By FRED OLUOCH | The East African
The insecurity in Somalia is fast threatening regional peace, with calls for international intervention to avert a continental crisis.
Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti are at most risk because of their porous borders, the proliferation of small arms and the ongoing recruitment of young people from these countries into the Al-Shabaab militia.
As the militia group pull off a flurry of takeovers of areas previously controlled by the government, the United Nations-supported African Mission in Somalia (Amisom) are in danger of being overwhelmed.
While Al-Shabaab is getting stronger, the Sheikh Sharif Ahmed-led transitional government currently controls only two of the 16 districts in Mogadishu — Wadajir and Darkabley.
Al-Shabaab’s strongholds are Bakara market, Heliwa, Yaqshid.
Amison controls the airport, the seaport and the area around the presidential palace.
President Sheikh Shariff Ahmed, Speaker of the National Assembly Osman Elmi Boqore and the Prime Minister Omar Abdulrashid Sharmarke are all guarded around the clock by Amisom.
According to the director of communications at State House, Abdulkadir Osman, the crisis in Somalia is getting out of hand and the international community should assist the country with both logistics and finance to save the region from possible anarchy.
“If we fail to contain the Al-Shabaab, it will be hard for the continent and the world to restore peace in the region,” said Mr Osman.
“We need financial support to train our armed forces and the intelligence in order to stand on our own feet,” said Mr Osman
Morale is low among government soldiers as most must go without pay.
Meanwhile, some officials are supplying Al-Shabaab with arms diverted from the government troops.
Recently, Kenyan authorities arrested seven Somali nationals at Kilindini harbour with an assortment of arms including rocket launchers, grenades and AK-47s, clear evidence that small arms from the war-torn Horn of Africa country are already flowing within the region.
Despite the threat, Kenya and Ethiopia, as the frontline states, were barred by the 2004 peace agreement from direct military intervention in Somalia because of conflict of interest.
The Ethiopian intervention in 2006 went against this mutual agreement.
5 thoughts on “Somalia threatens to degenerate”
this is expected. When you have Jendayi Frazer (overflown with killer instinct), and Weyane (hungry with money) and the people around (careless about their existence), you have Somalia as a result.
If the United States did support friendly tyrants like Barre, Somalia would have been in a better situation by now. It is very unfortunate but the truth is that you (the WEST) and your collaborator Meles are not interested in people but in staying in power and profit.
If there is an interest for peace and stability in Somalia or elsewhere the WEST should change its foreign policy of supporting “friendly tyrants” who are in a real sense enemies of their people.
As long as woy-ane is in power it should be accepted fact that there will be unrest in Ethiopia. The reason for the unrest is not al-shebal or eriterea, it is woyane and its agame minions. As soon as woyane got the power it was forecasted that these s—group of bandits; leave alone to build a nation they are not able to build a village. Agames don’t care about Ethiopia. Agames care and worship only the mighty dollar. Historically they are the first to sell out. For that matter check the history of the english invasion, the italian invasion, they sold out their grand father the shaabians. What more can you ask.
The true sons (men and women) of Somalia fighting under weak or strong, those who are or are not in power should come together, reach mutual understanding and compromise and reconstitute a coalition government as a transition to democratic election to save the county and the people.
All who are fighting for Somalia must show the willingness and make the effort whether accepted or not convince their neighbors and the West that at least the we Somalis will not work against the interest of the former. I understand that no matter how much the people of the Somali love and elect, there are some groups that the West would not like to see to come to power even by democratic election.
In spite of that such Somali groups should officially declare that they would like to work toward an election under UN, AU supervision, respect the current international boundaries, work for regional stability even if the seize power in Somalia or most part of Somalia. I think such declaration will at least give better clout for diplomacy and lobbing.
We Somalis can not afford for our current power position, anger, contempt, vengeance etc tempt us to throw the people of Somalia to further suffering. We all want better future for Somalia, the difference is our view how to get to that future, let us keep in mind that because we all are dying for the same cause. So let us realize that and stop serving our enemies, ego, retribution…
In unity we win in discord we lose.
The Meles Seitanawi’s regime wants to see Somalia destabilized so that he could get a call from Washington to stabilize Somalia and with that call a few million American dollars. This is the political shenanigan Meles Seitanawi has been playing with the West all these years, and in order to win the coming 2010 Ethiopian election, Meles could do anything the West wants him to do, and that is why he betrayed the African states in Copenhagen.