooth transition. As a team, the collaboration of the transitional leaders can result the achievement of the goals of the transitional process. As collaboration is the ability to work together for the common good, Somalis need to practice fairness in the political process.
It is important to give the chance to new leadership with a totally new view of the national politics. This process can help Somalia to move to a period of new vision and strategy that can best suit the reality of its future.
To achieve a durable peace, the current leadership should relinquish their post to brighter future with honour, respect and admiration. They should be given the status of Somali national leader like the founders of the Somali Youth League.
I trust that you will find my suggestions helpful in your deliberations.
Thank you.
Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, PhD
Information Systems Department
College of Computer Science & Engineering
Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia