Editorial
Somalia: Peace beyond the signatures
By
Sep 21, 2008 - 6:26:24 PM

SUNDAY EDITORIAL | Meanwhile, in Somalia, violence continues as if peace talks were a foreign concept expressed in an alien language.

For country that has lacked peace for nearly 18 years, Somalia has certainly held a marathon of "peace" conferences in foreign capitals. Today, in the latest round of politicking, Somali factions have been meeting at a fancy hotel in Djibouti City in an attempt to finalize a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United Nations on June 9.

Interim Somali Prime Minister Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein is in Djibouti leading the Transitional Federal Government’s (TFG) delegation at the peace talks. On the other side sits a faction of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) led by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, considered a "moderate" Islamist by the West. The Islamist "hardliner," Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, lives in exile in Eritrea and has strongly rejected the Djibouti Agreement on grounds that it provides no clear timetable for the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces from Somalia.

But therein lies the biggest obstacle to actually achieving peace in Somalia. ARS delegates in Djibouti ended the talks after refusing to sign a final agreement with the TFG, following a disagreement over whether or not Ethiopian troops should be removed from major population centers. The two sides agreed to meet again in 30 days.

Meanwhile, in Somalia, violence continues as if peace talks were a foreign concept expressed in an alien language. In Mogadishu and Baidoa, the government's two main strongholds, assassinations and shootouts are common; in fact, business at Mogadishu's international airport has come to a virtual standstill after al Shabaab insurgents threatened to shoot down airplanes.

Insurgents are threatening the safety of civilian aircraft in Mogadishu, while ARS delegates talk "peace" with Prime Minister Nur Adde at a Djibouti hotel. One must wonder: does the ARS faction, led by Sheikh Sharif, have the capacity to implement a ceasefire in Somalia?

Insiders in Djibouti City have told Garowe Online that the ARS delegation's decision not to formally sign the ceasefire agreement is rooted in concern that the violence will continue, despite the "peace" agreement. As such, the ARS delegates' importance as a political force will cease.

The fighting groups who have the ability to stop the violence are well-known in Somalia, but they are intentionally alienated from the peace process, which helps prolong the Somali conflict. Genuine peace requires genuine players on both sides of the war.

Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com