Somali leaders' feud causing "serious complications" - Ethiopia

The peace process in Somalia continues to face serious complications from developments which are causing friends of Somalia serious unhappiness, almost to the point of losing hope.



The latest difficulties relate to misunderstandings within the TFG [Transitional Federal Government], particularly between the president and the prime minister.



Regrettably, this is taking place at a time when, from all indications, there were reasons for optimism. First of all, the Djibouti [peace] process has continued to move forward. Following the Djibouti Agreement of 9 June [2008], a meeting took place last weekend in Djibouti and the Joint Security and High-Level Committees called for under the agreement held their first sessions.



Genuine reconciliation



Real possibilities for genuine reconciliation between the two sides associated with the Djibouti process from the beginning have been apparent. What was achieved in Djibouti last weekend was a confirmation of this positive trend within the peace process. The meeting between the representatives of the TFG and the ARS [opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia] concluded with the formal signing of the agreement reached on 9 June, and with the issue of a communique which laid out the terms of reference for the High Level and Joint Security Committees.



Both sides expressed optimism over the meeting which largely dealt with practical details, including the delivery of humanitarian assistance for which both sides agreed to do everything possible to ensure there should be no interference.



Meanwhile, on Tuesday [19 August], the UN Security Council authorized a further six months extension for the activities of AMISOM [African Mission in Somalia] in Somalia. In a unanimous resolution, the Security Council also asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to work with the AU to strengthen UN logistical, political and technical support to help bring AMISOM up to UN standards. It also stated a willingness to consider at an appropriate time "a peacekeeping operation to take over from AMISOM, subject to progress in the political process and improvement in the security situation on the ground".



Upsurge of unnecessary problems



Paradoxically, therefore, what has been happening over the last week or so has been significant progress in the peace process on the one hand, in Djibouti, while on the other, there has been an upsurge of unnecessary problems between the president and prime minister. Inevitably, the rift between the two top officials of the TFG has had an impact on the general situation in Somalia.



Unfortunate repercussions



Indeed, as Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum told the Financial Times this week it is the biggest obstacle to peace. Minister Seyoum said it was "an inter-government crisis that is preventing them from focusing on the tasks they need to get done. There has been a lack of vigour, and if I may say so, a lack of commitment". Minister Seyoum added that for the president and prime minister to create a durable peace, they needed to implement the plans to create regional administrations that would give a greater stake in government and potentially help to reconcile the warring clans. In fact, there is no doubt that the rift between the president and the prime minister, together with the anger displayed by the Asmara-based opposition group over the progress of the Djibouti Agreement and the peace process, has had unfortunate repercussions on the general situation on the ground. Underlining this have been three serious confrontations this week between Al-Shabab and TFG forces.



Little progress in resolving dispute



The presence of the president, the prime minister and the speaker of parliament for talks in Addis Ababa for all of a week indicates there has yet been little progress in resolving the dispute. While it still may not be possible to say when their discussions will end, there is no doubt they are at a critical point. The bottom line is that the peace process in Somalia can have no future unless the president, the prime minister and the speaker can work together.



President, premier trying to remove each other



While the people of Somalia, for sure, are losing, the only people who benefit from their disagreements are Al-Shabab or the Asmara-based opposition. Indeed, progress within the time remaining for completion of the peace process and of the charter is only possible if the president and the prime minister stop trying to remove each other. Neither can do so. They have a symbiotic relationship. However, one has to ask if the top officials cannot work together, how can they effectively undertake negotiations with an opposition with whom they have far greater philosophical and ideological differences than with each other.

somalia

English Orientalist Richard Burton and English Colonialism denounced by Patriotic

As I promised, following the publication of R. Burton´s itinerary to Harar, I intendto answer many questions that I have received from readers, and publish severalcomments. I believe that 19th and 20th century colonial literature is one of themany instruments that can help Somalis find out that there are much more elements tounite than to separate them.In a society organized in tribes, and with historical pride running high for everytribe´s members, there has to be an Islamic Empire to forge a real unity around afaith and a culture, a civilization and a science, a philosophy and an art that haveby now gone. It would be great for the Somalis to focus and analyze why there wereno fratricide antagonisms at the times of the Awdal Empire. The exploration of thesubject and the conclusions drawn would be able to forge a new unity – again. Thetruth is that when one focuses on the positive aspect of things, one always wins;and whenever the accent is placed on the negative elements, disaster comes.This is the real way out of today´s Somali quagmire; differences must be put aside.Past discords must be forgotten; variance of opinion and approach must be thought ofas an advantage; and minimal consensus must be sought after as a first step forobliteration of the bad memories. by Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin MegalommatisIn this procedure, great focus must be made on the great 4-millennia long SomaliHistory, which is incomparably more glorious, more magnificent and more dominantthan the poor and mean past of the barbaric enemies of Somalia.Under various names, Punt, the Other Berberia, Azania and Somalia, the Horn ofAfrica land was always free of vandals and barbaric ruffians who however have beentargeting Somalia´s glory, wealth and civilization for hundreds of years. The reasonSomalia´s enemies acted like this is simple: they always knew how much lower, lewderand paltrier they had been. That is why the racist and barbaric Abyssinians tried –with the support of the criminal colonial English – to usurp or minimize pages ofSomali History, ages of high Somali culture and centuries of sophisticated Somalicivilization. The due Somali patriotic reaction to the Abyssinian pestilence shouldnot be limited to the political and the military levels only; it must encompasssectors like Education, Culture and African History and Humanities. The Somalicommitment to defending the Somali History will bring all the Somalis closer. Then,the various previous excesses of intra-Somali dialogue,the rancor, the grievance and the complaint will simply gradually be forgotten.Starting a series of articles dedicated to comments on R. Burton´s itinerary,misunderstandings, misconceptions, and racist attitude, I want to publish apertinent comment sent to me by an erudite and patriotic Somali, Mr. Mohamed A.Awale. I publish his comment integrally, and find his remarks pertinent andperspicacious. In addition, I think it is very interesting that his greatgrandfather may have met Richard Burton in Zaila!Richard Burton´s Inconsistencies and Anti-Somali PrejudicesBy Mohamed A. AwaleKudos for Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin MegalommatisCongratulation doctor for your always insightful and interesting comments! Sorryabout my last criticism. May be it was unfair and too harsh. After all, I read yourwell intentioned rebuttal about it and I enjoyed every bit. There is no hard feelingon my part whatsoever.Further, I read with great interest your latest and timely analysis on RichardBurton´s (the notorious bigot and British colonial spy) scandalous material aboutSomali and their territory. I read some parts of the book few years ago and couldn´tbelieve how insulting and bigotry it was. Worse yet, as you aptly pointed out, hiswork was a bible for every colonial midget who interested to exploit and subjugateSomalis back then. Overall, 70 % of what he said about Somalis culture, linguistic,socio-economic and religious practice was fabricated and exaggerated in order to setthe tone for colonial supremacist plots. Obviously he was spy, coward and thief tothe land as he confesses himself and thus no one of his right mind should expect himsome objective and scholarly quality material. Unfortunately, Burton has alreadydone some indelible damage in terms of exploitation, enmity and unnecessary divisionamong Somalis.On the whole, I found (explicitly or implicitly) the following blunders,contradictions and ignorance comments in his scribblingHe resented Somalis race due to their fierce independent and egalitarian nature plusIslamic heritage.He resented them because no one (except spies like Sharmarke and inner-circle)treated like imperial master as he couldn´t dare to tell anyone else his trueidentity. He felt belittled and humiliated beyond comprehension.He expected to get free service or slave labour or even raid on their shoulders ascolonialist used to do in many parts of Africa, Asia and Americas, i.e. Abans orguides and helpers, but Somalis couldn´t care less and that is why Burtonunderstandably cursed and disparaged them.His notes were all about exploitation and sowing enmity among clan lineages and thiswasn´t coincidence at all since his Victorian masters expected nothing less from himto implement a devious colonial scheme of "divide and rule" in east Africa.Part of the scheme was already in place and it was made in Aden. The British wasalready supplanted one particular non-local, Somali sub-sub-sub-clan of Isaaq fromBuroa (e.g. Haber Yonis) where the Bogus sultan Sharmarke, End Time, Ibn Hamal,Guled et. al was all small-time agents of the same close-knit family. This group wasuseful idiots, as Stalin used to say ( most trusted and promoted, etc. by colonials)till independence of the North Somalia in1960He mostly cursed and badmouthed local clans, namely Gadabursi, Isaas and others thatkept him stranded in Zaila and held sway his travel. The decoy and fake Sharmarkelegitimacy was not extended beyond the walls of Zaila. He has to beg, cheat andbribe all the way through other true leaders of the land of Ugases and Garads.He contradicts most of his writing: He called Somalis as a hypocrites andtreacherous while at same time he talked about their shallowness and brainless. Hetalked about war-like people that could be good soldiers and next time he ridiculedas incompetent race. At one point he complained about greedy and picky people whilenext line he talked about the free food and hospitality they gave. In another pointhe talked about their ugly African features and then how some parts of their bodyanatomies were exceptional. He talks about wild sexual behaviour or some weirdpolygamist who had 10 wives (white lie) but we now Somali are very conservative tothis date and so forth.His enmity toward the Gadabursi group usually stems from two things (1) these grouphad long history of civilization and/or they were prominent group in Zaila andBulahar coast and allies of the Turks administration before its influence wasweakened and he was suspicious about their loyalty for the imperial Britain (2)Burton had definitely some information fed by their rivals -- mainly Isaqsinformants & co of the British colonial loyalist. His bias against them is not onlylimited to bad-mouthing but he also said something about their territories byassigning to other tribes. For instance, most of his en route to and from Harare(from Koraale to Marar) Burton spent in their territory. He may encountered fewcaravans, but there is no other Somali group inhabits between Gadabursi/Giri borderto this date. H. Awal is far to the east side and Issa is to the west side.His ignoramus came to the open when he talked the cause of malaria and its source.He said that Somalis superstitiously attributes its source to the mosquitoes thatlives in the wet habitat. Somalis were right about this but Europeans didn´t haveany idea at that time. He also ridiculed at first how locals used butter and greasystuff as cream against the sun burn and insect bites, he applied himself later andhe felt the benefit. Isn´t that cream stuff common thing Europeans in North Americathese days? How much this man prejudiced, pathologically liar and oxymoronic wasbeyond one´s imagination.All in all, Burton was ultimate bigot, arrogant, oxymoron, ignorant and ruthlessColonialist foot soldier. Nothing less would describe his work, prejudices andattitude toward Somalis and other Africans.Note: my grandfather from Gadabursi, Awale, was born and grew up in Zaila at the endof the 19th century and his father (Farah) was probably among the folks who met Mr.Burton at mosque and streets.Thank you!Mohamed A. AwaleMoe-awale@hotmail.com