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| Last Updated: Jun 14, 2010 - 8:03:37 PM |
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Somalia: Why Sheikh Sharif is Clinton’s Best Hope?
11 Aug 11, 2009 - 2:09:32 PM
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By Abdikarim Farah
Following her meeting with president Sharif in Nairobi, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton dubbed Somalia’s feeble government as the “best hope” for the country to return to stability and progress.
The statement may seem as a dreadful mistake, a show of hypocrisy and indifference on the tragic situation in Somalia, but from the US Interest’s point of view, Clinton's finding is partly accurate, because one of its main goals has materialized- an Islamist infighting.
Since the end of its disastrous intervention in Somalia in 1994, the United States has maintained counter-productive policies after limiting its role to prevent Somalia from a possible safe haven for Islamist militants and installed secret agents in the country to hunt foreign Jihadists it believed were hiding out in Somalia.
Early in 2006, as part of its global war against terrorism, Washington backed Somali warlords who formed the “Alliance for Peace Restoration and Counter-terrorism” to fight the “Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC), an alliance for Sharia-based courts, that was later ousted by Ethiopian troops.
Inspired by Washington’s counter-productive support to the warlords, who had long denied Somali people any stability and governance, Islamists soundly defeated the allied-warlords after winning public support and confidence, and forced them to flee the country in humiliation.
Unarguably, the expulsion of the warlords marked the first time Mogadishu fell into control of a single authority, signaling out a glimmer of hope for restoring governance and order to Somalia. This could have been the most successful opportunity for ending the lawlessness, had the Islamists initiated national dialogue and gave the oppressed people a chance to decide their future.
After the Interim Government, which controlled few swathes of the capital, and its Ethiopian backers failed to end the insurgency, the United States threw its weight behind a reconciliation process initiated by the United Nations Envoy to Somalia, Ahmed Ould-Abdallah between the TFG and “moderate” Islamists. Sheikh Sharif was later elected as president after power-sharing agreement in neighboring Djibouti gave the opposition half of the extended parliament’s seats.
Despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in the wake of his election, the fighting has continued unabated as his presidency come short to appease –as intended to be- a growing insurgency in his own constituency- Banadir region.
Due to poor management of its regular forces and lack of discipline among former Islamist militias who joined the government, president Sharif’s leadership has brought the TFG more incompetence and increased its dependency on the African Union Peacekeepers, who protect key positions in the capital including the airport.
Today, Sharif government faces endless insurgency, nepotism, corruption and more evidently, poor leadership and expertise to deal with the insurgency despite his previous experience as insurgent leader, which was supposed to help him.
Generally, as the conflict in Somalia has longed for two decades with half of its population today depending on humanitarian aid, establishing effective government able to launch genuine reconciliation, restore stability and order, is the daunting task facing every leader.
Frankly, President Sharif is not the right person to deal with these issues, because the main obstacles he faces date back to his previous religiously remarks-labeling his opposition as “infidels”.
President Sharif has right to change his ideas and political views as anyone else, but past mistakes should be apologized and regretted if the person changes his mind. During his UIC leadership, the president had never denounced the use of violence, terrorism or recruitment of “foreign Mujahedeen”, and never supported the employment of African Union Peacekeepers. In one of his previous hate-speeches (now played by opposition websites to show how far the Islamist leader has changed his ideology), Sheikh Sharif labels former TFG leaders, who cooperate with the West as “infidels”. He also considers the African Union peacekeepers as occupiers and prefers his audience either to choose the anger of Allah or the United States, among other phrases and slogans that radicalized the young generation.
Although he abandoned his radical views, the president has never regretted his past mistakes nor apologized for the public on wrong-doing, which is crucial for the public to accept him as reformed character.
The government’s public approval has plummeted when it signed a controversial agreement in April on its maritime boundary with neighboring Kenya that was submitted to the Commission on the limits of the Continental Shelf as required by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Last week, the Transitional Parliament has overwhelmingly rejected the agreement after months of growing anger at national level and widespread accusation that the government has compromised some of its coast to Kenya, a serious accusation that would alienate the weak government.
Surprisingly, the decision of the parliament has infuriated the president to the extent he accused his huge parliament to have succumbed to propaganda and speculation saying it was not their role to discuss the matter. “It was not an agreement, it was a memorandum of understanding and the parliament has nothing to do with it” the president argued in an interview with the BBC Somali Service (07/08/08).
Now many in the country consider him a western puppet instead of a new or a “best hope” for the country. The more support the international community provides to his government, the more it damages and undermines its legitimacy and public support. This doesn’t mean the international community to halt its support to the government but to play a support role not an interventionism role.
For instance, the United Nations Envoy, Ahmed Ould Abdallah has lost his neutrality as international diplomat and acts as a defense lawyer for the government and sometimes as Head of State.
Besides the impotence of the TFG, the intervention of foreign representatives in Somali affairs is alarming and would only make the matters worse. The international community needs to consult with former Somali politicians, analysts, writers who can deliver the most appropriate solution to the conflict.
Tragically, the new administration of Barrack Obama, has adopted its most disastrous policy towards Somalia after supplying weapons to feeble government, which could broaden the magnitude of the conflict. Analysts have warned that the move would exacerbate the already precarious situation in Somalia as weapons would fall into the hands of insurgents and local bandits. However, the United States disregarded such criticisms-as usual- and promised to increase its military support to the TFG.
In Mogadishu, the American weapons have been distributed to local arms-markets, where every person can buy these weapons to realize his objectives. The government itself cannot defeat the insurgents as both have access to the same weapons and support, which would prolong the Islamist infighting for power, and deepen the humanitarian situation in the country.
From the point of dividing Islamists, (religion to be abused and people abandon it) deepening the humanitarian situation (people to flee the country), and prolonging the conflict (preventing groups to reconcile), president Sharif’s Government is the “best hope” and means for achieving these long ambitions.
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