Ethiopian troops clash with Al-Shabaab leaves 10 dead in Somalia - UPI.com

MOGADISHU, Somalia, May 23 (UPI) -- About 10 people are believed to have been killed in clashes between Ethiopian troops and al-Shabaab insurgents in the Somali city of Beledweyn, officials say.

The fighting began after al-Shabaab fighters opened fire on residents of a small town on the outskirts of the city, Shabelle Media Network reported Thursday.
Ethiopian troops quickly arrived, causing the insurgents to retreat, said Isaq Ali Abdulle, commander of government forces in the region.
Government forces secured the area, but not before the militants caused more damage to property, Abdulle said.

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Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/05/23/Ten-dead-in-Somalia-after-al-Shabaab-clash-with-Ethiopian-troops/UPI-19901369325450/#ixzz2UUCp1XoK

The UN’s integrated mission in Somalia | Somalia | Aid Policy | Governance

Photo: UN Photo/Stuart Price

Experts, fear that with the integrated mission, striking a balance between military and humanitarian operations might be a challenge

NAIROBI, 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Following the unanimous adoption of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution setting up an integrated mission in Somalia, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) will be set up for an initial one-year period beginning on 3 June; it will be based in the capital Mogadishu. 

The UN defines an integrated mission as one in which there is a shared vision among all the UN actors at country level.

“This strategic objective is the result of a deliberate effort by all elements of the UN system to achieve a shared understanding of the mandates and functions of the various elements of the UN presence at country level and to use this understanding to maximize UN effectiveness, efficiency, and impact in all aspects of its work,” say the Integrated Mission Planning Guidelines endorsed in 2006 by the Secretary-General.

According to the resolution, the mission is intended to help Somalia build on the political gains made over the past year; assist the country to develop a federal system of government; review its constitution and hold a constitutional referendum; and facilitate preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2016.

In addition, UNSOM will “promote respect for human rights and women's empowerment, promote child protection, prevent conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and strengthen justice institutions.” 

UN agencies working in Somalia are expected to move there. Many are currently based in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. 

In this briefing, IRIN looks at what an integrated approach means for Somalia.

What is the political, humanitarian situation in Somalia?

Somalia has recently made progress towards stability. In 2012, the country set up a functioning federal government under the leadership of President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud, the first such administration since 1990.

However, there continue to be huge political and humanitarian challenges. Insurgents, who still control parts of the country, continue to launch deadly attacks regularly, while more than one million Somalis are displaced due to conflict and drought. One million more have crossed into neighbouring countries, mainly Kenya and Ethiopia.

A 2013 report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that over 250,000 Somalis, many of them children under five, died as a result of famine between October 2010 and April 2012. They were unable to receive any humanitarian assistance, in part, due to insecurity.

What is UNSOM’s role?

On 6 March 2013 the Security Council had, while partially lifting a 20-year-oldarms embargo on Somalia and extending the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), for another year, agreed with the UN Secretary-General that the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) had “fulfilled its obligation” and needed to be replaced by an integrated mission to give the Somali administration “a single door to knock on”.

“It looks like an ambitious plan and is probably the most significant engagement in Somalia by the UN in decades,”

The new mission, to be headed by a special representative of the Secretary-General would include, “the provision of policy advice to the Federal Government and AMISOM on peace-building and state-building in the areas of governance, security sector reform and rule of law (including the disengagement of combatants); development of a federal system (including preparations for elections in 2016); and coordination of international donor support.”

All the UN country teams, both political and humanitarian in Somalia, would be expected, with immediate effect, to coordinate all their activities with the head of the newly established mission. 

The office of the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia is expected to fall under the office of the special representative from the beginning January 2014.

What now for UNPOS and AMISOM?

With the creation of an integrated mission, UNPOS ceases to exist. Established in 1995 and headed by a special representative of the Secretary-General, UNPOS’s role was mainly political, facilitating political dialogue and peace-building activities. In his letter to the UNSC seeking the establishment of an integrated mission in Somalia, the Secretary-General said UNPOS had fulfilled its mandate and should “be dissolved and replaced by a new expanded special political mission as soon as possible”.

The Somalia Federal Government is largely propped up by the 18,000-strong AMISOM force.

A technical assistance mission to Somalia by the Secretary-General recommended in its report “use of local UN-contracted and trained security guards, the impending deployment of an AMISOM guard force in Mogadishu, and reliance on Somali National Security Forces (SNSF). If these are deemed insufficient, UN Guard Units or international private security companies could be utilized.”

AMISOM has always been involved in limited humanitarian assistance but it is not clear if this will continue with UNSOM.

The UNSC in its resolution, urges the newly appointed special representative to align closely with other stakeholders in Somalia, including UN country teams, the federal government, AMISOM, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the European Union and “other regional, bilateral and multilateral partners”.

Experts, say the success of UNSOM will depend on whether it aligns its operations with the different actors in Somalia, some of whom may have qualms about sharing their areas of expertise and/or influence.


“The number of pivotal actors dealing with Somalia has increased as of late, not least as new donors have come in and stepped up their support. Hence, if the international community is serious about UNSOM and would like to see it fulfil its mandate, actors need to be aligned behind UNSOM,” Dominik Balthasar, an expert on Somalia at Chatham House, told IRIN. “Yet, this might possibly be a hard bullet to bite for other actors such as AMISOM or IGAD, as the participation of UNSOM is likely to restrict the roles they have played thus far.”

Abdi Aynte, executive director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS), a Mogadishu-based think tank, said: “With respect to its relations with AMISOM, the hope is that they become mutually reinforcing [and] not mutually exclusive [since] AMISOM is widely viewed positively.”

What are the merits of UNSOM? 

UNSOM will merge the UN’s humanitarian and political operations in Somalia, providing an opportunity to harness the operational capacities of the many agencies into a single mission. 

“It looks like an ambitious plan and is probably the most significant engagement in Somalia by the UN in decades,” Cedric Barnes, director, Horn of Africa programmes at the International Crisis Group, told IRIN.

HIPS’s Aynte said the integrated mission will provide a single international community narrative on Somalia, something he says the Somalis have wanted for a long time.

A unification of the development and humanitarian pillars in Somalia, others have argued, would help marshal the much-needed international funding to remedy the situation in Somalia while also “creating coherence and unifying strategies”.

Elmi Ahmed Duale, Somalia’s ambassador to the UN, described the resolution as important and said it had ensured “there was only “one door” to knock on, “as opposed to fragmented approaches in coordinating assistance”. 

According to ICG’s Barnes, this will be dependent on how much the government is willing to cede in the new engagement.

“It would be interesting to see how this will play out with a government that might want to assert authority while at the same time fronting the issue of sovereignty,” Barnes added.

The fact that Al Shabab is listed as a terrorist group has made it difficult for many humanitarian agencies to have an engagement with it, at least for the purposes of offering humanitarian assistance in areas still under the group’s control.

Why the dissenting voices against UNSOM?

Humanitarians have voiced their concerns against merging humanitarian operations with political and military activities, arguing it would make their work in Somalia difficult as it runs the risk of delegitimizing humanitarian actors.

Photo: James Reinl/IRIN

In Somalia, 2.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance

“As many Somalis continue to struggle to obtain the basic necessities for survival, such as food, health care, and protection from violence, humanitarian assistance must remain a priority and it must remain completely independent of any political agenda,” Jerome Oberreit, secretary-general of Médecins Sans Frontières, said in a statement.

“The humanitarian aid system must not be co-opted as an implementing partner of counter-insurgency or stabilization efforts in Somalia,” he added. 

In March, InterAction, The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE), said in a joint statement that the decision risked jeopardizing the delivery of impartial humanitarian assistance in the country: “By requiring UN humanitarian coordination to fall under the political mandate of the new UN peace-building mission in Somalia, the neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian action will be compromised.” 

Russel Geekie, public information officer at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Somalia office, said: “The integration should not hamper the delivery of aid. In its most recent resolution on Somalia (SC resolution 2102, which follows up on 2093), the Security Council reiterated that impartial, neutral and independent humanitarian assistance must be ensured, wherever those in need are.” 

According Chatham House’s Balthasar, integrating humanitarian operations into the broader politico-military stabilization plans “runs the risk of constraining humanitarian space, but that this does not necessarily need to be the case. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that humanitarian aid has always been political and that it has frequently been instrumentalized by a wide variety of actors - not least by those who oppose the government.” With an eye towards the dynamics surrounding humanitarian space in Somalia, he added that ever since Al Shabab had been put on the back foot, humanitarian actors who had become accustomed to negotiating with the insurgents to deliver humanitarian aid lacked clarity over who was in control and how to safely deliver aid. 

“Basically, the political situation on the ground appears to have become more, rather than less, complicated. In this situation, devising an integrated mission might not be the worst of all options for the sake of prioritizing stability and the establishment of functioning structures of governance,” he added. 

ko/kr/oa/cb

Ethiopian pullingout from Hudur was repaced by Al-Shabab Somali Islamists

Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked insurgents, on the back foot after months of losses, are eyeing a potential withdrawal of arch-foe Ethiopia in the volatile southwest, raising security and humanitarian concerns.

Heavily armed Shebab fighters swept into the town of Hudur, capital of Bakool region, just hours after Ethiopia's surprise withdrawal from the town on Sunday.

Hot on the heels of the Ethiopians -- the strongest military power in the southwest region ever since their November 2011 invasion -- fled allied Somali militia forces and a column of some 2,000 terrified civilians.

Security sources say the withdrawal from Hudur could signal a wider pull out of Ethiopian forces including from the key city of Baidoa, warning that if this happens, the 17,000-strong African Union mission (AMISOM) would be hugely overstretched.

"Everything suggests Ethiopia is determined to withdraw from Baidoa" in coming days, a security source told AFP.

Ethiopia, which has repeatedly said it wishes to withdraw, is reportedly frustrated that its requests for AMISOM troops to take over its positions have been ignored.

"The Ethiopians have been talking for quite a while of how much they want to leave...so far it was seen more as a posture," said a source close to AMISOM, adding they were frustrated at how much the military operation was costing.

Whether Ethiopia continues to withdraw also depends on the reaction of the international community and whether the Shebab reoccupy the areas they pull out from, the source added.

The withdrawal from Hudur "is a reminder that what they do is of strategic importance and that the Shebab is not defeated," the source added.

Relations between Addis Ababa and the Somali government are also tense, with a parliamentary delegation travelling to Baidoa on Sunday in a bid to persuade Ethiopia not to leave, a humanitarian source there said.

Addis Ababa -- long seen as a traditional enemy of Somalia -- is a controversial presence in Somalia. Ethiopia entered Somalia in a 2006 US-backed invasion, but was driven out three years later by a bitter insurgency.

-- Major boost to Shebab morale ---

But while Shebab forces are weak and unable to hold out against the heavy weaponry of Ethiopia or AMISOM troops, Hudur's capture marked a sharp turnaround and a major boost to their morale.

Sources say that while their return to Hudur was expected, the speed with which they retook the town took many by surprise.

"If Al-Shebab reoccupy all the places Ethiopia withdraws from, it would change things," the AMISOM source said, adding that Hudur's rapid capture "clearly shows that holding ground is not enough to win over an insurgency."

AMISOM would struggle at its current capacity to take over Ethiopian positions, while Somali troops who worked closely with Ethiopian troops would not necessarily cooperate so well with other forces, sources said.

Hudur's capture, the Shebab's most important territorial victory for over a year, prompted jubilant celebrations amongst the Islamists, who vowed to "wage jihad" until total victory in messages posted on its Twitter account.

Top Shebab military commander Mukhtar Robow led the celebrations in the town.

So far, Hudur is the only major town Ethiopians have pulled out of, but with troops packing kit in Baidoa in apparent preparation to leave, many are worried as to the impact of a retreat.

Security sources say several thousand Ethiopian troops have dominated southwestern Somalia since their 2011 assault on Shebab bases in November 2011, shortly after Kenyan forces invaded Somalia from the far south.

Kenyan troops have since joined AMISOM. Ethiopian forces have remained separate, although they collaborate with the mission.

While AMISOM already have a significant force in Baidoa, reinforcements are battling to open up the final 50 kilometre (30 mile) stretch of road connecting the city with Mogadishu, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) to the southeast.

But given the large amount of Ethiopia's heavy equipment and weaponry based in Baidoa, troops would be unlikely to be able to stage a rapid pullout as they did in Hudur.

"The behaviour of the Ethiopians is ambiguous," another security source said, asking whether they were "really leaving or pretending?"

PressTV - Somalia tries to come out of the horror of civil war: Duale Yusuf

Somalia tries to come out of the horror of civil war: Duale Yusuf

Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:4PM GMT

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Interview with Duale Yusuf.

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Somalia has been pushed outside this operation and that’s why it’s failed. But if Somalia were given a chance to be part of this operation, Somalia would have a chance to come out of the horror of civil war.

What happened, the American brought over 25,000 troops with civilians who were armed already – without any police; there was no authority around and that was the biggest problem.

But now over 22 years later, we have experience, the time has changed. If America wants to change their tone... "

Related Viewpoints:

• US war machinery killing children

An analyst says, after two decades of violent US intervention and tribalism Somalia has the political and educational means to transcend into a civil society.

In the background of this after two decades of civil war and foreign intervention in Somalia it seemingly is emerging out of chaos with a new Constitution, a new parliament and new president and dreams of a civil future. During the past month a significant step has been made with formal relations being reestablished with the United States. US drone strikes in the country have continued to date as part of the counter terrorism policy and the war on terror has taken its toll by further deteriorating conditions in the country and exacerbating poverty and a humanitarian crisis in certain parts of Somalia. All attempts at self-determination by the Somali people have been sabotaged by the US and its regional allies, Kenya and Ethiopia, all in the name of foreign interests, as well as with local tribalism problems. So this sudden turn around by the United States to extend diplomacy and begin to involve Somalians in decisions about Somalia is being seen as a ray of hope.

Press TV has interviewed Duale Yusuf, foreign secretary of the Somali Unity Council about this issue. Joining him is Hassan Dudde, Director Somali Economic Forum, London and Said Mohamud Isse, freelance journalist & blogger from Kenya. The following is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What are your thoughts as you hear about American formerly shaking hands with Somalia for the first time in 20 years. Are you optimistic and trustful of the whole situation?

Yusuf: If we go back to 1992 when America invaded Somalia under operation ‘Restore Hope’, since that time we see a lot of difficulties Somalia has been facing.

When America invaded the country they didn’t start to help straight away to establish a form of police or legal framework.

Press TV: Indeed a lot of writers at the time noticed that Somalians weren’t even in the equation. When the Americans came the aid agencies were there and the Americans and the aid agencies were talking with the UN and other bodies about what to do for Somalia, but no Somalian was involved.

Yusuf: That is correct. Somalia has been pushed outside this operation and that’s why it’s failed. But if Somalia were given a chance to be part of this operation, Somalia would have a chance to come out of the horror of civil war.

What happened, the American brought over 25,000 troops with civilians who were armed already - without any police; there was no authority around and that was the biggest problem.

But now over 22 years later, we have experience, the time has changed. If America wants to change their tone... You know, one of the foreign secretaries - Rumsfeld said recently I think in 2008, 2009 that Somalia was a place of al-Qaeda...

Press TV: A place for al-Qaeda?

Yusuf: An al-Qaeda base, that’s what he said and I believed in it so if America is changing their mind today that would be brilliant. We welcome that.

Press TV: According to our other guest, Said Mohamud Isse, he says, “In 1993 in operation Restore Hope when American came to Somalia and that mission led Somalia for 20 years in conflict. That mission was supposed to help Somalis, but it led Somalia to suffer for so many years. Now this new occupation by America some Somalis believe it will lead to prosperity and stability in the country”. Do you agree with that?

Yusuf: I disagree with that. American drones are now inflicting more killing in Somalia and also the Kenyans and Ethiopians had a great support from the United States. As you know in 2006... Somalia had a 16 year civil war... When the Islamic Courts came up they cleaned out all the warlords and all tribalisms and life came back... but who destroyed that?

Ethiopia received military support and financial support. Ethiopia couldn’t invade Somalia without the support of the United States of America. Now in 2010 they also supported the Kenyan invasion in Somalia. There is no coverage of the killing and the destruction of Somalia.

So if America wants to have a good relationship they should... you know, Somalia is not a sovereign country today. Kenya occupied and violated the sovereignty of Somalia since 2010.

Press TV: We’ve got a lot of issue, which we’ve already outlined that the government needs to look at, but a lot of people may not be aware of the existence of a little place called Somaliland.

Do you see Somaliland as a bit of a model for Somalia to look to for inspiration as to how they may go forward? First of all explain what Somaliland is for those who don’t know.

Yusuf: Somaliland is the north of Somalia, which was declared after the collapse of the central government in 1991.

But there are a lot of disagreement because Somalia are tribes and the cause of the problem for the last 22 years is the tribalism. And if we didn’t have that we would now have a functioning government.

But the problem is that unless the clans who live in that area unite and form a government called Somaliland, it would be very difficult. The majority of Somalians, we want to unite - as the United Kingdom always combined together.

Scotland wants to be independent from Britain, but still the British are saying we need to be united because of our economy and we are stronger. So we as Somalians we need to be united.

Press TV: So you mean to incorporate Somaliland into one big Somalia?

Yusuf: Absolutely. Another thing is for it to be Somali-led. We don’t want a foreign intervention anymore. If the Somalians led the international community, Somalians - patriots, we can build again our country because those previous problems are now fading away. Tribalism is, inshallah, fading away and this president is trying to combine the hearts and minds of all parts of Somalia.

But remember - 22 years of conflict - it devastated the land and the international community neglected Somalia including the United States. And the Arab Muslims, too. We don’t only blame the West, but Muslim countries as well. But mostly who we blame is Somalia. Now is the time that we must recognize that unless we help ourselves, no one is going to help.

Press TV: In terms of the practicalities of making this happen there is a huge expatriate community in the diaspora who’ve got some wonderful ideas, but the hard reality on the ground for Somalians in Somalia is: we are still dealing with poverty; there are still concerns about al-Shabab; there are issues of press freedom; the different tribal issues that you discussed...

So, what would you say to a Somalian in Somali right now? You have optimism, but they may say because you’re outside, fine for you.

Yusuf: I think it comes down to leadership. Somalia has lacked a leader for the last 20 years and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud looks like a new leader, optimistic, educated person and has come from a background of civil society and he is willing to listen.

I met him a few days ago, with the president himself, and we talked about how we’re going to change and how we’re going to solve all of these problems. We have talked about a lot of issues and he is ready to work with the diaspora and the people at home.

The first problem we need to fight is poverty. Secondly, peace and reconciliation among all Somalians. The third phase is to establish work, people have to be provided with jobs, employment. And these three things will destroy any difference among the community and all terrorism around the country. And the younger generation - we have more graduated Africans than any African country.

So now we are well-equipped in education, well-equipped in experience of difficulties so here is the time we want to change the hearts and minds of all tribalism. That’s why we call for Somalia unity, that’s why we want to work with the president with the community to support each other. Let Somalians support each other with the president and with the community so Somalia can come out of these difficulties.

We are ready to govern our lives, our future and that’s what we want for the next years to come. 

Somali army recruits to be trained in Somalia [501822938] | The Africa Report.com

Posted on Monday, 04 February 2013 16:11

Somali army recruits to be trained in Somalia

  

AT LEAST 3,000 SOMALI RECRUITS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN UGANDA SINCE 2010/PHOTO©REUTERS

Somalia will soon start training its military recruits in its own territory after years of them being trained in Uganda.

European Union head of delegation in Uganda, Roberto Ridolfi, said with effect from this year the training will be conducted in Somalia.

"The mission will progressively move to Mogadishu to have a greater impact on the security sector. The mission will also advise Somali authorities within the ministry of defence and contribute to capacity and institutional building" Ridolfi said.

At least 3,000 Somali recruits have been trained in Uganda since the exercise started in 2010.

The most recent batch of 551 Somali army recruits held a pass out parade last Friday evening at Bihanga military training school, 400 kilometres west of Ugandan capital, Kampala.

The new recruits have undergone an intensive training conducted by both the Uganda People's Defence Force and the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) and are expected to constitute part of the Somalia national army infantry, deployed to fight Al-Shabab insurgents.

They will be deployed in the field as soon as they get back to their home country.

Currently troops from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Ethiopia are fighting the Al Shabab in Somalia alongside the Somali army.

Somalia's Deputy Defence Minister, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud hailed the AMISOM troops in his country for restoring peace and stability in the country which has been in turmoil since 1992.

Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Somali army recruits to be trained in Somalia [501822938] | The Africa Report.com 
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Ethiopia: British MP Denies UK funding the Notorious Liyuu Police Force

Somalilandsun - British MP responds to Guardian Report accusing the government of funding the Liyuu police force as misleading.

Lynne Featherstone MP said " Not a penny of British money will go to the Liyuu force. We take human rights extremely seriously and recognise that reform of the special police is critical for achieving a safe and secure Somali region. That's why we are discussing with UN partners how we might work together to improve the police's human rights record. This is something that Human Rights Watch has called for. The Peace and Development programme as a whole will help over 300,000 people get access to safe, clean water, give thousands of young people an education and help 700,000 people get a job and earn an income. This is in addition to the hundreds of thousands of people who will receive better access to justice and security. The Somali region of Ethiopia is one of the most deprived areas in the country. This programme is intended to create the conditions they need to lift themselves out of poverty. "

Lynne Featherstone MP is the International development minister

Ethiopia, Kenya decided to takeover Somalia

---

Mareeg.com-In implementing their recently concluded regional security cooperation agreement and reaffirming their indefinite military occupation of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya have decided to takeover and perhaps later annex Somalia under the cover of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).  Since only Ethiopia exercises uncontested power within the Organization, on December 6, 2012, IGAD Joint Committee of Ethiopia and Kenya under the auspices of former Kenyan Minister, Mr. Kipruto Arap Kirwa, IGAD Facilitator for Somalia Peace and Reconciliation (IFSPR), issued a statement and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Grand Stabilization plan (GSP) for South and Central Somalia.

As explained in the prerelease statement, the GSP covers political reconciliation, local administration, national security, rule of law, and delivery of necessary assistance to communities in need. In addition to Ethiopia and Kenya, a Somali team liaised with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia and led by former head of the Somali National Security Services (SNSS), General Mohamed Sheikh Hassan attended the IGAD Joint Committee deliberations in Addis Ababa. It is not clear if the new federal government had full knowledge of the team’s existence, working responsibilities and accountability.

The Office of IFSPR is independent from IGAD’s Secretariat. The IGAD Facilitator is based in Addis Ababa, while the IGAD Secretariat is based in Djibouti. For further background information, on April 28, 2010, aMemorandum of Understanding on Somalia has been signed among AMISOM, UNPOS, and IGAD Facilitator. This tripartite MoU marginalizes IGAD Executive Secretary, Inj. Mahboub Maalim who is of a Somali-Kenyan origin from Somalia peace process.

The new IGAD Joint Committee initiative takes place while the international community- the donor countries, the United Nations, the Arab league, the Organization of Islamic Countries and the African Union are reviewing their strategic cooperation with the newly elected post transitional federal government in the light of the decisions reached during the Mini Summit held in New York in September 2012. Furthermore, it comes out after the first official visit of the president of the federal government, Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Ethiopia and Djibouti and in the midst of his official visit to Turkey with which the federal government has signed important economic and security agreements.

Fortunately with unblinking honesty, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG), Peter de Clercq published a brief titled “What next for the United Nations in Somalia?” in the Tumblr blog of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in which he highlighted the ongoing strategic review process dictated by the new political dispensation. While reading the brief is more informative, the DSRGS made the following critical points:

5. That the federal Government has sought UN and AU support for rebuilding the security apparatus (national army and police force), rebuilding a credible judiciary system, implementing a decentralization and local/regional administrations as well as undertaking a comprehensive capacity building of Somali Institutions;
5. That the UN has committed to align itself along the “six pillars” plan announced by the President of Somalia and the new UN mission will concentrate on state and peace building. He quoted President Hassan Mohamud saying to the UN Review Mission: “If you don’t start treating us as a viable State, we will never become one.”
5. Finally that the ambitions of the new administration match the challenges ahead and that the administration has asked a space to think through and implement the new strategy laid out by the president in his “six pillars” strategy.

It is absolutely buoyant to see that an official of UNPOS is capable to voice such a rightful and honest statement in opportune time so that the end of transition would not be a farce. The DSRSG argued forcefully that “peace building is a complex business, but not giving this important [Somali] initiative a chance brings even bigger risks.” Time will tell if his views are embraced wholeheartedly and implemented without delay by his leaders. 

Rather than reinforcing the message of his deputy and five days before the signing of the MoU in Nairobi, Kenya planned for December 13, 2012, the SRGS, Dr. Augustine Mahiga, issued a statement  in which he welcomed the IGAD Facilitator Initiative for Somalia. The assertion that the new initiative is a Somali-owned, led process is far from the truth.

The content of MoU raises many questions and concerns. It consists of a preamble and 9 articles. The preamble stresses the threat of terrorism, threats of State, human insecurities, other emerging security concerns, commitment of government of Somalia to work within IGAD’s framework and stabilization, and the “required partnership engagement” for greater stability in Somalia. Article 5 of the MoU overrides and restricts the constitutional, political and administrative responsibilities, prerogative and citizens’ relationship of the Somali Government.

First and foremost, the MoU delegitimizes the federal government and pre-empts its sovereign leadership role in the internal and external affairs of Somalia. It attempts to completely abort the prospect of the international efforts geared towards statebuilding and peacebuilding in Somalia. It is takeover, not support of Somalia. Above all, it ignores the political arrangement created by the adoption of the provisional constitution, the ending of the transitional period and the rehabilitation of Somali State in accordance with the political platform announced by the new Government.

Other glaring shortcomings of the MoU include the exclusion of Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Burundi, and the empowerment of IGAD Facilitator over UN/AU Facilitators. The MoU creates multiple overlaps and weakens the centrally guided and coordinated implementation of the approved Somali National Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP), which outlines in detail the establishment of complex structures at national, regional and district levels and the legislations required to create a secure and safer Somalia. These tasks fall under the jurisdiction of the President, Federal Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

During his first visit to Kenya in November 2012, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia stated that his country views Kenya as a strategic all-weather partner and friend in a troubled region. He also defended Kenya’s direct control of the process for setting up administrations in Jubba and Gedo regions in violation of Somali sovereignty, provisional constitution and UN resolutions.

It is interesting to see if the international community and the United Nations are willing to go along with the Ethiopian and Kenyan takeover of Somalia in violation of the latter’s independent self-governance and political transformation. The Ethiopian bid to secure its regional power role at a time of state failure, civil conflicts and undemocratic regimes in power could be potentially a destabilizing factor rather than a stabilizing power in the region.

As a matter of urgency, the federal government has to streamline its strategic dealing with the international community, develop and practice protocols and procedures for uprooting its internal dysfunctional behavior and creating disciplined working habit that will strengthen its decision making and execution process. The basis of this reform must be the development of a national political platform that will boost national loyalty to a clear domestic and foreign policy agenda. In a nutshell, to diminish the unwarranted external influences and interferences, the federal government must act quickly by mobilizing the public awareness on citizenship, sense of patriotism, justice, social harmony and common interests.

Mr. Mohamud M Uluso

mohamuduluso@gmail.com

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