NOW SOMALI GOVERNMENT ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE

Kanini Evans Kariuki
IN my previous articles, I have highlighted the serious situation of Somalia globally, regionally and locally.

Sadly, Somalia became a threat to the security of all nations for being the epicenter of sea piracy, terrorism and the dumping of toxic waste.

Much to the chagrin and disappointment of the world, the International community seems to have failed to lead by example, in the sense that it is not taking an effective role of addressing these crucial factors which endanger the international trade, peace and stability both in the region, and the rest of the world.

Intelligence reports emanating from Western nations indicate that Somali youngsters who are carrying the citizenship of their countries are being trained in Somalia by the Al-Shabaab group, considered by the west to be linked to the Al-Qaeda.

In addition, the sea piracy is a major impediment to the flow of trade between East and West.

The UN, the EU and USA made a blunder by making it possible for President Shariff to ascend to power and needless to say, his visionless rule has only served in exacerbating the crisis in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.

I stated earlier that President Shariff and his government lack the expertise and know-how of administering and salvaging a failed state like Somalia.

It has emerged that after eight months in power, the Somali government now controls a mere 1 square kilometer of the national capital of Mogadishu, even with reinforcement from the African Union forces represented by Uganda and Burundi.

Last month´s meeting between the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Sharif in Nairobi, was a mere diplomatic gesture of political support to the Somali Head of State.

It is apparent that the Americans are awaiting the Sheikh Shariff´s regime and it´s previous associates-Al-Shabaab and Hisbul-Islam, who are now fighting the besieged government over power, to finish each other!

In the same token, the Muslim and Arab nations are also reluctant to give a helping hand to the shattering nation of Somalia, and neither are they providing sanctuary to the Somali refugees fleeing from the chaos in their motherland to these Muslim and Arab states.

The Southern part of Somalia where most of the Somali plight is taking centre stage, is the Italian colony, whereby, the Italians are also not having the compassion or moral responsibility to grant political asylum to the Somalis crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

The Italians are not observing the Geneva Refugee Convention of 1951 of which they are signatory to, and neither do they realize that Somalia inherited the maladministration from them.

Somalia was supposed to ask the Italians for compensation for what they did in the Horn of Africa nation from 1935 to 1960, as well as over the serious issue of dumping of toxic waste, in which some Italian companies are masters in the trade.


CONFLICT IN THE SOMALI CABINET

The delegation headed by the President was accompanied by Hon Abdulrahman Haji Adan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister officials, His Excellency Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Minister of Technology and Science and other ministers.

They visited the D´jibouti on September 8, 2009.

During this visit, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister officials signed an agreement with the Djibouti government, pertaining to the establishment of a Center for fighting the sea pirates.

But fortunately or unfortunately, the Prime Minister had decreed Punt land to be that particular Center.

The act of the Minister officials was completely against the sovereignty and national interests of the Somali nation, and can be considered as high treason.

The transfer of state resources and logistics to other individuals or states without using the legal mechanisms that protect the sovereignty of the state, is regarded as betrayal of the states trust.

The D´jibouti agreement had already flared a serious conflict between the cabinet and Members of parliament.

The Prime Minister was contacted by Members of parliament over this issue to which he replied that he neither has the knowledge of that agreement, and nor did he ever authorize it.

Based on the response of the Prime Minister, the MPs had issued a strong statement through the mass media dismissing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister officials, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

The legislators will take up in Parliament the set up of fighting the sea piracy Center in the Djibouti.

The Prime Ministers fate is hanging in the balance and the only way he can save himself is by sacking the two ministers: unless otherwise, his opponents will gang up to depose him through a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

Somalia is on a stake for Somali land is in bad shape, and Punt land is having a serious conflict with the Transitional Federal Government after signing the Djibouti agreement on the issue of sea piracy.

And besides, Southern Somalia is devastated by the civil war between the TFG and the extremists.

Somalia is in a gloomy situation whereby, it is most likely that the Al-Shabaab group and Hisbul-Islam, could gain support throughout Somalia.

There must be a fair solution to Somalia and Somalis, lest the crisis in the chaotic country spills over other continents in the world.
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Kanini Evans Kariuki

Kanini Evans Kariuki is a veteran Kenyan Journalist with several years of experience behind him. He was born on July 10, 1963 in Nakuru town,Rift Valley province, Kenya, at Kivumbini estate. His entire family members later shifted from Kivumbini to Flamingo estate, then Kimathi, Thumaina, Langalanga and then to Free Area, near the Lanet Army Barracks where they settled.

He completed his secondary education at Afraha Secondary School in Nakuru town , Rift Valley province,Kenya,in 1980, and then joined Naitiri High School,Western Kenya, for his"A"level education,completing in 1982. Later, he underwent training in journalism in some institutes in Kenya.

Kanini who doubles up as a researcher, has worked for all the leading Daily newspapers in Kenya;the Daily Nation, The Standard, The Kenya Times and The People Daily.He was the Eldoret town Bureau Chief of The Star newspaper-Kenya's most incisive and authoritative by-weekly newspaper, which collapsed way back in 1998 due to what was perceived as political machinations worked out against it by the past government.Eldoret town is in the Rift Valley part of Kenya,which was the hotbed of the 2007 ugly political violence.
Kanini is currently also a media consultant for Soldiers of Peace International Association,Africa liason office,Nairobi.

In his long-standing career as a journalist,Kanini has covered various dramatic events in Kenya which include the story of former renown detainee Koigi wa Wamwere. He has also covered the 1992 and 1997 politically-instigated ethnic violence in the expansive Rift Valley province, and the worst of all, the 2007 political violence in Kenya where over 1,500 people were killed,350,000 displaced, hundreds maimed and property worth billions of shilings torched following the disputed elections.

Kanini also covered the sad story of the late outspoken and fiery Kenyan clergyman bishop Alexander Kipsang arap Muge, who was famous in the East African region for fighting corruption, land -grabbing, political assassinations,bureaucracy and other irritating vices.

Bishop Muge perished in a bizzare road accident on August 14,1990 along the Eldoret/Turbo road, facing Western Kenya.

The bishop died after a controversial but triumphant visit to Western Kenya in Busia, after receiving death threats from a former cabinet minister, warning him that he would die if he dared visit the area.

Kanini also covered the historic Somalia National Peace and Reconciliation Conference from when it first kicked off in Kenya on October 15 2002, to the end.

Kanini is in the files of Amnesty International for his courage in the reportage of events in the volatile Rift Valley region, and has received commendation from the global Human Right's watchdog.

Apart from covering events in the Rift Valley, he also writes about issues affecting East and Central Africa as well as other parts of Africa.

Kanini has been trained on Journalism and ethics by the Media Institute in Kenya, and has also undergone various in-house trainings in journalism with the Daily Nation Media Group, East Africa's largest circulating newspaper.

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