The Qaranka online
By Abdi Dirshe
26 Jan. 08

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The year 2006 will always be viewed as both crucial turning point and profound indignation in the history of Somalia. Within that year two events took place. The first is when the hated warlords who have committed gross human suffering in Somalia have been militarily defeated by a grassroots organization known at the time simply as the Courts among the Somalis in Mogadishu. This group would later become the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The defeat of the warlords heralded a new era of peace and normalcy of which Somalia hasn’t seen since 1990. Professor I. M. Lewis said in his short essay titled Ethiopia’s Invasion of Somalia, “Courts, in their brief months in power in Southern Somalia, with their mostly humble poorly educated local leaders, did more to restore order and social progress there than the US has done in Iraq in four years.” In fact to concur with the view of Professor Lewis, during the good times when the UIC controlled much of the south and central Somalia, there were then 72 hospitals functioning in Mogadishu alone, where as now there are only two hospitals that are functioning in half capacity. Somalis will always look back upon this period of 2006 as an inspiration because of the fact that a Somali grassroots organization ended anarchy and restored peace where the International Actors have failed in the past. The ICU proved that the Somali people can move beyond tribal politics and can find a common cause.

The second event took place in late 2006 and is one of profound shame and indignation. When with the financial, military and diplomatic backing of the Bush administration, Ethiopia, Somalia’s perennial enemy invaded Somalia, subsequently unleashing massive killing of men, women and children and displacement of over a million and half of Mogadishu’s residents, rendering them refugees in their own country as internally displaced. Ethiopian troops have engaged systematic destruction of the economic resources, schools, hospitals and targeting reporters to silence them. This has created, according to the U.N. ‘the worst humanitarian crisis in the world’. Titled Shell-Shocked, Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian troops of committing war crimes as documented investigation shows systematic shelling of civilian populated areas in Mogadishu to cause mass massacre and displacement in their pursuit of collective punishment of those suspected of opposing the occupation.

The arrival of the UIC on the political horizon in Somalia has created unwarranted fears in the Bush administration, founded on misinformation from Somalia’s historical enemy, Ethiopia and its Somali warlords. By playing to the US phobia and labeling the UIC as a terrorist organization with links to Al-Qaeda, the Ethiopian government and its Somali surrogates have succeeded undermining the reputation of the UIC and have won the endorsement of the U.S. administration. This has led to the formation of a new U.S. military and political strategy with the aim to endorse Ethiopian invasion of Somalia to quickly defeat the UIC and install the Somali warlords as the legitimate national government.

Hopes of quick victory and installment of the hated warlords under the banner of internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG) or as known within the intellectual circles Thugs, Farce and Gangs (TFG)’ were dashed away by violent uprising fuelled by popular resentment of Ethiopia’s involvement in Somalia. Two presupposed assumptions became clearly unattainable. First, quick military victory which rarely results in an end to any conflict has not materialized as evidenced by the insurgents’ continued resistance to the occupying Ethiopian forces and its TFG militia. Secondly, the major policy flaw and blunder was underestimating the historical animosity between Ethiopia and Somalia and deep enmity the Somali population feel towards the current Ethiopian regime and this became a uniting factor that attracted Somali nationalists, scholars, and civil society and Diaspora community to the Union of Islamic Courts by analyzing the conflict within the context of anti-imperialistic and anti-oppression perspective. Evidence of these mistakes did not lead to correction of strategy on the part of the International Actors namely the European Union and the United States. In contrast, their only attempt was no option; to say the least.

Their only attempt to rectify the situation was to stay the course, sending more Ethiopian troops in greater numbers with more military hardware. Unfortunately, more Somalis and Ethiopians will die in the foreseeable future for it is easier for Ethiopia’s dictator, Meles Zenawi to lie through his teeth rather than accepting failure and ending bloodshed. And for the TFG to pretend that they are in control, when it is well known that they have miserably failed to relocate to the capital and are only in control of pockets of Mogadishu.

The invasion of Somalia has heralded predictable results. It impeded the potential of a peaceful civil progress. It violated human essence. It created criminals who know no boundaries between barbarism and civility. Literally and figuratively humanity is estranged in Somalia today. Meles Zenawi, Abdullahi Yusuf, Ali Ghedi, General Gabre of Ethiopia, Mohamed Habeb, Abdi Awale and Mohamed Warsame ‘Darwish’ lead the death squads in Mogadishu. A million and half people are forced from their homes in Mogadishu by the brutal endless indiscriminate shelling of the Ethiopian invaders. Thousands more are killed, wounded, or raped. Properties are destroyed. Many Somali reporters are killed. The Ethiopian army and its TFG militias have committed war crimes and acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Many are wondering what’s driving the policy of the United States, the world’s super power to be associated with these heinous crimes and being implicated in these atrocities. There are three areas that U.S. policymakers identified as the main interests in Somalia, and examining the foreign policy trajectory of the USA in the context of its geopolitical interest in Somalia, are humanitarian, regional stability and the global war on terror or denying terrorists a safe haven in Somalia. The question is how does the genocidal and barbaric act of killing thousands of innocent Somalis by the Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi help achieve these stated policy goals. It is mind-boggling that such political malpractice is pursued by a nation that prides itself for democratic values and the principles of human rights. How is America helping the humanitarian crises in Somalia when civilians are displaced, women are raped by the same people that the US is using as its proxy in its war on terror. In regards to regional stability, the US is definitely biased towards other countries in the horn, specifically against Eritrea when Ethiopia violated UN Security Council resolution, requiring Ethiopia to accept the border demarcation. Similarly, supporting Ethiopia to illegally invade Somalia is not a viable option for stabilizing the horn. And finally, some political analysts believe that the war on terror pursued by the Neocons is consistent with its empire building ambition, Project for the New American Century.

Reality Check
I don’t intend to dwell on how the TFG came into existence, but it is well known that the process was flawed right from the outset. Meles Zenawi was actively involved in it and has advocated the 4.5-clan formula that became the basis for the establishment of the TFG to perpetuate clan hostility. Meles strongly advocated this idea to IGAD and the international community to cause maximum damage on the unity of the Somali people. Yes, Meles helped create the inert Transitional Federal Government (TFG) figureheads and collaborators who have legitimized violence against their civilian populations as a tool to disempower and effectively impose subjugation. Vested interests of the West and formed habits of the Somali and Ethiopian warlords are responsible for the historical humanitarian tsunami in Somalia.

Ethiopia’s plans for Somalia are found upon illusions. The false promise of the Somali warlords of welcoming populace has been replaced with explosive rebellion. The Somali people refuse to accept Ethiopia’s avowed ambition to mercilessly implement its myopic, insatiable land-grab and the West’s economic and geopolitical interest in Somalia.

This difficult period in the history of Somalia, many Somalis in the Diaspora community ought to re-examine their position as Somalis. They ought to choose to either be detached from events in Somalia such as the killing of innocent children and women by Ethiopian troops or to be on fire with anger and shame over the new status of their nation as an occupied and react with deeds and action. Many responded with horror, disgust and outrage. So was the feeling of many millions of people throughout the globe. People are in vociferous rebellion against the invasion, killing and the rape. As a result Somalis are organizing all over the world to get rid of Ethiopia and its agents from Somalia. The Somali warriors of today are saying, ‘Xasuuqa dadkeyga xisaab baa ka dambeysa’, which means, there will be consequences for massacring my people, and yes people will be held accountable for their actions.

The struggle against the invasion is also an effort to change the direction of history. The history of shame directed at Somalia has been rebelled against for the promotion of rewarding future. Somali people are yearning for a government that represents the Somali people’s culture, religion, history and aspirations to be forever free.

The International community failed the Somali people. They had all the available information of Somalia’s social and historical background to gauge the collective will of the Somali people but chose to ignore and has tacitly approved the killing of thousands of civilians and the destruction of Somalia by passing resolution 1744 which calls for the protection of the TFG institutions, yet ignore Resolution 1752 which states that frontline states including Ethiopia should not interfere in the Somali conflict. By doing this the ranks of the disaffected Somalis have swelled. Somali people are determined to contest and protest the present double standard policy towards Somalia. The challenge for the International community is to find the courage to admit that they have erred tremendously and start asking the withdrawal of the Ethiopian troops. How many more lives does it have to take before the international community accepts and acknowledges Somalia’s right to self-determination and sovereignty has been violated?

The writer is a founding member of the Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance and a long time humanitarian/peace activist. You can reach him at Abdi Dirshe

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