SOMALIA TODAY: By His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Osman Omar

Saturday the 10th of March, 2007

THE AREA STUDIES SPECIAL LECTURES
2006 -2007 on SOMALIA TODAY

By
His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Osman Omar
Ambassador of the Somali Republic

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Tuesday, the 27th February, 2007
Department of African Studies
University of Delhi

Ambassador Mohamed Osman Omar
March 3,2007

After the Black Hawk was downed in Somalia in 1993, Somalia just disappeared from the newspapers and from the screens of the televisions. Their attention turned to other developments. The suffering of the Somalis was not worth the attention of the international media. But now as a new war has begun, Somalia has again caught the attention of the international community. Today, before this knowledgeable audience of students and scholars, I want to present a Somali perspective. I regret to say that vested interests had launched a campaign of misinformation to malign the name of my country. I am however, confident that the truth will ultimately prevail.

SOMALIA AFTER INDEPENDENCE

Before I discuss the present situation, I would like to briefly sketch the developments that have led to the present crisis. In 1950, the United Nations placed the former Italian Somalia under the UN Trusteeship for a period of ten years to prepare it for independence. Italy was named as the Administering Authority by the United Nations and administered the country until its independence in 1960. On June 26, 1960, Britain granted independence to the territory it had occupied - the British Somaliland. The former Italian Somaliland which was under the UN Trusteeship became independent on July 1, 1960 and the two joined to became the Republic of Somalia.

Having been under a European administration, the country adopted the western system of democracy, electing its first parliament by universal suffrage. Of course, there were short comings, like riggings of the elections, etc. However, it was seen as better than all the other systems. After nine years of “democracy”, if it could be called democracy, came to its end, when the incumbent President of the Republic, Dr. Abdirashid Ali Shermarke was assassinated by one of his body-guards on October 15, 1969. Soon after his burial, the Army staged a coup d’etat, on October 21, 1969, suspending the Constitution, closing the doors of the Parliament and abolishing the political parties. According to the Military Administration, the justification for the Coup was the rampant corruption, mismanagement and nepotism. As the dissatisfaction reached to the point of no return, the masses just wanted a change. They welcomed the take-over of the armed forces, with green leaves and hope that things would change for the better.

But the hope was like a camel milked on the sand. However, in more than two decades of its rule, it built schools and constructed roads and abroad, the image of the country soared. However, the Military administration was toppled in 1991 by a bloody counter coup. The leader of what was known “The Bloodless Revolution”, Major General Mohamed Siad Barre, who, for two decades was welcomed by foreign countries with red carpets and guards of honour, had to flee the capital hidden in an armoured car. He first went to Kenya by road and then to Nigeria. He became a refugee in the latter where he died in exile in 1995. After having been in power for more than two decades, the body of the long time President of the country, was flown back to Somalia in the cargo compartment of an aero plane and buried without any ceremony. I have a simple explanation for the down fall and the fate of Mohamed Siad Barre and those like him. If a leader over- stays in power convincing himself or herself, that he or she is the only suitable or clever person that can govern the country and no one else can do what he/she can do, is lying. The person who came to power to fight corruption, mal practices and nepotism himself lost power because of same maladies in his own regime. It once again proved that “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The regime or the leader would have earned the respect of the people had he given back the power to the people, after ascending to the summit of success. People would have loved him much more, and forgiven for the mistakes.

AFTER THE FALL OF THE SIAD BARRE

After the collapse of the military regime of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and a new era of uncertainty began, those who were opposed to the old regime could not agree who should lead the country. A struggle for power among them soon began. All attempts to end the uncertainty through the process of negotiations and dialogue initiated immediately after the fall of the regime by the neighbouring Djibouti, failed. The Northern part, former British Somaliland, which was part of the Republic of Somalia, decided not to participate in any of the reconciliation conferences organized for the establishment of a new administration for the country. In the South, the factions, who were involved in the conflict to end the military regime, started fighting each other for the seat of the power. The people in the Northern region, which declared itself “Republic of Somaliland”, reconciled themselves through traditional method.

On December 2, 1992, the United States launched what it called “Operation Restore Hope” landing on the Mogadishu beaches thousands of the US Marines. In May 1993, the Operation was taken over by the United Nations and re-named the Mission as UNOSOM. During the mission and confrontations that followed between the Somalis and the foreign forces, thousands of Somalis were killed. In October 1993, Americans wanted to arrest one of the Somali leaders, namely, General Mohamed Farah Aidid but failed to do so. In the operation a Black Hawk Helicopter was shot down and 18 American soldiers were killed. This event was portrayed in the film Black Hawk Down. Following that, the then President of the United States, Bill Clinton, withdrew his forces from Somalia.

On December 9, 1992 a Unified Task Force headed by the US command, was deployed in Mogadishu “to establish in Somalia a secure environment for urgent humanitarian assistance.” At that time former President of the United States, George Bush, Sr., sounding very human and sympathetic to the Somali people, said that “every American has seen the shocking image from Somalia. The scope of suffering there is hard to imagine.”

However, the Journal Arab Oil and Gas quoting The Los Angeles Times, wrote on 16 February, 1993 that:

“US intervention in Somalia could have been prompted in part by former President Bush’s determination to protect the interests of US firms. These allegations have been dismissed as ridiculous in US Oil circles.”

Similarly, a special report OIL and GAS Journal dated 2 April, 1993 said among other things:

“Geologists have been speculating about the possibility of oil in Somalia since the last century, but it took the US military “Operation Restore Hope” to bring this possibility to popular attention. The widespread notion that US troops were sent to Somalia to protect the interests of US oil companies, and their supposed huge oil finds, has been treated with amused derision in oil industry circles.”

In 1993, the former British Somaliland, declared a break-away “Republic of Somaliland”. So far, no government and the United Nations recognize it, although the UN agencies and NGOs cooperate on humanitarian and private projects. In the African Union, there are certain countries that have sympathy with them, but officially preferred not to expose themselves as supporters of the declaration of independence of the break-away Republic.

For the following decade and a half, the country has been in turmoil. The unscrupulous and fractious warlords have destroyed the entire national infrastructure and looted private properties, killed the intellectuals and professionals and raped teenage girls and kidnapped people for ransom. The warlords reduced the country into several private enclaves establishing their own airstrips and sea-ports and placing road blocks in the areas that they held. They did not allow any government to be established for fear of losing the privilege they enjoy in their enclaves.

In 1999, the President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, after having seen that no one was interested in Somalia’s fate, announced at the UN General Assembly that his country desired to arrange a reconciliation conference. He did organize the conference that ended in success in August 2000.

Prior to this conference held in Arta, Djibouti, in 2000, nearly a dozen conferences had been held for the warring factions. None was successful because both the organizers and the participants were not sincere. Both the sides wanted the chaotic situation in Somalia to continue, because, if the organisers gained politically from Somalia’s lack of stability, the participants gained economically and financially from absence of an organized administration.

During the decade of crisis, the enemies of Somalia offered moral and material incentive to factions promising them heaven on the earth. They gave them titles, such as “Presidents” or “Leaders” and supported them in the creation of private enclaves as their kingdoms, calling them “Lands”. Those who denied Somalia stability and peace gave the different factions guns, ammunition and financial support and set against each other. The system of divide and control worked, and worked perfectly to keep Somalia in a state of no State. They put fire under the feet of the Somalis and planned to show to the world that Somalia was “hell”. They opened their doors for them so that they could run from their own country to an easily accessible asylum.

For the first time in ten years of no functioning administration, Somalia had a Transitional National Government through a national reconciliation conference sponsored by the President of Djibouti and supported by the entire people of the Republic. Djibouti hosted over three thousands of Somalis, men, women, young and old from February to August 2000. One big reason for the success of the conference was that it was held without the participation of the faction leaders and the so-called regional organization, IGAD, The Intergovernmental Authority on Development. It brought back many symbols of nationhood like The National Flag – the sky-blue and white –five-pointed star in the center - A President of Somalia – Dr. Abdikassim Salad Hassan, who was elected by the conference, finally attended the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 as the President of the country. But for some, the return of Somalia into the international community was difficult to swallow. They embarked on a mission to destroy the newly established government. The Opposition groups were immediately established by Ethiopia at Awasa and armed to the teeth to kill the just born baby. With extremely difficult situation, the Transitional National Government (TNG) survived its three years term and upheld the flag until a new government was established in Nairobi, Kenya in 2004.

Somalia Today

After two years of conferencing in Kenya – starting in Eldoret and ending in Mbagati, Nairobi – in October 2004, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was sworn in as the new President of Somalia for a period of four years. For the first two years, the President and the state institutions could not move to Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, because of a lack of security there. The new government requested the African leaders who were present at the swearing in ceremony in Nairobi to send troops to Somalia for the security of the government institutions. It was known that for the decade prior to the establishment of the new government, those who killed, looted and raped and closed the airports and sea ports replacing these with their private facilities and manning road blocks with militias were the factions leaders. The Only exception was freelancers roaming the roads with rusty AK47 machine guns. All faction leaders, later on named warlords, were included in the new government and became cabinet Ministers. In fact, there remained no opposition that could have posed problems of security for the government.

When the Government of Kenya, which hosted the conference for two years, was pressurized by its members of Parliament to tell the Somalis to go to their country, instead of lingering on in Kenya, the new Somali Government had no alternative but to move to the country. It decided temporarily to locate in Jowhar, and later on in Baidoa. While the leaders played their games, the agony of the people continued. The warlords, who were now Ministers, continued harassing the people and no country or organization, regional or international, moved a finger to alleviate the suffering of the masses at the hand of these unscrupulous “Ministers/warlords”.

Enough is Enough

Kidnapping and killing continued, in Somalia. A man would just say: “Nafta mar ayay go’daa” literally meaning “Man dies only once”. When the suffering became unbearable a young school teacher told himself “Enough is enough” and approached some others. His name is Shaikh Sharif Shaikh Ahmed. He was born in Jowhar, 90 km north of Mogadishu. He is in early 40s and educated in Mogadishu and studied Law in Libya. In an interview with the United Nations sponsored News Agency IRIN on June 22, 2006, Shaikh Sharif explained how as a school teacher in 2003 in Yaqshiid district of north Mogadishu, one of his students was kidnapped by militiamen who demanded a ransom.

According to IRIN: “While trying to get the boy released, he and others mooted the idea of an Islamic court to deal with rampant crimes and banditry in their area. The community then got together, set up the court and elected Shaikh Sharif as their chairman.”

As no one came to rescue the people of Somalia from the warlords for over fifteen years, the creation of the Islamic Courts was like the people taking the law in their own hands and defending their lives and properties, as there was no a government to do so. They did succeed in bringing law and order to the areas where they were in control. Gradually, their action attracted more and more people. Men in the streets found relief from the activities of the Courts, which accorded severe punishment to those who were found to be guilty. They cut the hand of the thieves and harsh punishments were given for crimes.

The Court then was joined by others established in different parts of the capital and formed the Union of the Islamic Courts. They expanded their activities from fighting against petty thieves or freelance militias to wider enemies. They started widening their scope of the cleaning the capital from the masters of all the crimes: the warlords.

When it was realized that some independent minded and nationalists were emerging in Somalia, the United States using Ethiopia as proxy, started accusing Somalia as a safe haven for the terrorists of the notorious al-Qaeda and harbouring those who bombed the US Embassies in Kenya and in Tanzania and the Israeli Hotel in Mombassa. United States intelligence officials told the New York Times that a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda may have been responsible for the suicide bombing and the missiles fired at the airliner, speculating that the suspects could have smuggled the missiles into Kenya from Somalia.

The BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa, Martin Plaut, who interviewed Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia on December 7, 2002 after the terrorist attack on the Israeli Hotel in Mombassa, Kenya reported:

“Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said that indications are that a group operating out of Somalia may have been behind last month’s attacks on Israelis in Kenya. Meles told the BBC that Somali group with links to al-Qaeda – known as al-Ittihad – may have traveled to Kenya by boat to carry out their operation. “He offered no evidence to substantiate these views”, said BBC.

In the meantime the Somali people were squeezed between the United States, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Warlords. They have been battered from all sides. Those who were the enemies of the people, and terrorizing the country for a decade and a half, the warlords, have become the friends of America and adopted a new title as "Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism" and according to Reuters, June 5, 2006, “the United States has been funneling more than $100.000 a month to warlords battling Islamist militias in Somalia”.

John Prendergast, who monitors Somalia for the think-tank International Crisis Group, said he learned during meetings with alliance members in Somalia that the CIA was financing the warlords with cash payments.

Prendergast estimated that CIA-operated flights into Somalia have been bringing in $100,000 to $150,000 per month for the warlords. The flights remain in Somalia for the day, he said, so that U.S. agents can confer with their allies, said Reuters.

This US interference in the Somali affairs has caused more anger among the Somalis. The militias that were employed by the warlords defected and joined the Islamic courts and fought against their former masters.

A Period of unprecedented Calm

The United States financed the warlords to contain the Union of Islamic Courts and probably locate the hideout of the “wanted” al-Qaeda members allegedly harboured by the Islamic Courts. With all the money and probably even sophisticated equipment received from the CIA to trace the alleged bombers of the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, in August 1998 and the Israeli Hotel, Paradise, in Mombassa, Kenya, on November 22, 2002, the warlords were not able to find anything. The names of the alleged terrorists, accused by the US were said to be as follows:

Fazul Abdullah Mohamed, Comoros
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, Kenya
Abu Taha al-Sudan, Sudan

None of them is Somali and by nature, no foreigner can hide himself in the country, as he is identifiable among the people and Somalis, known as talkative people, would never be able not to speak about new comers, even in gossip.

From mid June 2006, since it became publicly known that the warlords were paid by the Americans, the popularity of the Islamic Courts grew. Some warlords, who were frightened by the speed with which the movement of the Islamic Courts grew, have donated to the UIC their anti aircraft guns mounted on pick-ups, known as Teknico. Those who resisted were, in no time, running for their lives, crossed the border by land and some ran to other Somali coastal towns by boat.

In a very short time the streets of Mogadishu, which were known to be awash with guns became fear-free. Orders were issued to return the looted properties including houses, to their legitimate owners. People could not believe that the meat they bought from the market, they would be able to carry to their homes unlike in the times of warlords when gunmen used grab it by force.

Within six months of the Union of Islamic Courts’ rule of Mogadishu, the people truly felt secure. For the first time in the last fifteen years, Mogadishu streets were free from gun-totting boys.

The Washington Times dated July 18, 2006, quoted a former US Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Herman Cohen as saying “Somalia could become a big thorn in America's side if U.S. officials don't support moderate Islamic elements and prevent an invasion by Ethiopia.”

At a press briefing, Cohen said: "You talk about mistrust, fear and tension nowadays, and Somalia is even worse than Iraq”

The Islamic Courts Union (ICU), the dominant Islamist movement in the narrow nation in the Horn of Africa, controls more than 20 percent of Somalian territory and 40 percent of the Somalian people.

Mr. Cohen said Somalis have enjoyed more security and stability after the ICU's June takeover of the capital, Mogadishu, than they had in the past 15 years.

"Word is getting out that life in Mogadishu since the ICU is pretty good. They ended the reign of corrupt warlords who only took money, kidnapped people and set up roadblocks," he said.

Publicly, it looked that the warlords were the ones who were blocking the government’s coming to the capital. They acted as they were the enemies of the government and those who supported it. That is why the President and the Prime Minister had to establish their offices not in Mogadishu but in Jowhar and in Baidoa. Some member countries of the IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) were accusing the warlords as obstacles to peace in Somalia.

On March 15, 2004, President of the Republic of Uganda, who was at that time the Chairman of the IGAD speaking at IGAD Defence Ministers’ meeting in Entebbe, Uganda, said:

“We are going to deploy with or without the support of the warlords. Why should the warlords for example reject Ethiopia and Kenya?”

Since the swearing in of the new President in October 2004, the African Union and IGAD were talking of sending troops to Somalia to help the government. The President asked Africa to establish security to enable him to return to the capital. Who were trouble makers? They were Warlords who were part and parcel of the same government of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Even President Museveni of Uganda, who was talking big and Ethiopia that was supporting the government sent no troops to remove the warlords cum Ministers.

When the militias of the Union of the Islamic Courts defeated and chased the so-called "Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism", out of the capital on March 16, 2006, the first reaction of the Transitional Federal Government was positive. Both the President and the Prime Minister welcomed it as good act. The Kenyan Government expelled those who escaped into its territory deported them as “enemies of the Somali people” and closed their borders to the defeated warlords. Everything looked normal and logical, but few days later, all those who rejected the warlords changed their position and started welcoming the renegade warlords and verbally attacking the UIC. Even the government leaders were told not to speak well of the Courts.

Strangely enough, the warlords were received in the government headquarters and sat in the Parliament as nothing happened. It seemed like those who were looting, raping, killing and holding the country hostage for fifteen years, were just part of the system and allied with those who denied the country stability and peace. As the things ended up like that, it is clear that there must have been a plot against the people.

Within six months of the Union of Islamic Courts rule of Mogadishu, the main airport was opened and rehabilitated and the main Mogadishu Harbour was reopened and started its normal operation. While during the fifteen years of warlordism, the factions had established their private ports and airports and collected tax not only for the use of these facilities, but even for the use of public roads.

What encouraged them most was that even the international community, such as the United Nations’ Specialised Agencies and the NGOs used the facilities of the warlords including their makeshift sea-ports and airstrips and paid handsomely for the services provided to them. With the incomes from these facilities, the warlords were able to pay their militias and maintain their Tekniko. Had the UN and other International organizations boycotted them, and forced them to establish administration, the Warlords would not have survived even for a day.

For over fifteen years during which the country had no central government, the UN, AU, IGAD and the NGOs extended the warlords all necessary co-operations as they were a de-facto administrations. Such co-operation could be considered a tacit approval of the activities of the thugs.

No one cared about the sufferings of the Somali people for the entire period of fifteen years under the cruel rule of the warlords. Surprisingly enough, only when the country was nearly liberated by the Union of Islamic Courts, the so-called international community started worrying about the “destiny” of the Somali nation.

For the majority of the Somalis, the emergence of the Union of the Islamic Courts was a positive step. But the US and its allies saw their victory over the warlords and eventually taking over the power in the country, as a success for the “fundamentalist” and “pro al-Qaeda” elements in Somalia which had already accused of harbouring terrorists linked to the bombing of the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the Israeli Hotel in Mombassa, Kenya.

The President of the Sudan, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, in his capacity as the Chairman of the League of Arab States, organized a reconciliation meeting between the UIC and STFG in Khartoum in June 2006. After the talks, the Government and members of the Islamic Courts agreed to stop military confrontation in a bid to avert more conflict. But to the observers who closely follow the situation in Somalia, believed that the agreement signed in the meeting on June 22, 2006, and the subsequent talks which were agreed upon would yield nothing positive as there was no common ground between the two sides from which they can find common solution.

The distance was very far from each other’s position:

The gap between their respective positions was too wide. The Transitional Government insisted that foreign troops, including Ethiopia’s be sent by the African Union, “to establish a protection and training mission in Somalia.” On its part, the UIC categorically opposed any foreign troops to be sent to Somalia. There was no compromise on this. Besides, a day before the two sided signed the Khartoum Declaration, the United Nations estimates “as many as 8,000 Ethiopian troops may be in the country backing the government while regional rival Eritrea has deployed some 2,000 troops in support of the Islamic group.”

The presence of the Ethiopian forces have been seen by the foreign observers or by the Somalis, but no one has confirmed the UN claim that “the regional rival Eritrea has deployed 2000 troop in support of the Islamic group”.

The Invasion of Somalia

To prepare for the invasion and air attack on Somalia, war plans similar to those used in Iraq and Afghanistan prior to US invasions on these countries, were put in place.

In Afghanistan pre-attack ground work was prepared in form of propaganda, using the media, that the Taliban were harbouring Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda groups. Invasion was legitimate with or without the approval of the United Nations.

In Iraq, the existence of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) was the justification for the invasion of the country and removal of the country’s leader.

The aims of the Khartoum meeting sponsored by the President of the Sudan, on behalf of the Arab League and the inspection of WMD in Iraq by the Commission led by Hans Bliz on behalf of the United Nations, were the same. They were just to entertain others and to wait for the right time. Their results would not have changed anything, because the decision by the US for regime change was already made.

In fact, there were rumours, that after Afghanistan and Iraq, Somalia would be the third in line to be attacked. The Somali case has been delayed because Afghanistan and Iraq, which the war-planners thought would be as smooth as the Ice cream, got stuck in their throat and they were unable to put it down or pull out.

Instead of supporting Somalia for the peace that it found, the west started a new mechanism to sabotage the gains. They established something called “Somalia Contact Group” to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. The group members were the following:

The original members of the group were:

United States (the initiator) Norway, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom, the European Union and Tanzania. Kenya which was the Chairman of the IGAD was not included.

Those following organizations which were directly involved in the Somali problem were excluded and invited just as observers only. They are: The African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States and the United Nations.

The influence UIC was growing day by day. It reached close to the Headquarters of the Federal Government, Baidoa. Ethiopia which had a big stake in the government was extremely worried about its fate.

It sent thousands of troops into Republic of Somalia on the pretext of supporting “the legitimate Government”.

Despite being without a permanent base or having no support in the country, and in the manner in which the government had been installed, the United Nations and the European Union, and African Union recognized and stood behind the government.

The United States, whose voice is more important than that of all others did not recognize the legitimacy of the TFG, led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Instead the CIA funded and supported the warlords, by the labeling them as “seculars”.

Only when it became evident that, the United Nations supported weak and unpopular government, was on the verge of being toppled by the Union of Islamic Courts, the US choose to recognize the government which it had ignored for two years since its birth.

The UN Security Council Resolution
To pave the way for invasion

For fifteen years, since 1992, the UN Security Council invoked the Resolution 733 1992) adopted on January 23, 1992 on arms embargo on Somalia. It was in force since then, but the UN did nothing to prevent flooding Somalia with arms and ammunition from all the corners, not from private corporations, but by governments. That is why for fifteen years Somalia was engulfed in the world’s longest and most devastating civil war.

The Security Council adopted one resolution after another, naming the violators of the Resolution 733 but never took action against them. But when their interest dictates to invoke Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, found it convenient that Somalia continue to be kept in that situation.

The suppliers of the arms with which the Somalis killed each other, watched from a distance and enjoyed the proxy war done on their behalf. During this period, powerful warlords, supported by foreign countries, succeeded in destabilizing the country and prevented the emergence of any government.

When in June 2006, the young group calling themselves the Islamic Courts emerged to save Somalia, the UN Security Council swiftly passed a resolution S/2006/940 on December 3, 2006 sponsored by the Congo, Tanzania and United States gave green light to foreign forces to invade Somalia and ending the arms embargo on Somalia.

The Resolution state among other things:

Decides to authorize IGAD and Member States of the African Union to establish a protection and training mission in Somalia, to be reviewed after an initial period of six months by the Security Council with a briefing by IGAD, with the following mandate drawing on the relevant elements of the mandate and concept of operations specified in the Deployment Plan for IGASOM (S/2006/xxx):

(a) To monitor progress by the Transitional Federal Institutions and the Union of Islamic Courts in implementing agreements reached in their dialogue;

(b) To ensure free movement and safe passage of all those involved with the dialogue process;

(c) To maintain and monitor security in Baidoa;

(d) To protect members of the Transitional Federal Institutions and Government as well as their key infrastructure;

(e) To train the Transitional Federal Institutions’ security forces to enable them to provide their own security and to help facilitate the re-establishment of national security forces of Somalia;

4. Endorses the specification in the IGAD Deployment Plan that those States that border Somalia would not deploy troops to Somalia;

As it has been the case in the last few years, Resolutions are adopted but not implemented, particularly by the most powerful states. Only the weaker are generally forced to abide by the rules of the International Law.

In the Somali case, the above mentioned resolution adopted to deal with the Somali situation, clearly states (see para 4) that “[Security Council]

“Endorses the specification in the IGAD Deployment Plan that those States that border Somalia would not deploy troops to Somalia”.

While talks were going on for the continuation of the dialogue between the Government and the UIC in Khartoum, the US and Ethiopia, were planning an all out attack on Somalia, on the pretext of fighting against the terrorists groups.

On Monday December 25, 2006, Ethiopian airplanes bombed two Somali airports, Mogadishu and Balledogle airports in two consecutive days.

A day after Ethiopia invaded and occupied Somalia, US State Department issued instructions to its Embassies, according New York Times (Washington, Dec. 26, 2006) “signaled its support for the Ethiopian offensive, calling it “a response to “aggression” by Islamists…”

According to NY Times: “On Tuesday, a day after an Ethiopian jet strafed the airport in Mogadishu, the capital, the State Department issued internal guidance to staff members, instructing officials to play down the invasion in public statements.

No matter what the Resolution said, Ethiopian, being a country bordering Somalia, claimed that it has the right to defend itself from Islamic Group, which “threatened to attack it”. For the United States gave itself the right to attack Somalia, to capture the “terrorists” who allegedly bombed their Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the Hotel in Mombassa and who are allegedly being harboured by the UIC.

The success of the Islamic Courts was not due to the fact that they were more armed than the warlords or the government of Ethiopia, which was behind the Transitional National Government. But their victory was due to the solid support of the masses for their dedication to the welfare of the people and their behaviour and most importantly the hatred that the people nurtured against those who were calling for foreign forces to invade the country.

There was no way that the UIC could match the mighty US support to Ethiopia, as the UIC were armed only with the old guns captured from the warlords who were running away and few out-dated AK47 machine guns.

According to the New York Times, (Washington Feb.22, 2007),
“The American military quietly waged a campaign from Ethiopia last month to capture or kill top leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, including the use of an airstrip in eastern Ethiopia to mount air strikes against Islamic militants in neighboring Somalia, according to American officials.
“The close and largely clandestine relationship with Ethiopia also included significant sharing of intelligence on the Islamic militants’ positions and information from American spy satellites with the Ethiopian military. Members of a secret American Special Operations unit, Task Force 88, were deployed in Ethiopia and Kenya, and ventured into Somalia, the officials said.”

According to the paper, by the order of General John P. Abizaid, then commander of the United States Central Command, as result of the Ethiopian request, the director of national intelligence at the time then authorized spy satellite to be diverted to provide information for Ethiopian troops.” The Ethiopians promptly denied providing base facilities. No one expected them to admit and embarrass their patron.

According to Reuters News Agency, dated January 9, 2007, Many people died when a U.S. gunship hunting al Qaeda suspects attacked a village in southern Somalia as part of a wide air offensive against fugitive Islamists, officials said on Tuesday. Thursday, January 11, 2007.

The BBC said that the US air strikes in Somalia failed to kill any of the three al-Qaeda suspects they targeted, a top US official says.

Reuters quoting Oxfam report, dated 12, 2007, said that US Air attacks against fugitive Islamists in south Somalia in recent days have mistakenly targeted nomadic herdsmen gathering round fires, killing 70, British-based aid agency Oxfam said on Friday.

It was a surprise to me that some people were surprised about the swiftness with which the UIC withdrew in the face of a combined assault guided by the American satellites. Not to do so, would have been suicidal. Without US support, Ethiopians could not have done so.

The legendary Hero of Somalia, who the British called “the Mad Mullah of Somaliland”, fought against the British and its allies from the British colonies in Africa and Asia, for twenty years from 1899 to 1921. He only withdrew from the battle field when the British used air power against him. He was neither killed nor captured, but died in the Imey, an Ethiopian occupied territory in December 1921.

Since December 24, 2006, Ethiopians are in Somalia, in the capital, Mogadishu. For them it is a dream that came true. This was Emperor Menelek’s dream. In 1894, the Acting British Political Agent and Consul, Somali Coast, Captain Abud, provided the following information about “Koufur” [South] which Menelek threatened to conquer.

“Koufur” is a country formerly Hawiya and lies between Webbe Shabeli and the Juba and to the west of the Rahanwein (Jabartis); its ports are Merka, Haman [Hamar] and Barawa.”

Today the Ethiopians are in Hamar, (Mogadishu), Merka and Barawa, places that Menelek wished to conquer, thanks to the US. They were not welcomed with flower and ululation. They are facing stiff resistance from the people. Daily encounters are reported, causing death of innocent people and destruction of private properties. Somalis oppose foreign troops in their country. More outsiders are sent, Somalis would fight them more resolutely.

Since the Ethiopians invaded and occupied the country, with the support of the United States, the situation in Mogadishu returned as chaotic as it used to be before the Islamic Courts chased the warlords. The Ethiopian troops escorted to the capital not only the TFG but also the warlords that used to terrorize the people. Killing and raping has become the order of the day. The Ethiopians are shelling the capital with heavy artillery, indiscriminately destroying lives and homes. The Bad days are back.

According to Hiiraan on Line, dated February 25, 2007, the people of Mogadishu do not sleep at night for the fear of being killed by artillery fire, while in bed. When the sound of guns start, they come out of their homes and gather in the houses which are constructed with concrete, hoping that they can save their lives.

The sea pirates who were eliminated by the UIC, are now back in action.

On Sunday, February 25, 2007, Pirates are reported to h ave Hijacked a
UN-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid to north-eastern Somalia,
according to BBC.

This is Mogadishu today, after having enjoyed six months of quiet nights and peaceful days under the UIC. It was short lived, but the people will remember for long time to come. It has become part of the Somali history.

The history of Powers objecting that the Somali people apply Islamic rule, dates back as far as 19th century. On February 11, 1870, the British Consul at Aden, in charge of the Somali Coast, Major General Russell wrote to his government, among other things, that…The Bey of the Egyptian Government (Turkey) had returned to Berbera, that it was his intention to remain there and keep possession of the sea-coast territory of Berbera and Bulhar. The General added that, “he was about to send Her Majesty's Ship Sind to the spot to keep a watch on the happenings and to prevent, if possible, the tribe from committing their kingdom to Moslem rule.”*

If this is what the international Community wanted to have for the Somali people, it has succeeded. Innocent people and livestock were killed by US air bombardment in the villages. Ethiopia occupied Mogadishu and keep shelling day and night the people’s homes. After all, neither US found, dead of alive, the “wanted” al-Qaeda terrorists, having killed so many people nor the Ethiopians found a peaceful place for the Government after exerting so much effort.

The only way out from this abyss of despair, is a new and free from foreign interference reconciliation conference. Somalia needs a government not made for them but made by them. If the international community is sincere about helping the people of Somalia, it should let them decided freely. Any one can establish a government, and bring to the capital by armoured cars, but what is impossible is that no one can make the people accept. The cat is not made to drink water holding it by the neck.


Thank you for your kind attention and patience.



(Signed)
MOHAMED OSMAN OMAR
Ambassador

Ambassador Mohamed Osman Omar