DOES SOMALILAND EXIST?
By a day trader | Published: 2009/12/16 As it turns out, not a single nation in the world has recognized Somaliland, despite the fact that they have been a coherent, peaceful and remarkably democratic country for 12 years now. That didn’t quite explain it for me, and so I went digging. I found lots of good reasons to recognize Somaliland, but very few reasons not to. Here’s an article outlining the situation. Somaliland is democratic, peaceful and abides by the rule of law. An article written nearly a year and a half ago for the Somaliland Forum outlines the reasons the US should recognize Somaliland: 1- From all indications, terrorism in Somalia is linked with al-Ittihad al-Islami an organization that is dedicated to fighting Ethiopia among other things. However, the idea of Somalis fighting Ethiopia predates the appearance of al-Ittihad al-Islami, and is an integral part of Somali political nationalism. By declaring their independence from Somalia, the people of Somaliland have confirmed their rejection of extremist Somali political nationalism, which is based on irredentism against neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya. Without Somaliland, it will be next to impossible for any Somali government to wage war against Ethiopia. Thus by recognizing Somaliland, the United States and the international community will help bury this aggressive Somali nationalism which led to two wars with Ethiopia (1964, 1977-8), and take care of one of the sources of conflict in the region, namely, Ethiopia’s security needs. 2- By recognizing and assisting Somaliland, the United States and its coalition partners will also show skeptical Somalis and Muslims that the war against terrorism is not a war against Somalis or Muslims, and that the United States will help those who are willing to help themselves. 3- Somaliland offers a promising model for Somalis. By recognizing Somaliland, the United States will be encouraging Somalis to follow Somaliland’s example of democracy, the rule of law, and peaceful co-existence. 4- Recognition of Somaliland will most likely be opposed by the Arta Faction (a.k.a the Somali Transitional Government) citing Somali territorial integrity, but those objections are groundless since the Somaliland Republic (or what was known as the British Protectorate of Somaliland) was a recognized state before it merged with Somalia and is only restoring its independence after a failed and catastrophic union. Somaliland meets international criteria for recognition such as a permanent population and internationally recognized boundaries. The U.S has also recently identified the Somali Transitional Government as being linked to terrorists, which should make the objections of that so-called Somali Transitional Government irrelevant to the campaign against terrorism and the future of Somaliland. The US has not done this, however. In fact, while during the discussion for a bill passed in 1999 to give aid to Somaliland, the bill’s sponsors were very clear that they would not recognize Somaliland as an independent nation, and were committed to a “unified” Somalia. No other nations have recognized Somaliland either, for similar reasons. But why? Take these remarks made just under a month ago by the former US Ambassador to Ethiopia: Somaliland sees Ethiopia as an ally in its quest for support and recognition. Although Ethiopia understands that a stable, peaceful and independent Somaliland is in its interest, it is unwilling to be the first to recognize the government in Hargeisa. Somalia would immediately attribute nefarious motives to Ethiopian recognition of Somaliland, arguing that it wishes to balkanize Somalia and weaken Somali unity. There are important clan ties between Somalilanders and the some 60 percent of the Djiboutian population that is Somali. Relations between Somaliland and Djibouti are correct and improving. Saudi Arabia poses a major dilemma for Somaliland. A significant financial backer of the TNG and supporter of it within the Arab League, Saudi Arabia was traditionally the major importer of Somaliland livestock. For the better part of the last five years, Saudi Arabia has banned livestock from Somaliland on the grounds that it might be infected with Rift Valley Fever. Somaliland denies the charges, and there does not appear to be any current scientific evidence to support the claim. In the meantime, the Saudi ban is doing grievous damage to the Somaliland economy. The ban has harmed nearly every kind of employment in the country?oralists, truck drivers, livestock traders, animal health staff, brokers, port employees and private business people. In more recent years, Egypt has been a supporter of Somali unity and a strong Somali state that can serve as a counterweight to Ethiopia. Eighty-six percent of the water reaching the Aswan Dam in Egypt emanates from Ethiopia. The Nile River is, of course, Egypt’s lifeline, and the leadership in Cairo wants to maintain maximum leverage over Ethiopia. A unified Somalia that might one day reassert its claims to Somali-inhabited areas of Ethiopia and has close links to Egypt would add to this leverage. As a result, Egypt is one of five countries that has recognized the TNG and opposes an independent Somaliland. Eritrea, which received de facto independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and de jure independence in 1993, seemingly is a country that would be sympathetic to Somaliland’s independence. On the contrary, it supports the unity of Somalia and is one of five nations to recognize the TNG in Mogadishu. Like Egypt, Eritrea also sees a strong and unified Somalia as a counterweight to Ethiopia. Sudan’s policy on Somaliland is especially intriguing. Sudan has traditionally supported Somali unity and is one of the five countries that recognized the TNG in Mogadishu. Sudan has been dealing with its own civil war since 1983 and does not wish to take any step that would provide additional justification for an independent southern Sudan. Acceptance of an independent Somaliland might weaken its own case for Sudanese unity. Like Ethiopia, Kenya is primarily interested in a peaceful and friendly neighbor that does not export refugees and is in complete control of its borders. Kenya is also concerned that terrorist acts in Nairobi and Mombasa may have had some support from elements in Somalia. At the same time, Kenya does not want a strong neighbor that one day revives the Greater Somalia concept. For this reason, it is probably quietly sympathetic with an independent Somaliland. But as long as it is trying to solve the larger issue of peace in Somalia, it must remain completely neutral ————- CAIRO — With its allies failing to destabilize war-racked Somalia, the US is turning its attention to the breakaway Somaliland as the new card to play in the strategic Horn of Africa region. “Somaliland should be independent,” one defense official told the Washington Post on Tuesday, December 4. Somaliland is an autonomous region in the north-western portion of Somalia that advocates independence from Mogadishu. The breakaway territory of some 3.5 million people declared independence in 1991, but is not internationally recognized. American officials are now examining whether the US should give support to the region’s independence. They argue that Somaliland could offer greater potential for US military assistance inside Somalia. “We should build up the parts that are functional and box in” unstable regions, particularly around Mogadishu, said the defense official. Somaliland’s leaders have long distanced themselves from Somalia’s central transitional government. The region has escaped much of the chaos and violence that plagued Somalia since neighboring Ethiopia sent in troops to oust the Islamic Courts in favor of the interim government. Since then, Somalia has plunged into abyss with daily shooting and fighting. Difficult Option The Pentagon’s plan is facing opposition from the State Department, which believes Washington should not recognize Somaliland until the African Union does. “We do not want to get ahead of the continental organization on an issue of such importance,” Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi E. Frazer told the Post. The issue is diplomatically sensitive because recognizing Somaliland could set a precedent for other secession movements seeking to change colonial-era borders, opening a Pandora’s box in the region. “We’re caught between a rock and a hard place because they’re not a recognized state,” recognizes a senior official in the US Department of Defense. Other Pentagon officials fault the State’s view altogether. “The State Department wants to fix the broken part first,” said the defense official. “That’s been a failed policy.” In Djibouti, US military officials are eager to engage Somaliland. “We’d love to, we’re just waiting for State to give us the okay,” said Navy Capt. Bob Wright, head of strategic communication for the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. The force is composed of about 1,800 US troops who conduct military training and reconstruction projects in the region. Washington says Somalia as the greatest source of instability in the Horn of Africa. Pro-Ethiopia But as US officials mull their options, they stand stubborn in supporting their Ethiopian ally in the war-torn nation. “Any government that provides Somalis with assistance we support, including Ethiopia,” a senior defense official affirmed. In recent months, several human rights groups have spoken out against Ethiopian violations in Somalia. They accuse Ethiopian forces of abuses such as raping, indiscriminate killing of civilians and bombing and burning of entire villages. “I am unaware of specific allegations regarding the conduct of the Ethiopian troops,” said the Pentagon official. Ethiopia has long been a strong ally of Washington in the strategic Horn of Africa. For years the US has been pouring weapons, military advisers and millions of dollars in military aid into Ethiopia, and the American military has trained Ethiopian troops at bases in the eastern region. ——— ————
World at the Eyes of Women
Somaliland: A Way Out of the Electoral Crisis
by marietta64 | January 5, 2010 at 9:00 AM The stalled electoral process has plunged Somaliland into a serious political crisis that presents yet another risk of destabilisation for the region. If its hard-won political stability collapses under the strain of brinkmanship and intransigence, clan leaders might remobilise militias, in effect ending its dream of independence. The political class must finally accept to uphold the region’s constitution, abide by the electoral laws and adhere to inter-party agreements such as the electoral code of conduct and memorandum of understanding signed on 25 September 2009, so as to contain the crisis and permit implementation of extensive electoral reforms. International partners and donors should keep a close watch on developments and sustain pressure for genuinely free and fair general elections in 2010. President Rayale’s third term of office should have expired on 15 May 2008. The election that was to have been held at least one month earlier has been rescheduled five times, most recently for 27 September 2009. The new National Electoral Commission (NEC) has yet to set a sixth date. The latest delay was ostensibly caused by the unilateral decision of the previous NEC not to use a voter registration list tainted by massive, systematic fraud. This prompted both opposition parties to declare an election boycott and suspend cooperation with the commission. The resulting impasse triggered yet another crisis. Publicly the political elite sought to blame the NEC, its technical partner, Interpeace, and each other, but the crisis was one largely of its own making. The recurrent rescheduling of elections and the fraud-tainted voter registration process are symptoms of deeper political problems. While President Rayale and his ruling party have benefited most from more than a year and a half of additional time in power, all the political stakeholders are in some way responsible for the selection and continuation of an incompetent and dysfunctional electoral commission, rampant fraud during voter registration, frequent skirting of the constitution and failure to internalise and institutionalise democratic practices. The crisis was defused in late September, when the parties – under strong external and internal pressure – accepted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreeing to a change in the NEC’s leadership and composition, use of a “refined” voter registration list and delay of the elections to a date to be determined by the NEC, with input from independent international experts. The MOU brought the parties back from the precipice, but it is a vague document that must be complemented by additional measures to prevent new crises. Somaliland has made remarkable progress in its democratic transformation, but political wrangling and wide-scale attempts to manipulate the political process have corrupted governing institutions and undermined the rule of law. Democratic participation, fair and free elections and effective governance need to be institutionalised and made routine, or non-violent means to resolve political crises could be replaced by remobilisation of militias, with significant risk of violent conflict. Improving the political culture will necessarily be a long-term, internal process, but as a start the institutions that manage elections – the NEC and the office of the voter registrar – need to be professionalised and depoliticised and the electoral laws and agreements adhered to strictly by both political parties and voters. International partners should encourage and support the government and parties to do the following: •Civil society and international supporters must shield the new, inexperienced NEC from political pressure as it organises the presidential elections, and the NEC itself must actively resist succumbing to manipulation. The new commissioners must focus on preventing electoral fraud, working with international experts to develop a calendar for the vote, identifying problems with the current voter registration list and developing solutions for extensive duplicate registrations. The NEC also should be given the resources to hire adequate staff. •All parties have agreed to the need for a revised registration list. The problem is that the list clearly still contains too many duplicate records and is not trusted by the political parties. Priorities for the new NEC should include hiring a competent, impartial permanent registrar and complementing the list with alternative methods and mechanisms for voter verification and fraud prevention, such as using indelible ink to identify those who have voted, limiting polling hours and imposing driving prohibitions to prevent parties and clans from transporting people to multiple locations. The emphasis should be on improving the process of updating the database and transferring the capability to do so to the Somaliland staff. •Because of concerns for its accuracy, the registration list should not be used to determine the number of ballots and ballot boxes for particular areas, since that could lead to ballot stuffing where there was greater registration fraud. Agreement is needed on the number of boxes and ballots to be sent to the polling stations. •Unconstitutional extensions of mandates must stop. Separate elections should be held for both the House of Representatives and district councils in 2010. More contentious will be renewal of the Guurti, presently the non-elected, clan-nominated upper house of the parliament. The constitution provides its members should be selected every six years, but does not stipulate how. Renewal has not happened since 1997, and the procedure needs to be defined urgently. •The constitutional provision limiting the number of political parties able to compete in legislative and presidential elections to three has resulted in the monopolisation of power by the parties and leaders who were in place when the constitution was adopted. A new law clarifying how these three parties are to be chosen and permitting changes, coupled with a permanent system for the registration of new and independent political associations, should be adopted to encourage competition and accountability in political life. •The new NEC, with donor support, should identify established, reputable local NGOs to prepare pre-election voter education and civic awareness campaigns. Materials should be developed for schools, and the education ministry should require classes on democratic practices. Clerics should be enlisted to raise awareness of election laws. •Local NGOs, with foreign technical aid, should help train party and civil society observers to detect fraud, resist political and clan pressures and carry out nationwide election monitoring, partnering where possible with international monitors. ———–
“Washington would consider recognizing Somaliland”.
Leslie Evans-Acting Assistant secretary of state for African Affairs. Acting Assistant secretary of state for African Affairs said US should reach out Somaliland that’s functioning and start treating them as a real government, at the price of Somali Nationalism. ———–
Somaliland: A Way out of the Electoral Crisis
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Kenyan Deputy Speaker’s visit to Somaliland: It was about time.
January 12, 2010
The honourable Farah Maalim, deputy speaker of the Kenyan parliament, visit to Somaliland was well-timed and well-received. Mr. Maalim took it upon himself to see the truth about Somaliland. First and foremost, Somaliland become independent on 26th of June, 1960, five days before joining Italian Somalia to form a union which become the now-defunct Somali Republic . During that five day period, Somaliland received international recognition from no less 36 nations, including the USA , UK , USSR , France , Ethiopia , etc. So, let us be clear about this, Somaliland was a sovereign nation before July 1st, 1960 , with a settled population and defined borders. In the euphoria of post-colonialism, the people of Somaliland in their haste,decided to form a union with Somalia , a union that was not ratified by parliament or put to a national referendum. The unbalanced and unrepresentative union eventually led to a the civil war of 1988-1991, and the bombardment by the Somali Air Force of both Hargeisa and Buroa, leading to untold loss of life and the displacement of the local population. On 18th May, 1991 , with the support of all Somalilanders through dialogue, discussion and consensus, and irrespective of tribe or social standing, Somaliland restored its sovereignty. In the intervening 20 years, Somaliland has been stable, democratic and progressive. Somalilanders of all social and tribal persuasion have come together and rebuilt their nation, rebuilt their homes, rebuilt their economy, schools,universities and hospitals and are engaged in combating terrorism and piracy. Somaliland is not and has never been dominated by single clan, it was Somalia that was dominated and strangled to death by a single clan. For example, the current President, H.E. Dahir Rayale Kahin is not from the majority clan. President Kahin, then as Vice-President rightfully ascended to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor, the late Mohamed Ibrahim Egal. A peaceful and orderly transfer of power. It was constitutional and it was legal. President Rayale was re-elected by a mere 80 votes in 2003. Again, peaceful and legal resolution to any political issues. The President faces an election this year, and whatever the outcome, the transition will peaceful, legal and orderly. Both chambers of the Somaliland parliament are representative of the nation’s many communities. Every section of Somaliland society, political, social, economic, educational, and religious is truly representative of the nation. Somaliland’s opponents would do better to stop spreading falsehood about the country and use their energy towards bringing about peace and stability to Somalia . Mr. Maalim and his delegation visited Somaliland for almost a week. They went everywhere,saw everything and met everyone. They were met with a warm welcome and open arms. They saw Somaliland ’s progress; its successes, its needs, and its set-backs. Nothing was hidden. In effect, they saw the truth. And now, Mr. Maalim is coming under fire because he went there, saw the truth and returned to Nairobi “pleasantly surprised and very encouraged”. And they wonder why there is no progress in Somalia . Ahmed Kheyre ———— —————- ———-
Somaliland stability ‘at risk’Aljazeera |
| Thursday, November 12, 2009 |
Somaliland has been hailed as a beacon of stability in the troubled Horn of Africa region since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.But Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Adow, reports that some experts now believe the self-declared republic is at crisis point, as an election row deepens. The current tension in Somaliland centres on the presidential election, which was due to have been held on September 27.
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The polls have been postponed indefinitely due to serious differences between the political parties since 2008. This uncertainty has led to increased concern about Somaliland in the international community, and a flare-up of political animosity within the territory. Recent violence, particularly in the capital Hargeysa, has shown that the crisis in Somaliland has changed from being political to one of security and stability.Fears over the crisis have even led one senior political figure to warn that it could become another failed state, like neighbouring Somalia. Somaliland is a former British protectorate in north western Somalia. In 1960, it gained its independence and united with what was then Italian Somaliland to form the Somalia republic. Limited democracy In 1991, it declared independence after Mohamed Siad Barre, the Somali military leader, was overthrown.
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| Despite the unrest in September, Somaliland has a relatively stable democracy |
Somaliland has a population of 3.5 million people, according to government estimates, and is a relatively stable democracy even though it has not been internationally recognised. This is partly because it has developed a unique hybrid system of government.The row over elections – largely seen as a test for this fledgling nation – threatens to divide it. Afyare Elmi, a Somali political analyst, told Al Jazeera: ”The concerns are real. The opposition fears the government is not interested in holding this election and there is a lot at stake. Unless these elections take place, they might have some problems. “However, if history tells us anything, the Somaliland leadership has shown that at least they could address with traditional leadership the issues when they arise.” The hope now rests with a recently appointed electoral commission, entrusted with the task of organising elections, a step seen as vital to Somaliland’s quest for international recognition.
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World and USA must relief Somaliland from terror infested Somalia
Abdulazez Al-Motairi
June 24, 2009
Recently, Media and Outreach Coordinator for the State Department´s Bureau of African Affairs Greg Garland held online question and answer discussion entitled ´Is there hope for Somalia?´. The discussion was very much civilized and transparent. The heat and pressure mounted as minute passed, but Garland remained very transparent and clear in answering the questions as per his administration´s policy towards the region. However, the manner in which US Administration is approaching to the two decades old Somali unrest is wrong, because it believes in a unified Somalia. The administration failed to recognize the democratic, independent and free Somaliland that created complete structure of democratic and modern government without outside help. State Department praised democracy progress in Somaliland and asked US Aid to double its operations in Somaliland. However, Washington administration botched to utilize Somaliland experience and Forces to ease the violence in Mogadishu. Somaliland Forces have advantages over African Peace Keeping Forces, Ethiopian Forces and any other outsiders because Somaliland Forces are Somali, Muslim and know the culture of people and government in Mogadishu including the Islamists – Al-Shabaab. Based on these facts, USA shall recognize Somaliland and its forces will roll into brutal streets of Mogadishu. Knowingly, neither Al-Shabaab nor the government will have excuse to fight Somaliland Forces. After British Somaliland (Today´s Somaliland) and Italian Somalia (today´s Southern regions of Somalia) united, the unrest and violence erupted in Mogadishu streets and Late & First President of Somalia Adan Adde used Somaliland Scouts to normalize the situation in Mogadishu. Britain established Somaliland Scouts and trained them at the beginning of last century. This gives Somaliland experience to stabilize Mogadishu streets, as it did in 1960´s. Garland said that Washington administration supports the shaky transitional government of Somalia led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, who is facing growing militancy inside the capital – Mogadishu. The Islamist militant are receiving military, financial and logistics support from Al-Qaeda terror organization and others like Eretria. Recently US based New York Times published report that Al-Qaeda leaders are making shift to Somalia/Yemen from Afghan-Pakistan border. These are signs of growing influence of the militant in Somalia, and ineffectiveness of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed government. Garland said “The U.S. believes that the Transitional federal Government provides the best solution for a unified Somalia. Inasmuch as Somaliland provides a degree of good governance, it offers an example to what is possible to all Somalis.” Here, unfortunately, Washington looks helpless and stuck with 40 years old failed policy of establishing “Unified Somalia” and overlooks the growing democracies in the region like Somaliland. US shall realize that unity comes with acceptance from all uniting parties but compulsory union will end up with failure like that of Somalia during 1960´s. The uniting parties shall all agree upon constitution that protects their rights and ensures equality and freedom to all citizens. This cannot happen in Somalia because of tribalism and very complicated population structure. Garland admitted the international community failed to establish effective and working central government for Somalia in last 20 years, and even US led forces to restore order and hope operation during 1993 failed. He knows international community organized more than 14 peace conferences for Somalis to settle their differences but all failed. Mr. Garland understands that terrorist organizations linked to Al-Qaeda (Al-Shabaab), control 90% of southern parts of former Somalia and thousands of foreign fighters are entering in Somalia from Afghan-Pakistan Border. He sees that Somaliland is the only democratic and active part of former Somalia, but unfortunately his administration in Washington overlooks Somaliland´s competence to win international recognition. US Forces entered Somalia with same wrong policy, in which Washington administration is approaching to Somaliland and Somalia until today. Former UN General Secretary Boutros-Ghali was part of decision-making in the operation and started the initiative to use force in Somalia. The operation cost the lives of 18 US soldier and more than 30 UN soldiers of different nationalities including Pakistanis. Mr. Boutros-Ghali had secret agenda to support Ali Mehdi (Transitional President of Somalia during the operation), but US Administration failed to unveil such undercover agenda between Mr. Boutros-Ghali and Ali Mehdi. The secret agenda was to eliminate General Mohamed Farah Aydeed (the rival of Ali Mehdi in Mogadishu) using UN Forces. The solution of Somali chaos was simple during the operation, but the wrong recommendations of Boutros-Ghali and his secret agenda led the failure of the operation. Somalia remained under harsh instability and violence for last 20 years, which weakened the country and led terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda to establish bases. Al-Qaeda planned the suicide bombing of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; there are many Al-Qaeda fugitives hiding inside lawless Somalia. These can be minimized if Somaliland is recognized, because the US Forces can establish based inside Somaliland and use its experience to crack down the terror. Today, Transitional President of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Ahmed lost control of the southern parts to Al-Shabaab, and only controls his residence in Mogadishu (Villa Somalia). Please refer the articles at the bottom for the story. The USA is watching the growing terror inside Somalia and innocent civilians dying under harsh conditions of strict and wrong Islamic Sharia practices by Al-Shabaab. The group blocked the entire basic social services: No education, electricity, water…etc. In other hand, the US administration is pressuring and forcing the free people of Somaliland to remain within the human rights violations and killing. Mr. Garland´s administration is holding Somaliland hostage for failed theory of “unified Somalia”. Somaliland government and people cannot do business with outside world due to the diplomatic embargo imposed by USA. They cannot sign trade and partnership agreements with other international business partners. The Somaliland students cannot attend international universities because their certificates are from unrecognized Somaliland. No passports to use and even no embassies for Somaliland across the world. All these are happing to Somaliland, due to lack of diplomatic recognition. Mr. Garland added. “…The U.S. believes that the Transitional federal Government of Somalia provides the best solution for a unified Somalia. Inasmuch as Somaliland provides a degree of good governance, it offers an example to what is possible to all Somalis…” Garland braces democratic process in Somaliland, at the same time doesn´t accept it, and he is holding Somaliland until southern Somalia comes out of the current chaos and violence. The question is, If Southern Somalia fails to recover from the violence and chaos that killed hundreds of thousands in last 20 years then will US administration continue overlooking development, democracy progress and good governance in Somaliland?! There is most devastating humanitarian crisis in southern Somalia including ethic killing, hunger and killer epidemic diseases that take the lives of thousands of civilians. Human rights abuses are daily event. Illegal piracy is common in many parts of former Somalia that disturbs the international sea water, under sponsorship of Puntland. My question is why the world shall punish Somaliland for crimes it did not commit?! Al-Qaeda´s makeshift & Talibanization of Somalia: Recently Pakistani High Commissioner to London during a debate at Press TV underlined that Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders are working on plans to relocate from Afghan-Pakistan Border into Somalia and Yemen. He added that fighting in Pakistan will end if these leaders leave their country, because the Pashtu tribes are protecting them as guests. There are feasible Al-Qaeda activities of relocating from Afghan-Pakistan Border to Somalia and Yemen, after Pakistani Forces crashed the Taliban inside Pakistan. This forced Al-Qaeda leaders to look for alternatives like violent and lawless Somalia, which has 100% Muslim population. Somali eyewitness from Mogadishu told Somali news website that foreigners including Arabs are fighting alongside Al-Shabaab terror organization – Al-Qaeda´s African Wing. These foreigners train the local Somali youth as suicide bombers and on roadside bombs. NATO Forces operated last four to five years in Afghanistan to defeat Taliban but until now, there are no fruitful results, because Taliban is active and strong. Taliban carry out daily attacks on NATO forces and Afghanistan forces that kill many soldier. It will not be easy for the international community to fight terrorists like Al-Qaeda inside Somalia because Al-Qaeda will get plenty new recruits due to the poverty and lack of education in the country. NATO Forces will not use magic wind to eliminate Al-Qaeda inside Somalia except using Somaliland against the Al-Qaeda. This method succeeded in Iraq, after US forces formed Sunni militia to fight Al-Qaeda and this disabled Al-Qaeda´s operations and death rate of US forces dropped very sharply in very short period. Comparisons are already being made between the Islamists in Mogadishu and the Taliban in Afghanistan. At some point, the United States government will have to make an unsavoury decision about how to handle the jihadists in Mogadishu. It will almost certainly be necessary to have allies on the ground willing to offer the United States assistance, local information, access to territory, and so on. AFP new agency published on 12th June 2009 report about Al-Qaeda´s plans to shift to Somalia entitled “Some Qaeda fighters head to Somalia, Yemen”. Dozens of Al-Qaeda fighters and some of the extremist group´s leaders are shifting from their haven in Pakistan´s tribal areas to Somalia and Yemen, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Violent militant groups in all three countries are now communicating more frequently in a apparent effort to coordinate their actions, US administration, military and counterterrorism officials told the Times. A senior administration official attributed the shift to “the enormous heat we´ve been putting on the leadership and the mid-ranks” with Predator drone strikes launched from Pakistan and Afghanistan that President Barrack Obama has intensified since taking office in January. “Al-Qaeda has been hit by drones and it has generated a lot of insecurity among them,” said retired Pakistani general Talat Masood, a military analyst in Islamabad. “Many among them are uneasy and it is possible that they are leaving for Somali and other Jihadi battle fronts…The hard core, however, will like to stay on.” Another explanation, the newspaper said, may owe to expanded violent extremist campaigns in Somalia and Yemen, with US officials pointing to Somalia as a failed state and to a weak central government in Yemen. CIA Director Leon Panetta said Thursday that the intelligence agency is focusing on countries like Somalia and Yemen as possible safe havens for Al-Qaeda. The group´s leader, Osama bin Laden, is still hiding in Pakistan, Panetta told reporters… End of Report. The Ideal Solution for Somalia: The solution for Somali unrest is to go back to old codes of 1960 union, and cure disagreements and uncertainties between the Somali communities. We understand that fact don´t satisfy all people, because there is always winner. However, in Somalia all shall be winners, even if it takes giving the leadership of the country to all tribes per term. The unity of 1st July 1960 that created Somali Republic was not fundamentally agreed, because the Somalis were uneducated and did not understand the meaning of unity; there was no constitution and agreements. It was enthusiastic union that ended on 18th May 1991, after Somaliland was retained its sovereignty afterfive decades within Somalia. The theory of “Greater Somalia” is based on unity between Somali dominated five regions in the Horn of Africa including Djibouti, Somaliland, Eastern Region of Ethiopia, North Frontier District of Kenya and Somalia (Former Italian Somalia). Somaliland and Italian Somalia united on 1st July 1960, but other three parts remained uninterested in the unity. The Somali dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre attacked Ethiopia to take the 5th Region of Ethiopia by force, as part of theory. Also, the diplomatic relation between Kenya and Somalia was very bad due to the theory, as Siyad Barre believed that Kenya occupies parts of “Greater Somalia”. Recognizing Somaliland could be as good as the disintegration of USSR, because the people unite and disintegrate based on their own desire, and people of Somaliland voted for independence during 2001 Referendum with 97%. Yes to independence. Somaliland is 3.5 million with 168,000 miles square, and nobody in the world will be able to force them back into another marriage with failed state of Somalia. So, USA government shall recognize Somaliland and utilize its expertise in Somali conflict in the right path. USA should change its policies in the horn of Africa, and support the growing democracies instead of dancing with dictators. The faith of Somalia will be similar to that of USSR, and dividing the country into Somaliland and Somalia will be an ultimate solution. USA shall not redo in Somalia its failed policy in Afghanistan that created terrorism after USSR lost the war. Dancing with dictators never pays off. Frankly, the worst democracy is better than any dictatorship. Dictatorship leads to frustration, extremism and terrorism. Somaliland is unique form of democracy and it is growing without democracy mentors and Somaliland created peace without crisis management experts. Somaliland deserved appreciation from the outside world, as neighboring countries do every day. Today, the landlocked Ethiopia uses Somaliland main port ´Berbera´ for its imports and exports; Djibouti shares very peaceful border with Somaliland border securities of both countries cooperate on security. In other hand, millions of illegal and drug traffickers cross the border between Southern Somalia and Kenya; large quantities of weapons are smuggled daily into Kenya and Ethiopia. This is different between having Somaliland or Somalia on your border. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, in his recent article on Washington Post, said “once the Soviets were defeated, the Americans took the next bus out of Afghanistan, leaving behind a political vacuum that ultimately led to the Talibanisation and radicalisation of the country, the birth of Al Qaeda and the current jihadist insurrection in Pakistan.” The world should put southern Somalia under UN Trusteeship for ten years in order to restore the basic social service and help the Somalis to establish their life again. The African Peace Keeping Forces should stay in Somalia during the trusteeship to protect the civilians from the terrorist organizations. Also, the world should recognize Somaliland as an independent state, which will reduce the magnitude of problem inside former Somalia. Southern Somalia was under UN Trusteeship from 1950 to 1960, because the people in Southern Somalia failed to put effective administration in their part of the region. However, this shows that UN Trusteeship can be ideal solution to Southern Somalia, and recognition of Somaliland will support the growing democracy and good governance. Members of US Congress believe that recognizing Somaliland will open Pandora Box in the region, and many other Somali regions will demand independence like Somaliland. However, the congressmen should understand that Somaliland was independent in more than two centuries before it united with Somalia on 1st July 1960. Somalilanders joined Somalia to examine possibility of creating Greater Somalia, which includes Djibouti, 5th Region of Ethiopia and Northern Frontiers Province (NFD) of Kenya. However, this theory failed and created unrest in the region including war Somali-Ethiopian war in 1964 and 1977. Also, Djibouti, who was part of the Greater Somalia, turned down the theory and declared independent Republic of Djibouti. This was the end of Greater Somalia. On the other hand, Somaliland could not retrieve its sovereignty from Southern Somalia because of dictator leaders, who bombed and killed thousands of civilians in Somaliland (former northern regions of Somalia) after the people of these regions called for independence until 1991. Somalilanders took up the arms against Somalia government and liberated their country on 1991, and suddenly announced the long waited independence. On 18th May 1991, it was rebirth of Somaliland. So my question is why US Congress holds back the independence of Somaliland from Somalia?! US Government should encourage the democracy, good governance against the dictatorship and terrorism that dominated the Horn of African region. This can only happen if Washington administration recognizes Somaliland as strong, democratic and modern ally. Today, there are dictators everywhere in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya except Somaliland, which had three leaders from its rebirth on 18th May 1991 and fresh presidential election expected on Sep 2009.
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Timeline: Somalia BBC
Friday, 1 January 2010
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 Somali capital, Mogadishu, in more peaceful times
Emerged as Arab settlement in 10th century
Bought by Italy in 1905
Capital of independent Somalia from 1960
Estimated population: 1 million
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1500s – Sultanate of Adel disintegrates into small states. 1875 – Egypt occupies towns on Somali coast and parts of the interior. 1860s – France acquires foothold on the Somali coast, later to become Djibouti. 1887 – Britain proclaims protectorate over Somaliland. 1888 – Anglo-French agreement defines boundary between Somali possessions of the two countries. 1889 – Italy sets up a protectorate in central Somalia, later consolidated with territory in the south ceded by the sultan of Zanzibar. 1925 – Territory east of the Jubba river detached from Kenya to become the westernmost part of the Italian protectorate. 1936 – Italian Somaliland combined with Somali-speaking parts of Ethiopia to form a province of Italian East Africa. 1940 – Italians occupy British Somaliland. 1941 – British occupy Italian Somalia. Independence 1950 – Italian Somaliland becomes a UN trust territory under Italian control.
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 Parliament in ruins: War devastated much of Mogadishu
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1956 – Italian Somaliland renamed Somalia and granted internal autonomy. 1960 – British and Italian parts of Somalia become independent, merge and form the United Republic of Somalia; Aden Abdullah Osman Daar elected president. 1963 – Border dispute with Kenya; diplomatic relations with Britain broken until 1968. 1964 – Border dispute with Ethiopia erupts into hostilities. 1967 – Abdi Rashid Ali Shermarke beats Aden Abdullah Osman Daar in elections for president. Drought and war 1969 – Muhammad Siad Barre assumes power in coup after Shermarke is assassinated.
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 Muhammad Siad Barre backed ‘Scientific Socialism’
Born in 1919
Led military coup in 1969; overthrown in 1991
Died in Nigeria, 1995
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1970 – Barre declares Somalia a socialist state and nationalises most of the economy. 1974 – Somalia joins the Arab League. 1974-75 – Severe drought causes widespread starvation. 1977 – Somalia invades the Somali-inhabited Ogaden region of Ethiopia. 1978 – Somali forces pushed out of Ogaden with the help of Soviet advisers and Cuban troops. Barre expels Soviet advisers and gains support of United States. 1981 – Opposition to Barre’s regime begins to emerge after he excludes members of the Mijertyn and Isaq clans from government positions, which are filled with people from his own Marehan clan. 1988 – Peace accord with Ethiopia. 1991 – Mohamed Siad Barre is ousted. Power struggle between clan warlords Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali Mahdi Mohamed kills or wounds thousands of civilians. Somaliland breaks away 1991 – Former British protectorate of Somaliland declares unilateral independence.
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 UN force sent to quell violence suffered losses, left in 1994
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1992 – US Marines land near Mogadishu ahead of a UN peacekeeping force sent to restore order and safeguard relief supplies. 1993 – US Army Rangers are killed when Somali militias shoot down two US helicopters in Mogadishu and a battle ensues. Hundreds of Somalis die in the battle depicted in the film “Black Hawk Down”. US mission formally ends in March 1994. 1995 – UN peacekeepers leave, having failed to achieve their mission. 1996 – Warlord Muhammad Aideed dies of his wounds and is succeeded by his son, Hussein. Puntland autonomy 1998 – Puntland region declares autonomy. 2000 August – Clan leaders and senior figures meeting in Djibouti elect Abdulkassim Salat Hassan president of Somalia.
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Fighting in 2002 led Somali civilians to seek safety in Kenya
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2000 October – Hassan and his newly-appointed prime minister, Ali Khalif Gelayadh, arrive in Mogadishu to heroes’ welcomes. Gelayadh announces his government, the first in the country since 1991. 2001 April – Somali warlords, backed by Ethiopia, announce their intention to form a national government within six months, in direct opposition to the country’s transitional administration. 2001 August – UN appeals for food aid for half a million people in the drought-hit south. 2004 August – In 14th attempt since 1991 to restore central government, a new transitional parliament inaugurated at ceremony in Kenya. In October the body elects Abdullahi Yusuf as president.
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 2004 peace deal: Factions agreed to set up new parliament
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2004 December – Tsunami waves generated by an undersea earthquake off Indonesia hit the Somali coast and the island of Hafun. Hundreds of deaths are reported; tens of thousands of people are displaced. 2005 February – June – Somali government begins returning home from exile in Kenya, but there are bitter divisons over where in Somalia the new parliament should sit. 2005 November – Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi survives an assassination attempt in Mogadishu. Gunmen attack his convoy, killing six people. Islamist advance 2006 February – Transitional parliament meets in Somalia – in the central town of Baidoa – for the first time since it was formed in Kenya in 2004.
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 Sheikh Aweys: His Islamic militia controlled Mogadishu
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2006 March and May – Scores of people are killed and hundreds are injured during fierce fighting between rival militias in Mogadishu. It is the worst violence in almost a decade. 2006 June-July – Militias loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts take control of Mogadishu and other parts of the south after defeating clan warlords. Ethiopian troops reported in Somalia. 2006 July-August – Mogadishu’s air and seaports are re-opened for the first time since 1995. 2006 September – Transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts begin peace talks in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Somalia’s first known suicide bombing targets President Yusuf outside parliament in Baidoa. 2006 October – About 35,000 Somalis escaping drought, strict Islamist rule and the possibility of war have fled to Kenya refugee since the start of 2006, the UN reports. War of words between Ethiopia and Somalia’s Islamists. Premier Meles says Ethiopia is “technically” at war with the Islamists because they had declared jihad on his country. Islamists retreat 2006 December – UN Security Council resolution endorses African peacekeepers, specifies that neighbouring states should not deploy troops. Islamist leaders react by saying they will tackle foreign forces as invaders.
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ETHIOPIA INTERVENES
 Ethiopian troops, government forces routed Islamist militias
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Ethiopian and transitional government engage the Islamists in battle and soon put them to flight. 2006 December 27 – African Union, Arab League urge Ethiopia to pull out its troops. UN Security Council fails to agree on a statement calling on foreign forces to withdraw. 2006 December 28 – Joint Ethiopian and Somali government force captures Mogadishu. 2007 January – Islamists abandon their last stronghold, the port town of Kismayo. President Abdullahi Yusuf enters Mogadishu for the first time since taking office in 2004. US carries out air strikes in southern Somalia which it says targetted al-Qaeda figures, and which reportedly kill an unknown number of civilians. It is the first known direct US military intervention in Somalia since 1993. The strikes are defended by President Yusuf. They are condemned for killing innocent civilians. Interim government imposes three-month state of emergency. 2007 February – UN Security Council authorises a six-month African Union peacekeeping mission for Somalia. 2007 March – African Union peacekeepers land at Mogadishu amid pitched battles between insurgents and government forces backed by Ethiopian troops. The Red Cross says it is the worst fighting in 15 years. Humanitarian crisis grows 2007 April – UN says more than 320,000 Somalis have fled fighting in Mogadishu since February. Hundreds of people are reported killed after several days of fierce clashes in the capital. 2007 May – The World Food Programme says a resurgence of piracy is threatening food supplies. 2007 June – A US warship shells suspected Al-Qaeda targets in Puntland. Prime Minister Ghedi escapes a suicide car bomb attack on his compound. Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi visits Mogadishu, pledging to withdraw his troops once peace takes hold. 2007 July – National reconciliation conference opens in Mogadishu and comes under mortar attack. Islamist leaders stay away from the talks. Refugee exodus grows amid an upsurge in violence. 2007 August – Human Rights Watch accuses Ethiopian, Somali and insurgent forces of war crimes, and the UN Security Council of indifference during the recent conflict. New opposition alliance 2007 September – Opposition groups form a new alliance to campaign for a military and diplomatic solution to the Somali conflict. They meet in Asmara, Eritrea. 2007 October – Ethiopian forces fire on demonstrators in Mogadishu protesting at the presence of what they call foreign invaders. Heaviest fighting in Mogadishu reported since April. Ethiopians move reinforcements into the city.
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CRACKDOWN ON PIRACY
 French commandos snatch pirates in Somalia as foreign navies begin their fight-back
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Prime Minister Ghedi resigns. Aid agencies warn a catastrophe is unfolding in Somalia. 2007 November – Government shuts down Radio Shabelle, Radio Simba and Radio Banadir. UN special envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah describes Somalia’s humanitarian crisis the worst in Africa, suggests using international justice to curb the violence. Nur Hassan Hussein, also known as Nur Adde, sworn in as new prime minister. Number of Somali refugees hits one million, with nearly 200,000 fleeing the capital in the past two weeks, the UN reports. 2007 December – Ethiopian troops leave key central town of Guriel. 2008 January – Burundi becomes the second nation to contribute troops to the African Union peacekeeping force, sending 440 soldiers to Mogadishu. US strikes 2008 March – US launches missile strike on southern town of Dhoble targeting suspected al-Qaeda member wanted for 2002 bombing of Israeli-owned hotel in Kenya. Islamist-led insurgency continues to spread. 2008 April – EU calls for international efforts to tackle piracy off the Somali coast after a series of hijackings and attacks on vessels. 2008 April – US air strike kills Aden Hashi Ayro, a leader of the Al-Shabab insurgent group. 2008 May – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he will keep troops inside Somalia until “jihadists” are defeated. The UN Security Council unanimously votes to allow countries to send warships into Somalia’s territorial waters to tackle pirates. 2008 June – Government signs three-month ceasefire pact with opposition Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia. The deal, which provides for Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia within 120 days, is rejected by Islamist leader Hassan Dahir Aweys, who says Union of Islamic Courts will not stop fighting until all foreign troops have left country. 2008 July – Head of the UN Development Programme in Somalia, Osman Ali Ahmed, killed by gunmen in Mogadishu. Piracy concern 2008 September – Somali pirates’ hijacking of a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks prompts widespread international concern. The US and other countries deploy navy ships to Somali waters. 2008 October – Nato agrees to despatch a naval force to patrol to waters off Somalia by the end of 2008, in an effort to control piracy. A wave of coordinated bombings across the self-governing and relatively peaceful regions of Somaliland and Puntland, in Somalia’s north, kill at least 27 people. 2008 November – Somali pirates hijack an oil-laden Saudi super-tanker and demand a 25m dollar ransom for its return. 2008 December – Ethiopia announces plans to withdraw all forces by end of 2008. President Abdullahi Yusuf tries to sack Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein over his attempts to draw moderate Islamists into the government. Parliament declares the dismissal unconstitutional and passes a vote of confidence in Mr Nur. Mr Yusuf resigns. Al-Shabab advances 2009 January – Ethiopia completes the withdrawal of its troops. Fighters from the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia take control of the town of Baidoa, formerly a key stronghold of the transitional government. Meeting in neighbouring Djibouti, Somalia’s parliament swears in 149 new members from the main opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. It elects a moderate Islamist, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, president, and extends the transitional government’s mandate for another two years. 2009 February – President Ahmed selects Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as prime minister. Mr Sharmarke, a former diplomat, is widely seen as a bridge between Islamists within the Somali government and the international community. 2009 May – Islamist insurgents launch onslaught on Mogadishu. 2009 June – Somalia’s security minister and more than 20 other people are killed in a suicide bombing at a hotel in Beledweyne, north of the capital Mogadishu. President Ahmed declares a state of emergency as violence intensifies. Somali officials appeal to neighbouring countries to send troops to Somalia, as government forces continue to battle Islamist insurgents. 2009 September – Al-Shabab proclaims allegiance to Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Islamist rivalry 2009 October – Al-Shabab wins control over the southern port city of Kismayo after defeating the rival Hizbul-Islam Islamist militia, which withdraws to villages to the west. At least 20 are killed and 70 injured in fighting that threatens to spread to the rest of the Islamist-controlled south. 2009 November – Pirates seize a supertanker carrying oil from Saudi Arabia to the US, one of the largest ships captured off Somalia. The Greek-owned Maran Centaurus was about 1,300km (800 miles) off Somalia when it was hijacked. Kidnappers released journalists Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan after 15 months in captivity. 2009 December – Al-Shabab denies being behind suicide attack that killed 22 people in Mogadishu, including three ministers. 2010 January – Al-Shabab declares it is ready to send fighters to support Islamist rebels in Yemen.
© 2010, Prof. Muse Tegegne. All rights reserved. info@ethiopianism.net
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