From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Mon Aug 10 2009 - 04:41:22 EDT
Ould-Abdalla railroaded Obama Administration into failed strategy for
Somalia
By Mohamud M Uluso
August 10, 2009
http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded_
Obama_adminstration.html
The UN Envoy for war-torn Somalia (SRSG), Ahmedou Ould-Abdalla has brazenly
railroaded Obama Administration into failed strategy for Somalia and is
forcing to add Somalia to the "Axis of evil" countries-Iran, Iraq and North
Korea. He is engaged in aggressive political campaign based on war on terror
because it attracts huge resources and guarantees impunity for all sorts of
abuses. The critical issues for the Somali people like the "responsibility
to protect innocent civilians", conflict resolution and state-building,
national sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, dignity, transparency
and accountability are all antithetical to Ould-Abdalla agenda.
SRSG failed to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the South
Central Regions as a result of Djibouti process and to diffuse the political
crisis and contradictions failing Somalia. On July 29, the UK Representative
at the United Nations has affirmed that Mogadishu has been emptied of its
civilian's population. Now the question is, "Who the Transitional Federal
Unity Government (TFUG) and AMISOM are protecting in Mogadishu?" The answer
is "their special interest".
The majority of the International Community remains skeptical about
Ould-Abdalla theatrical performance. Because of ghost Government confined in
less than 3 miles square, the carnage continues in Mogadishu while SRSG sees
the decline of violence in Lower and Middle Jubba, Gedo, Bay, Bakol, and
Lower Shabelle regions all controlled by Islamists. It is absolutely fallacy
and dangerous to train national police or military forces before legitimate
political and administrative authorities are established in Somalia.
The hastily and underhandedly formed Government, the threat of Global
Jihadists (Al Qaeda), the war on terror, and Ethiopia's determination to
control Somalia are major obstacles to reconciliation and peace in Somalia.
The imminent takeover of Mogadishu by Islamists has shocked Obama
Administration and possibly halted the search for alternatives. However,
Andrew Bast suggests that as hardhearted it seems, the smartest response
might be to let Al Shabab try to seize Mogadishu.
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftn1> (1)
The creation of Green Zone in Mogadishu, characterization of AMISOM and TFUG
actions as part of global resistance to terrorism and giving IGAD=Ethiopia a
leading role on Somalia's issues are intended to deepen the Somali crisis.
The meeting of former military officers in Washington, D.C. reinforces the
view that Obama Administration's policy towards Somalia rests on the war on
terror rather than on rebuilding a collapsed state and it also confirms that
Ould-Abdalla is running the show.
As follow up to his June Op-Ed, "Why the World should let Somalia go to the
dogs"
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftn2> (2), on July 20, SRSG published another
op-ed in Washington Post under the title "The World's Duty to Somalia"
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftn3> (3) in search of support for TFUG. Some
readers of the Op-Ed have observed that the idea that Somalia has legitimate
government is bad joke or it seems questionable that a government that
cannot fend off a few 100 foreign fighters, experienced or otherwise, is a
government at all.
On July 24, he wrote his 16th letter to Somali Diaspora "Jaaliyada" as
progress report. The messages in the letter were far from the realities.
Coincidentally, the Somali-Canadian Diaspora challenged Ould-Abdalla's
propaganda campaign when they met him in Ottawa on July 31, 2009. They found
his presentation and answers not substantive, evasive, short and
patronizing.
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftn4> (4)
There are many lies peddled around. The first one is that former associates
of President Sheikh Sharif rejected the invitation to peace through
dialogue. The fact is that Sheikh Sharif decided to abandon his political
belief in exchange for personal political and material gain and acted
without internal deliberations as per agreed framework. He also reneged on
agreements signed in Sana'a, Yemen and betrayed his followers. Instead of
extended hands, stakeholders wanted the ownership of a peace process that
responds to the problems and aspirations of the majority of the Somali
people.
The second lie is about Eritrea's role in the Somali conflict. Eritrea
supported the armed Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) led by
Sheikh Sharif. The problem is that "former Islamic Leader" wants to accuse
his former forces and foreign supporter as "armed terrorists and foreign
enemy". Somalia and Eritrea share the ultimate goal to make sure that
Ethiopia abandons once for all its "imperialistic" conquest and "oppressive
political culture" and practically accepting peaceful co-existence and
respect of people's rights. The life imprisonment of Bashir Makhtal in 2009
and the death sentence of his Grandfather Makhtal Dahir in 1950 are clear
evidence of Ethiopia's tyrannical culture.
The third lie relates to Djibouti Peace Process, which was farce. It was a
UN coup d' etat in which TFG leaders were removed from power and ARS Faction
led by Sheikh Sharif and Sharif Hassan were installed. The former Prime
Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, ARS counterpart, occasionally appears with
Ould-Abdalla in the Somali Diaspora gatherings for propaganda purpose.
The fourth lie is the claim of positive developments achieved by TFUG. The
Representative of Russian Federation at the UN Security Council has
dispelled such lie when he said, "While we understand his (Ould-Abdalla)
hopes for positive developments in that situation, the overall picture is
extremely alarming. ...Unfortunately, as the security situation remains
totally unacceptable and unsatisfactory, it is now difficult to talk
realistically about the possibility of expanding the United Nations
presence on the ground in Somalia." This lie is the cruelest one.
The hope is that Obama Administration formulates a comprehensive strategy
that focuses on rebuilding the disintegrated Somali State in view of the
needs and complex problems of the Somali people. This will strengthen the
respect of American Leadership inside and outside Somalia.
Mohamud M. Uluso
E-Mail: <mailto:mohamuduluso@gmail.com> mohamuduluso@gmail.com
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftnref1> (1) Newsweek, August 3, 2009.
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftnref2> (2)
<http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/615326/-/4lc84a/-/index.html%
20on%20June%2025>
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/615326/-/4lc84a/-/index.html
on June 25, 2009.
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftnref3> (3)
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR200907190
1759.html>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071901
759.html
<http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/August/Uluso/07_Ould_Abdalla_railroaded
_Obama_adminstration.html#_ftnref4> (4)
http://www.gedonet.com/index.php?news=6621