THE BOMBARDMENT OF MOGADISHU'S BAKARAHA BUSINESS CENTER
Kanini Evans Kariuki
October 07, 2009
THE bombardment of the Bakaraha business center of Mogadishu by the African Union(AU) forces this month, and which was in retaliation to the Al-Shabaab and Hisbul-Islam staged attacks on the bases of the AU, unfortunately led to the killings of several people,injuries and wanton destruction of commercial buildings.
The minister of Planning and Statistics, as well as the minister of Information in the Somali Transitional Federal Government(TFG),categorically condemned the bombardment stating that the Government would appoint a fact-finding mission to investigate the move by the AU forces of resorting to the use of excessive force.
The AU forces reaction was that they responded to the site where they had been bombarded from.
The TFG and the African Union forces had already lost trust between themselves even prior to the bombardment of the business centre.
As I stated earlier on, there has been a worrying leakage of secrets of the Government to the then allied forces of Al-Shabaab and Hisbul-Islam.
Should the AU forces withdraw from the areas they are protecting, it will not take time before the rebel forces overran the TFG forces.
The AU forces may demand the changing of the rules of engagement in their operations in Somalia from peace-keeping to peace-enforcing.
As of now, the AU forces for Somalia have not been completed, and at present,there are 5,000 soldiers funded by the International community while the number of forces assigned for Somalia is incomplete, as the required number was 8,000.
The atmosphere of mistrust reigning amongst the TFG and the African Union forces, may lead to the evacuation of the AU forces, a move which may sound victory to the Radical groups currently up in arms against the TFG.
Cabinet ministers in President Shariff´s administration are politically inexperienced individuals with a knack for making laughable and embarrassing statements to the public, as was the case with the Somalia minister of Treasury, during his interview with the Al-Jazeera television channel.
During the interview,the Treasury minister blundered on several occasions, much to the chagrin of his factual interviewer.
In one of his most ridiculous instances, the minister accused the International community of not supporting Somalia, while, at the same time, he asserted that Somalia had the legitimacy of the International community! What a shameful contradiction!
PRESIDENT SHARIFF´S ASSASSINATION ALLEGATION
The president delivered a speech in Virginia,USA,on the occasion of his meeting with the Somali community in Virginia recently.
He narrated the course of his struggles in which he mentioned that he had escaped an assassination bid allegedly hatched by Eritrea.
President Shariff also talked of the heroic role of the uneducated but influential Somali Finance minister, Shariff Hassan Sheikh Adan, who is also the Deputy prime Minister,and who contributed to the success of the struggle, besides helping Shariff ascend to the presidency.
The President enlightened the Somali Diaspora on the current situation in Somalia.
The Diaspora bombarded him with a tirade of questions regarding the insecurity in Somalia, and the division among the security forces who are not working in tandem and harmoniously, and who lack the required training and skills.
In addition, the forces were accused of maintaining allegiance with their previous commandants or clan leaders, which tended to create a new kingdom of warlords,and constant confrontation between government forces.
The Diaspora also charged that the Somali Government had failed to restore the trust and confidence of the Somali people in so far as the management of the state financial affairs was concerned,and over the puzzling issue of state arms mysteriously finding their way to the hands of the Al-Shabaab, as reported by the Canadian daily newspaper,The Globe and Mail.
The minister of Planning and Statistics, as well as the minister of Information in the Somali Transitional Federal Government(TFG),categorically condemned the bombardment stating that the Government would appoint a fact-finding mission to investigate the move by the AU forces of resorting to the use of excessive force.
The AU forces reaction was that they responded to the site where they had been bombarded from.
The TFG and the African Union forces had already lost trust between themselves even prior to the bombardment of the business centre.
As I stated earlier on, there has been a worrying leakage of secrets of the Government to the then allied forces of Al-Shabaab and Hisbul-Islam.
Should the AU forces withdraw from the areas they are protecting, it will not take time before the rebel forces overran the TFG forces.
The AU forces may demand the changing of the rules of engagement in their operations in Somalia from peace-keeping to peace-enforcing.
As of now, the AU forces for Somalia have not been completed, and at present,there are 5,000 soldiers funded by the International community while the number of forces assigned for Somalia is incomplete, as the required number was 8,000.
The atmosphere of mistrust reigning amongst the TFG and the African Union forces, may lead to the evacuation of the AU forces, a move which may sound victory to the Radical groups currently up in arms against the TFG.
Cabinet ministers in President Shariff´s administration are politically inexperienced individuals with a knack for making laughable and embarrassing statements to the public, as was the case with the Somalia minister of Treasury, during his interview with the Al-Jazeera television channel.
During the interview,the Treasury minister blundered on several occasions, much to the chagrin of his factual interviewer.
In one of his most ridiculous instances, the minister accused the International community of not supporting Somalia, while, at the same time, he asserted that Somalia had the legitimacy of the International community! What a shameful contradiction!
PRESIDENT SHARIFF´S ASSASSINATION ALLEGATION
The president delivered a speech in Virginia,USA,on the occasion of his meeting with the Somali community in Virginia recently.
He narrated the course of his struggles in which he mentioned that he had escaped an assassination bid allegedly hatched by Eritrea.
President Shariff also talked of the heroic role of the uneducated but influential Somali Finance minister, Shariff Hassan Sheikh Adan, who is also the Deputy prime Minister,and who contributed to the success of the struggle, besides helping Shariff ascend to the presidency.
The President enlightened the Somali Diaspora on the current situation in Somalia.
The Diaspora bombarded him with a tirade of questions regarding the insecurity in Somalia, and the division among the security forces who are not working in tandem and harmoniously, and who lack the required training and skills.
In addition, the forces were accused of maintaining allegiance with their previous commandants or clan leaders, which tended to create a new kingdom of warlords,and constant confrontation between government forces.
The Diaspora also charged that the Somali Government had failed to restore the trust and confidence of the Somali people in so far as the management of the state financial affairs was concerned,and over the puzzling issue of state arms mysteriously finding their way to the hands of the Al-Shabaab, as reported by the Canadian daily newspaper,The Globe and Mail.
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