“Last chance” to stop a full-scale war in Somalia
Gemeda Humnasa
December 04, 2006
In what was seen as a response to pressure from opposition parties inside Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government held another dialogue and probably the last talks with the Somali Islamists in an effort to stop the looming war.
Somalia, a country without a central government since 1991, has been on the brink of war when the Ethiopian government started to respond to the Holy War calls of the Islamists in southern Somalia. The Jihadists from Mogadishu also attempted to assassinate the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government (T.F.G) The T.F.G., which has very little control over Somalia, seems to be losing more power when the Union of Islamic Courts (U.I.C.) widened their grip since June. However the transitional government is recognized by both United Nations and African Union.
According to the established UN report on this issue, various nations including Eritrea are arming the Union of Islamic Courts. Most analysts believe the Eritrean government would be the last to support the Jihadists, but only the government’s hatred for Ethiopia and its historic goal to see a weak Ethiopia that is fragmented is the real reason for Eritrea’s actions. Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia after a long war that ended with the current Ethiopian government and Eritrea overthrowing the communist government together in 1991. Some analysts speculate that Eritrea helping secessionist rebels to disintegrate Ethiopia now is because of Eritrean government’s fears that if the opposition parties in the current Ethiopian parliament gain power, they would swiftly take back Eritrea. Most of the Ethiopian opposition parties did not approve the Eritrean independence referendum and consider most of its area, especially the Assab port, as part of Ethiopian land.
After the last Ethiopian parliament meeting, a resolution that allowed the use of force in case of further U.I.C. aggression toward Ethiopia was passed. Even though many opposition parties including UEDP-Medhin & SPDP supported the ruling party’s resolution, other opposition parties like CUD opposed the resolution, demanding more extensive dialogue with the Islamists. Ironically, the government seems to put aside the resolution for now and it is complying with CUD’s demand for additional dialogue with the Islamists. Ethiopia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Tekeda Alemu met with senior representatives of Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts in Djibouti to find a peaceful way to solve their differences
Traditionally Christian Ethiopia has been holding dialogue with the radical Islamists several times since June, when the U.I.C. started taking over more Somali land. Including talks in London and Kenya, the two held extensive talks in Khartoum, Sudan. Mr. Tekeda Alemu says that the U.I.C. “is not being asked a tough question.”
He said, “What we are asking them to do is not hard. Don’t be the tool of the Eritrean government to attack Ethiopia and to start another front for a war. What we demand from them is not a religion issue. We are not even asking them to give us anything. We want a peaceful, successful neighbor in order for our own country to have peace and continue its development. And what we demand is not even a give and take issue. Just respect our sovereignty. Don’t be involved in a dangerous activity. Just stop attacking us as well as training & arming other rebels to attack Ethiopia.”
Mr. Alemu said he hopes that the U.I.C. would make its own decisions and not one that is influenced by the jihadists and foreigners inside it. He said Ethiopia will not use force until all peaceful options are exhausted and until Ethiopia sees that it can't handle the Burden of being passive under attack. Some suggest that this might be the last chance for a peaceful path between the U.I.C. and the Ethiopian government who supports the T.F.G. Puntland, a semi-autonomous Somali state also supports the T.F.G and Ethiopia. The United States accuses U.I.C. of sheltering some suspects of U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and other attacks in East Africa.
Somalia, a country without a central government since 1991, has been on the brink of war when the Ethiopian government started to respond to the Holy War calls of the Islamists in southern Somalia. The Jihadists from Mogadishu also attempted to assassinate the leaders of the Transitional Federal Government (T.F.G) The T.F.G., which has very little control over Somalia, seems to be losing more power when the Union of Islamic Courts (U.I.C.) widened their grip since June. However the transitional government is recognized by both United Nations and African Union.
According to the established UN report on this issue, various nations including Eritrea are arming the Union of Islamic Courts. Most analysts believe the Eritrean government would be the last to support the Jihadists, but only the government’s hatred for Ethiopia and its historic goal to see a weak Ethiopia that is fragmented is the real reason for Eritrea’s actions. Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia after a long war that ended with the current Ethiopian government and Eritrea overthrowing the communist government together in 1991. Some analysts speculate that Eritrea helping secessionist rebels to disintegrate Ethiopia now is because of Eritrean government’s fears that if the opposition parties in the current Ethiopian parliament gain power, they would swiftly take back Eritrea. Most of the Ethiopian opposition parties did not approve the Eritrean independence referendum and consider most of its area, especially the Assab port, as part of Ethiopian land.
After the last Ethiopian parliament meeting, a resolution that allowed the use of force in case of further U.I.C. aggression toward Ethiopia was passed. Even though many opposition parties including UEDP-Medhin & SPDP supported the ruling party’s resolution, other opposition parties like CUD opposed the resolution, demanding more extensive dialogue with the Islamists. Ironically, the government seems to put aside the resolution for now and it is complying with CUD’s demand for additional dialogue with the Islamists. Ethiopia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Tekeda Alemu met with senior representatives of Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts in Djibouti to find a peaceful way to solve their differences
Traditionally Christian Ethiopia has been holding dialogue with the radical Islamists several times since June, when the U.I.C. started taking over more Somali land. Including talks in London and Kenya, the two held extensive talks in Khartoum, Sudan. Mr. Tekeda Alemu says that the U.I.C. “is not being asked a tough question.”
He said, “What we are asking them to do is not hard. Don’t be the tool of the Eritrean government to attack Ethiopia and to start another front for a war. What we demand from them is not a religion issue. We are not even asking them to give us anything. We want a peaceful, successful neighbor in order for our own country to have peace and continue its development. And what we demand is not even a give and take issue. Just respect our sovereignty. Don’t be involved in a dangerous activity. Just stop attacking us as well as training & arming other rebels to attack Ethiopia.”
Mr. Alemu said he hopes that the U.I.C. would make its own decisions and not one that is influenced by the jihadists and foreigners inside it. He said Ethiopia will not use force until all peaceful options are exhausted and until Ethiopia sees that it can't handle the Burden of being passive under attack. Some suggest that this might be the last chance for a peaceful path between the U.I.C. and the Ethiopian government who supports the T.F.G. Puntland, a semi-autonomous Somali state also supports the T.F.G and Ethiopia. The United States accuses U.I.C. of sheltering some suspects of U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and other attacks in East Africa.
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