By Daniel Ooko
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Gedi accused the international community of doing little as "foreign-backed terrorists" intensify their operations in the Horn of Africa nation which has been without effective central government for nearly two decades.
"What is happening in Somalia has been ignored by the international community. Terrorists have continued to intensify their operations in the country," Gedi told Xinhua in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
The ex-Somali prime minister appealed to Kenya and Ethiopia to intervene and help the transitional government of Somalia fend off onslaught from Al-Shabaab and Hezbul Islam militia which has engaged the government in nearly daily battles.
Gedi, who served the Horn of Africa nation as prime minister for more than three years, warned that if Mogadishu falls to the radical Islamists, the consequences would be very grave for both Kenya and Ethiopia.
He appealed to Somalia's neighbors to provide military supports to enable the Somali government to fend off the latest surge in violence which started in early May.
"Kenya and Ethiopia must take urgent measures to end anarchy in Somalia. The current phenomenon will not be limited to Somalia alone but a region as whole. Kenya and Ethiopia will be most affected if they don't intervene now," Gedi warned.
Ethiopia, Somalia's neighbor, which pulled its troops out of Somalia in January after two years, has said it will not intervene again unless it has a "firm international mandate".
Kenya, another neighbor, which hosted the protracted Somali reconciliation conference that culminated in the formation of the Somali transitional government in 2004, said it has not yet decided whether to intervene.
Kenya has a 1,200-km border with Somalia and every day hundreds of refugees try to cross into Kenya.
"We need strong commitment from the international now and not tomorrow. It's very painful to see what is happening in Somalia," said Gedi, who resigned from the government in October 2007 amid power tussle with former president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.
"During my tenure, the transitional government used to control 85 percent of the Somalia territory but I'm sorry this is not the case," Gedi said.
The African Union currently has 4,300 peacekeeping troops in Mogadishu but they are not allowed to pursue militants, making their job all the more difficult.
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed took office in January but even his introduction of the Islamic Sharia law to the country hasnot appeased the insurgents.
Gedi noted that since the election of President Ahmed early this year, the Somali government has reached out to opposition leaders of Hezbul Islam and Al-Shabaab for peaceful negotiations, but have not received a response and left in silence.
"Somalia needs a concrete support not just statements and pledges without tangible backing. It's time for action now. The current fighting is affecting even neighbors, not only Somalia. Let the international intervene to help stabilize Somalia," he said.