Somalia: IGAD s clan institutionalization in Jubbaland death knell of
citizenship
_____
02/06/2013
Mareeg.com-The high level mobilization of international support under the
"New Deal" strategy for statebuilding in Somalia has deeply upset Ethiopia
and Kenya, power holders of theregional organization- the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD), now metamorphosed into Somalia's colonial
power. The ongoing effort of IGAD's clan institutionalization in Jubbaland
regions is a death knell of the Somali citizenship value. Somalia belongs to
Somalis and not to clans. The Provisional Constitution moves Somalia from
clan communities to individual citizens.
The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) is spending considerable time,
substantial financial resources and precious political capital on IGAD's
endless conferences organized to undermine its sovereignty and legitimacy.
Within this month of May, Kenya and Ethiopia leaders forced the holding of
several conferences in order to replace the positive stories on Somalia in
the international news headlines with gloomy picture of internal strife and
paralysis.
On May 3rd, the 21st Extraordinary Session of IGAD top leaders decided to
send mission to Somalia for assessing its instigated Jubbaland crisis by
institutionalizing clan-based system of governance. The mission led by Eng.
Mahboub Maalim, Executive Secretary of IGAD, a Somali Kenyan, visited
Mogadishu and Kismaio May 16-19, 2013. As expected, the mission issued a
report which violates the sovereign equality respect of Somalia as a member
state and a death nail to the citizenship and loyalty of the Somali people
to their country and government. In dealing with the Federal Government of
Somalia, IGAD avails itself of the
<
http://www.operationspaix.net/DATA/DOCUMENT/3103%7Ev%7EDeclaration__13th_Ex
traordinary_Session_of_IGAD_Assembly_of_Heads_of_State_and_Government.pdf>
Infamous IGAD declaration on 29 October 2008, which arbitrarily abolished
the powers of the Transitional Federal Institutions of Somalia and dethroned
late President Abdullahi Yusuf from power without due political and
constitutional process.
It is clear from the report that the principal purpose of the mission was
not to assess the situation in Kismaio but to present IGAD as the entry
point and broker of Somalia. In fact, the report states that all
stakeholders- the Federal Government and other actors- warmed up for the
role of IGAD. Therefore, the IGAD Secretariat has been mandated to mediate
the Federal Government (Mogadishu) and the Kismaio stakeholders. The use of
the distinction between Mogadishu and Kismaio groups/parties brands the
Federal Government as a faction.
The IGAD's exercise is to create a complex web of problems for the purpose
of making the international diplomatic recognition and legitimacy conferred
to the federal government of Somalia of no consequence. Unfortunately this
unbridled abuse of IGAD could worsen the security situation in the region.
Thus, as early as IGAD's misguided adventure is corrected, the chance for a
stable Somalia would be brighter.
The wording of the report has been so deliberately contorted to create
divergent interpretations. This deliberately created hurdle is intended to
divert the attention of the Federal Government from the critical task of
addressing the completion of international cooperation framework and of the
preparation needed for building national consensus on the implementation of
the federal system enshrined in the provisional federal constitution.
The report omitted many facts reported by the local media as the expression
of the majority of the people met in Mogadishu and Kismaio. The facts
include the accusation that IGAD as a spoiler and against the unity of
Somalia and the request to give political space to the federal government in
handling Somalia's affairs in cooperation with the new UN Assistance Mission
(UNSOM). The report also ignored the Federal Government's complain about the
repeated insolent actions of Kenyan forces stationed in Kismaio in
contravention to the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on the
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The report presents the supporters of the Jubbaland process led by Ahmed
Madobe, one of five presidents of Jubbaland State, as the majority
stakeholders. In contrast, the opponents of the Jubbaland process are
described as a minority. This boosts the argument that an inclusion of
members of the minority in the administration of Ahmed Madobe would amend
the contested exclusion. The report sidesteps the supreme political
authority of the constitutional interpretation of the Federal Government
over the Jubbaland stakeholders' interpretation with regard to the Jubbaland
State formation process and therefore the mission deemed unwarranted to side
with the federal government.
The report forces ad hock law on federalism before the federal government
explores the policy options with regard to the overall political situation
of the country including the unpredictable outcome of the ongoing discussion
between Somaliland and the Federal Government or the security situation of
many regions under the control of Al Shabab. That inopportune pressure could
cause more harm than help. It also preempts the deliberative policy
formulation required by the good governance.
Prematurely, the report commands the federal government to convene a
reconciliation conference under the supervision/facilitation of IGAD and
prior consultation with "predetermined" key stakeholders in Kismaio. At the
same time the report calls the stakeholders in Kismaio to go to Mogadishu
for dialogue with the federal government. In the final analysis, the self
evident end result of both actions is to breed continuous squabble image and
to leave stand the outcome of Jubbaland process which has been declared
unconstitutional by the Federal Government.
The mission failed to seriously consider the ramifications of the sovereign
government's unconstitutional declaration followed by the rejection of the
outcome. Practically, the government's position rules out immediate
acquiescence of the unilateral foreign-driven divisive process and its
results. At this juncture, the annulment of the outcome of Kismaio and the
continuation of the fight against Al Shabab should precede the installation
of an interim regional authority in the liberated areas.
Obviously, the integration of the Somali forces in the area would be part of
the overall implementation of the security and stabilization plan in
cooperation with the international donors. Any action on the integration of
the Somali forces prior to a national action plan approved by the Federal
parliament will be politically disastrous.
The report cites the existence of explanations for why the federal
government could not lead the process and it exonerates the Jubbaland
stakeholders from wrong doing. It's worth noting that one of the
explanations is provided in an interview the spokesperson of the Prime
Minister of Ethiopia, Getechaw Reda gave to the Voice of America on
Wednesday May 22, 2013, (
<
http://www.voasomali.com/audio/audio/286362.html>
http://www.voasomali.com/audio/audio/286362.html) in which he said that the
federal government could not lose sight that the Jubbaland process was going
on before its creation and that Ethiopia supports the IGAD stabilization
plan of 2011 rejected by the Federal Government. This means the leadership
of the federal government was not indispensable after its withdrawal from
IGAD's plan.
Furthermore, the spokesperson made a revealing statement by saying that
Ethiopia and Kenya have full legitimacy to manage Somalia because their
forces (citizens) are dying in it. This means that the intervention of
Ethiopia and Kenya in Somalia was not for the defeat of Al Shabab and
empowerment of a sovereign Somali government but for the control of Somalia
as colonial powers.
The claim in the report that IGAD facilitation has been absent since
February is misleading and far from the truth. IGAD has been actively
pushing the continuation and conclusion of the process and Kenya immediately
recognized the election of Ahmed Madobe as president of Jubbaland state. To
deepen the fragmentation and tension among Somalis, IGAD would propagate
threats against Jubbaland or other land supporters.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud participated the 22nd Extra-Ordinary session
of IGAD Assembly held in Addis Ababa on May 24th , 2013, and delivered a
statement in which he strongly defended the sovereign equality of Somalia as
well as the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government to manage the
Somali affairs. He expressed appreciation and gratitude towards Ethiopia and
Kenya for their military support in fighting against Al Shabab. President
Hassan underlined that the federal government is mandated to represent the
interest of all Somali people. However, more choke chains were the response
to the balanced words of the President. In fact, IGAD leaders adopted the
conflict-ridden report on Jubbaland with additional burdens, while
surprisingly they did not even take note of President Hassan Sheikh's
specific request to the international community including IGAD members
states to not be neutral to Somali parties when it comes to politics and to
stop giving wrong signals to some groups or regions in Somalia for the sake
of national harmony and unity and against further fragmentation along clan
lines.
In the face of IGAD's campaign against the peacebuilding and statebuiling in
Somalia, the federal government -president, parliament and cabinet- must
weigh in its strategic options. It should not be deluded by "a Conditional
or subordinate leadership role" and must act quickly, decidedly and
strategically in consultation with the Somali people and the international
key actors, including African countries committed to help Somalia exit from
the "failed state" condition. For the welfare of the Somali refugees, the
federal government should not endorse or join the proposed refugees'
repatriation conference pursued by Kenya and Ethiopia before reliable
security and stability returns to Somalia and the domestic humanitarian
situation improves.
Mohamud M Uluso
mohamuduluso_at_gmail.com
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Received on Sun Jun 02 2013 - 22:59:16 EDT