Ethiopia must be sensitive to feelings of Somali people

The situation in Somalia has taken a nearly predictable, yet worrisome, dimension. Only months after the transition Government relocated to Baidoa from Nairobi where it was sworn-in, the rather powerless administration of Abdullahi Yusuf came under siege from Islamist militia thus prompting Ethiopia to dispatch an army to defend it.
But, sadly, what would appear to be a generous act by Ethiopia is exactly what seems to have fueled the situation to such desperate levels. Two days ago, 20 Cabinet ministers resigned from the Government to protest against the presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia. The ministers are, of course, accusing the President of inviting the Ethiopian troops to save his Government, which has no army of its own.
Amid this blame game, there are indiscriminate killings and what was supposed to be a legitimate Government is nearly giving way to an assemblage of rogue militias.
There are a few issues that must considered: Even though myriad explanations have been offered for this unsettling round of instability in Somalia, it is obvious that this is only a pointer to the complex situation, which not even the various peace initiatives have been forthright enough to confront.
The world must address decisively the role of Ethiopia in particular in lasting peace in Somalia, and the international community in general, in the determination of the future of that country.
Whereas Ethiopia and Kenya feel obliged to play a significant role in bringing normalcy in Somalia, their Somali colleagues have strong sentiments against that kind of participation.
It was for this reason that Somalis reacted the way they did in 1993 when the United States led a peacekeeping mission that turned into a global embarrassment for Washington. Those who follow the Somali politics would understand why.
First, there has been territorial suspicion between Somalia and her neighbours, especially Kenya and Ethiopia. This suspicion has been extended to the rest of the world. It is obvious that Somalia’s nasty war with Ethiopia over the Ogaden Triangle and Kenya’s experience with the shifta cession war of the 1970s cannot be ignored while talking about instability in Somalia.
These are issues that played themselves out prominently during the three-year period of peace negotiations in Nairobi that culminated in the installation of President Abdullahi Yusuf’s Government last year.
The negotiations, ironically, being spearheaded by the so-called Inter-Government Authority on Development frontline States, notably Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti, were carried out amid intense suspicion.
There were numerous futile stories about Ethiopia, Djibouti, Egypt or the Arab League’s plan to hijack the negotiations and, by the time Yusuf was being installed as President, he had won the tag of an Ethiopian stooge. So, when his Government comes under siege, and Ethiopia rashes to his rescue, alarm bells are bound to sound in Mogadishu. It is our view that Ethiopia needs to be sensitive to these issues as its presence in Somalia is likely to equally rattle Eritrea.
But, then, suspicions aside, part of the problem in Somalia is the people’s immense national pride and inability to recognise the interest and role of the international community in bringing sanity.
The challenge for the international community is, of course, to know how to balance this delicate situation and for the people of Somalia to have the courage to accept external help before things run out of hand.
It is needless to say that peace in Somalia is long overdue, for that should by now be obvious to the warlords as it is to the rest of the world.
Eastandard.net