Somalia show must go on, despite explosions
Blogged by: Matthew Russell Lee
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
Migrants who say they're from war-torn Somalia are rescued in Malta. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
"Even if a nuclear bomb explodes in Mogadishu, the conference will happen as scheduled," the president of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has been quoted saying. He's talking about the National Reconciliation Congress slated to begin on July 15, after being postponed twice.
One man's hubris is another's strong leadership.
But there's a good reason for this "the show must go on" attitude. If the conference were postponed another time, not only the TFG's credibility but also its funding might dry up.
The TFG conference organisers' requested $32.7 million at the United Nations for the reconciliation process, and so far at least $8.2 million has been committed.
And so, defying bombs - nuclear or otherwise - President Yusuf says the conference will begin. Since the influx of conference attendees will make Mogadishu what one source called a "rich target" for insurgents, many traditional elders from elsewhere in Somalia now say they will not attend. Some TFG ministers and parliamentarians haven't even visited Mogadishu yet, and they're unlikely to turn up now.
That's despite half a million dollars going on security. It's for "gate scans, hand-held detectors and walkie-talkies", according to a copy of the requested budget provided by sources who obtained it directly from the government in Mogadishu.
Conferences are expensive, the budget shows. Another $4.5 million is listed for accommodation and catering, and $150,000 for "fuel and lubricants," presumably motor oil.
An attendee of the confab in Nairobi when the TFG was formed says that the phones were eventually removed from the meeting location, after a bill of over $1 million was run up. In this case, the organisers have requested funds for "organisation of poetry and drama scripts and organisation of theatre" as part of a $2 million reconciliation and communications package.
Some question whether the congress organisers have been inclusive enough. The Hawiye clan, which is demographically dominant in Mogadishu, has been disproportionately excluded. And so have Somali nationalists, who previously sided with the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which controlled south and central Somalia until being chased out by Ethiopian troops in December. ICU chairman Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed has not been invited.
Enmity between Ethiopia and Somalia began long before the ICU's rise, rivalling or exceeding, for example, anti-American sentiment in Iraq. TFG leaders' reliance on and praise of the Ethiopian military inevitably makes them a target.
A new amnesty was recently offered to anyone those who would stop opposing the TFG, in an attempt to bring about belated buy-in to the conference. Sceptics point out that despite previous amnesty offers - after the TFG and Ethiopian troops took Mogadishu, and in the previous run-ups to ultimately postponed reconciliation meetings - detentions of dissenters continued, and there have been claims of ransoms extracted from their extended families, even outside of Somalia.
And where is the money for the conference coming from? The $8 million that TFG Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi said had been pledged by the end of June for the conference has been donated by Britain, the European Union, Norway and the United States.
The U.S. contribution is $1.25 million, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
The U.N. says it's contributed $200,000 for the conference, and is helping with security for the conference.
Apparently financial support is being provided in phases, to give an incentive to move through each stage and into the next. So, the show must go on.
U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, asked to comment on a Reuters report of public executions by the TFG, said that "the U.N. will not tolerate it." Whether and how Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon conveys this message to the TFG has yet to be seen.
Another factor undermining the conference is that many of the TFG's ministers and parliamentarians are not allowed to leave the country, so those who have managed to get out - even on official business - are reluctant to return, including for this important meeting.
When Gedi visited the United Nations in June, we asked whether Somali media reports about parliamentarians not being allowed to leave were accurate. First he said it was "truthless", but when some specific names came up in a press conference - parliamentarians Osman Ali Hassan Atto and Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig - Gedi acknowledged they had not been allowed out of the country.
"You cannot just overnight go to the airport" and say you want to leave, Gedi said. "They didn't have permission from parliament."
While only the most "trusted" members of the TFG parliament are allowed to travel outside the country, the inclusiveness of the reconciliation congress is in doubt. But as they say in the theatre, the show must go on.
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10 responses to “Somalia show must go on, despite explosions”
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16 Jul 2007 15:39:59 GMT
Insightful article that explains, with detailed supporting facts, the National Reconciliation Congress in Somalia, the US and European role. It is clear that this so-called reconciliation conference is a way to claim that the West is working towards peace in Somalia after Vetoing Qatar's UN Resolution condemning the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. Both the donors and the participants know the result of the conference will be inconsequential.
Great analysis and very informative article.16 Jul 2007 17:10:56 GMT
What could a group that came on the back of Somali Arch-enemy, Ethopia contribute to the peace and the stability of Somalia? As you have correctly pointed out, this so-called goverment extorts, detains and arbitrarily executes the civilian population. The West, in covering up for the murderous agenda of the warmongerer administration in the US, is helping organize a sham reconcillation conference. A more realistic reconcillation conference can take place if the Somalis are given the chance to talk to one another without foreign intervention. We had true peace and prosperisty in the six short months that the UIC were in power in much of Southern Somalia even though the US alleged them to have terrorist ties. They routed the warlords, facilitated business, and restored law and order. Such astounding achievements would be possible without the populace's support. Somalia needs Somali-made solution.
16 Jul 2007 19:03:56 GMT
This farcical conference is yet another attempt by the enemies of Somalia and their collaborators to deceive the world opinion, and the poor folks of Somalia, whom have been led to believe that Somaliaâs problems are being solved. These shenanigans orchestrated by the Ethiopians and their minions, would only exacerbate the violence and insecurity of our impoverished nation. The conference is discredited with its organisers who are neither impartial nor have been given clean bill of health by the Somali people. Long live Somali freedom. Abdullahi Jamacshire
16 Jul 2007 21:26:33 GMT
Since they lead to our country to our worst enemy, the people in the south are subjected to killing, humiliation destruction, looting, mass displacement and the like. TFG are implementing Ethiopiaâs agenda and put the country under the worst and ugliest occupation, after along anarchy, most of the poor Somaliâs are too weak and too frighten to fight, yet the puppets and the occupiers will not rest in Somali let alone the show to go on, and those who are funding the killers have blood in their hands.
17 Jul 2007 09:28:04 GMT
This show is a sham to swindle some funds from the international community. It is a conference for clan cheerleaders. The Somali clans and sub-clans have no enemity or hatred for each other. The conflict is political and as long as the warlords in the government have this unconditional support from USA, they will keep their killing spree, continous destruction of properties and people. None of the real peace-brokers such as the diaspora groups, civil societies inside Somalia, women groups and human rights activists are taking part this sham conference. None of the real stake-holders such as sections of the largest Somali clan Hawiye and also clans from Somaliland are taking part. The Islamists have boycotted, the prominent Ayr sub-clan is not attending and without their involvement in the power-sharing, Mogadishu will know no peace no matter how many large contingents of foreign forces are deployed in Mogadishu. Actually this warlord government is only supported by few die-hard clan bigots belonging to that of the warlord president and the inept Prime Minister. Ali Mahdi is the prime architect of the Somali civil war along the late Mohammed Farah Aideed. He is a divider and embezzler not a man of integrity. The west and the UN should empower Somali professionals, scholars, technocrats living in western countries. They should empower all the comptent westernized Somalis in the Diaspora and in the civil society. They should order Ethiopia and its dictator to get out of Somalia and let Somalis be led by not warlords but peace-brokers.
17 Jul 2007 09:35:03 GMT
Naturally undemocratic and civilized mob of Ethiopia cannot teach democracy to people whom are naturally born democracy. Somalis have well-to-do customary conflict resolution mechanism. Then if the world community are preach peace for Somalia why they breach the effective norms of society.
They wish not peace for Somali but butchering them17 Jul 2007 09:35:52 GMT
I am very optomistic that the reconciliation congress that has opened in Mogadisho will produce good results. The Somali people need reconciliation, they need a lasting peace, they are tired of wars and hostilities. All Somali clans are taking part in this congress, all clans are keen on looking for peace. The president announced amnesty for all his enemies, so this all shows that a readiness of peace is appearing on the corner.
18 Jul 2007 13:17:11 GMT
The Somali peace forum will succeed, the small grenade explosions in Bakara market and so called Aways street can not scare the whole nation, the TFG will chair the reconciliation but everyone will be free to discus any subject he/she wish, whether you call it puppets or pro-Ethiopia, TFG is the only functioning administration in the county. Let our people enjoy with the stability provided by their government, donât disturb!!! shuuush
23 Jul 2007 17:51:31 GMT
As you stated in your article, things in somalia seems fragile. In consideration of the Somali people and thier country, somalia is under attach from what is called somali transitional government backed by the long time enemy (Ethiopia). One thing that the international world is to be aware of is that Ethiopia is not a democratic country but only dictatorship led by Malazanawi. The question is how dictatorship and democratic government can restore peace and democratic system to another country? It is never gonna happen!!. I aslo wonder what the international community intend to resolve Somalian problems. Let me gues, I think they intend that peace and stability in wartorn nation (Somalia)should never be achieved in any form. Any forgein intervention will deteriorate the current situation in somalia. Therefore, Somalia needs free from any forgien involvement in terms of somali internal affiars. As long as Ethoipian troops are patrol! ing in the streets in Somalia, peace and stability will never previal but worsening the current situation. The only solution is to let the ethoipians out of Somalia and leave the internal affairs upto the somalis themselves.
21 Sep 2007 16:05:32 GMT
The problem with people like Mathew Lee is their urgent need for a genuine story gets hijacked by the limited sources they have. In the case of Somalia those who caused and benifited from the continuation of the lawlessness, misery, death, destituition, disease and distruction of a nation-state in the 21st century have perfected their supply lines of feeding their humbug and distorted and biased news to the world forums directly and indirectly. Well the moment of truth has arrived. And though very slow it eventually cachtes-up. There was no TFG or Ethiopian troops for the last 17 years. The victim mentality of the evil doers is a common theme in Africa. But the failure of those used in this web of deceptions always fail to ask these self righteuos, self-appointed hate crusaders where were they for the last 17 years. What did they do about the misery and disappearance of a nation. How many did they kill directly or indirectly by either paying for the killing operations or contributing to the incitement of hate among the most homogenius nation-state in Africa. Somali is one of the more than 1000 One Thousand) tribes of Africa. Some African countries such as Congo and South Africa have more than 100 (one hundred) tribes and more than two official languages. Still they exist as nations. Somalis are one tribe with many clans most of whom are poor, illiterate and warmongers but at the same time pious, proud, kind and generous. May the voices of love, peace and reason prevail. Amen