TRANSITIONAL FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS CAN ONLY PREVAIL IN SOMALIA
Kanini Evans Kariuki
June 04, 2009
The Djibouti conference that produced Mr Sheikh Ahmed Sharif as president of Somalia was meant to pacify the troubled Horn of Africa nation through Sharifīs influence and his Islamic United Courts.
But this hope was unfortunately shattered as soon as the Sharif militia deserted him and joined the Muslim party and the Al-Shabaab group.
Mr. Sharif had first marginalized the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) institutions and their Mps.
But inspite of this treatment, the Transitional Federal institutions pursued their national responsibilities until president Sharif discovered that only the trained TFG forces were the only genuine ones to reckon with.
The president was fed with false information pertaining to the false number of his groupīs militia strength.
He had been informed that his Islamic militia consisted of 16,000 soldiers, but to his utter consternation, it was subsequently discovered that only less than 1000 were physically available and the rest were untraceable.
The current forces that defended the presidentīs regime comprised 95 percent of the forces of the TFG , while the rest are drawn from his sub-clan headed by former warlords of his clan.
Many people involved in Somaliaīs affairs misled the UN and the international contact groupīs for Somalia by providing clan -based information for their own self- aggrandizement.
Sadly, the on-going fighting in Somalia is a destruction of its national fabric.
Nearly over 400 people died, over 1,200 maimed while over 100,000 were displaced and are suffering from malnutrition, lack of water, food and proper shelter from rain, heat and bad weather.
The Somali patriotic citizenry feel that the current fighting in their beloved country has culminated in the internal displacement of millions, precipitating a bleak report by humanitarian relief organizations to the effect that Somalia registered the worst worldwide human calamities and/or catastrophes of our times ever.
The gloomy reality that the warring groups lacked any iota of humanity or compassion by failing to care for their brethren, also featured in the said report.
In the same token, the international community is not attending to the plight of the Somaliaīs in the right approach.
The impending Somalia conference which will be held in Rome is another Djibouti-style symposium which may derail reconciliation.
In this crucial period, the Somalia unity at home and abroad is fatally important to salvage the Somali people and their State.
The Somali people are entrepreneurial, vibrant and active but they are devoid of the capacity to address their national programmes collectively as they are tempted by clannism and personal interests.
The conflict between president Shariff and his former allies who are embroiled in friction, calls for the emergence of the right and responsible people, government or group that each of them have trust in.
Only the above mentioned groups can make an attempt of reconciling the presently fighting groups in Somalia.
Some Somalia MPs have categorically condemned the current fighting in their country and urged the fighting groups to stop fighting without any pre-conditions, owing to the fact that the fighting is merely serving the aspirations of the enemies of Somalia.
They have alerted both groups to stop the improper use of Islam for their political ambitions, stressing also that Islam strictly prohibits the killing of innocent people at any cost.
Mr Martin Bell- former British lawmaker and current goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, visited Puntland late May 2009, and in an interview with the BBC, indicated that the Somali sea pirates were originally poor fishermen whose livelihood was threatened by the vessels illegaly fishing in their sea waters.
Hon Award Ahmed Ashareh was delighted to hear this confession which supports his struggle against the foreigners who are said to be looting the Somali marines resources, and those dumping the nuclear and toxic waste.
The more serious evidence of the illegal fishing in Somalia are the two Egyptian fishing ships that were captured in Somalia fishing sea waters in early April 2009, and are still in the hands of the Somalis who allegedly have proof that these ships were using prohibited fishing equipments that destroy the habitat of their marine lives, and uproot the sea corals.
Along these ships,highly reliable sources indicate, are two containers connected to a master tag allegedly belonging to Italy whereby people suspect that the containers may contain harmful materials.
This,the sources say, is glaring evidence of the looting of Somali marine resources and dumping of the toxic waste.
Analysts and pundits contend that the Somalis who are holding these ships and containers should inspect the containers and have the crew of the ships and the tag master arraigned in court for trial, but they be allowed access to legal counsel to notify their embassies and relatives.
But this hope was unfortunately shattered as soon as the Sharif militia deserted him and joined the Muslim party and the Al-Shabaab group.
Mr. Sharif had first marginalized the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) institutions and their Mps.
But inspite of this treatment, the Transitional Federal institutions pursued their national responsibilities until president Sharif discovered that only the trained TFG forces were the only genuine ones to reckon with.
The president was fed with false information pertaining to the false number of his groupīs militia strength.
He had been informed that his Islamic militia consisted of 16,000 soldiers, but to his utter consternation, it was subsequently discovered that only less than 1000 were physically available and the rest were untraceable.
The current forces that defended the presidentīs regime comprised 95 percent of the forces of the TFG , while the rest are drawn from his sub-clan headed by former warlords of his clan.
Many people involved in Somaliaīs affairs misled the UN and the international contact groupīs for Somalia by providing clan -based information for their own self- aggrandizement.
Sadly, the on-going fighting in Somalia is a destruction of its national fabric.
Nearly over 400 people died, over 1,200 maimed while over 100,000 were displaced and are suffering from malnutrition, lack of water, food and proper shelter from rain, heat and bad weather.
The Somali patriotic citizenry feel that the current fighting in their beloved country has culminated in the internal displacement of millions, precipitating a bleak report by humanitarian relief organizations to the effect that Somalia registered the worst worldwide human calamities and/or catastrophes of our times ever.
The gloomy reality that the warring groups lacked any iota of humanity or compassion by failing to care for their brethren, also featured in the said report.
In the same token, the international community is not attending to the plight of the Somaliaīs in the right approach.
The impending Somalia conference which will be held in Rome is another Djibouti-style symposium which may derail reconciliation.
In this crucial period, the Somalia unity at home and abroad is fatally important to salvage the Somali people and their State.
The Somali people are entrepreneurial, vibrant and active but they are devoid of the capacity to address their national programmes collectively as they are tempted by clannism and personal interests.
The conflict between president Shariff and his former allies who are embroiled in friction, calls for the emergence of the right and responsible people, government or group that each of them have trust in.
Only the above mentioned groups can make an attempt of reconciling the presently fighting groups in Somalia.
Some Somalia MPs have categorically condemned the current fighting in their country and urged the fighting groups to stop fighting without any pre-conditions, owing to the fact that the fighting is merely serving the aspirations of the enemies of Somalia.
They have alerted both groups to stop the improper use of Islam for their political ambitions, stressing also that Islam strictly prohibits the killing of innocent people at any cost.
Mr Martin Bell- former British lawmaker and current goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, visited Puntland late May 2009, and in an interview with the BBC, indicated that the Somali sea pirates were originally poor fishermen whose livelihood was threatened by the vessels illegaly fishing in their sea waters.
Hon Award Ahmed Ashareh was delighted to hear this confession which supports his struggle against the foreigners who are said to be looting the Somali marines resources, and those dumping the nuclear and toxic waste.
The more serious evidence of the illegal fishing in Somalia are the two Egyptian fishing ships that were captured in Somalia fishing sea waters in early April 2009, and are still in the hands of the Somalis who allegedly have proof that these ships were using prohibited fishing equipments that destroy the habitat of their marine lives, and uproot the sea corals.
Along these ships,highly reliable sources indicate, are two containers connected to a master tag allegedly belonging to Italy whereby people suspect that the containers may contain harmful materials.
This,the sources say, is glaring evidence of the looting of Somali marine resources and dumping of the toxic waste.
Analysts and pundits contend that the Somalis who are holding these ships and containers should inspect the containers and have the crew of the ships and the tag master arraigned in court for trial, but they be allowed access to legal counsel to notify their embassies and relatives.
Print
Email
