From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed May 20 2009 - 14:16:58 EDT
US Seeks Coordinated, Sustainable Somali Strategy
20 May 2009
In Washington, a US Senate panel held a hearing Wednesday on developing a
coordinated and sustainable strategy toward Somalia. The Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs took testimony on "the new offensive
launched by militant extremists."
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson says despite
a transitional federal government in place, Somalia is in crisis.
"Approximately 43 percent of the Somali population relies on humanitarian
assistance to survive and nearly 500,000 Somalis have fled the country and
now live in overcrowded refugee camps throughout the region," he says.
Clans, militias, warlords and terrorist organizations control most of the
country, not the Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
Carson adds, "The blight of piracy off the coast of Somalia is without
question a symptom of the instability and insecurity within Somalia. Without
stability in Somalia there can be no long-term resolution of the piracy
problem."
The US blames much of insecurity in Somalia on the al-Shabaab militia, which
it accuses
Carson says US aims for sustainable Somalia policy
ofbeing a terrorist organization. Al-Shabaab is trying to overthrow the TFG.
"The resolution of these problems calls for a comprehensive solution that
provides stability,promotes reconciliation, economic opportunity and hope
for the Somali people," says Carson.
The Obama administration has called on the State Department, the National
Security Council,the Defense Department, USAID, intelligence agencies and
other agencies to develop a Somalia strategy -- one, Carson says, "that is
both comprehensive and sustainable." He says the US is also working with
international partners, including the United Nations, African Union and
European Union.
A strategy based on internal reconciliation
"Our comprehensive strategy is to promote a stabile and peaceful Somalia, to
support regional peacekeeping efforts, to create a functioning and effective
central government…to create a country that is at peace with its neighbors,"
he says.
Carson says the United States has contributed hundreds of millions of
dollars to support humanitarian and security needs in Somalia. He also
accuses Eritrea of supporting armed groups, who are opposed to the
Transitional Federal Government.
Also testifying was Professor Ken Menkhaus of Davidson College, who expects
the Somali crisis to be a continuing foreign policy concern for the new
Obama administration.
Past US policy flawed
He says, "In this increasingly complex environment, external state building,
peace building and counter-terrorism initiatives have at times been based on
flawed analysis and have produced unintended consequences, which have left
Somalia and its regional neighbors even more insecure."
Menkhaus says sometimes policy initiatives have been at odds.
Menkhaus says Somalia will remain foreign policy challenge
"The US also faces the challenge of de-conflicting its multiple objectives
in Somalia. Over the past decade, American counter-terrorism, state building
and humanitarian initiatives have generally been unintegrated and have at
times worked at cross purposes," he says.
More challenges were created by the 2007 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia and
subsequent occupation.
"That occupation and the destructive insurgency and counter
insurgency…helped to fuel an unprecedented level of radicalism in Somali
society," he says.
He says Somalis have blamed the United States for many of the problems in
their country because it backed Ethiopia.
"Anti-Americanism has been very high in the country and trust of American
motives and policies low. This has been ameliorated somewhat by the January
2009 Ethiopian withdrawal, the establishment of a more broad-based
transitional government and Somali expectations of a shift in US policy
under the Obama administration," he says.
However, Menkhaus says, "There is still a high level of mistrust of American
policies and residual anger at the US."
He adds that US policy toward Somalia must take a regional approach and
consider tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the insurgency in Ethiopia's
Somali region and territorial claims.
Oxfam senior policy advisor Shannon Scriber told the Senate panel that
"Somalia remains the site of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The
combination of conflict and drought have led to more than three million
Somalis dependent on aid within the country and the displacement of up to
1.8 million."
South and Central Somalia are the most unstable regions and the most
difficult to reach.
Little water, dying animals
"Beyond the obvious humanitarian impact…the country faces drought conditions
unseen since the 1991 famine…. Drought conditions continue to ravage
livelihoods, particularly among pastoralist populations as livestock are
dying and wasting at an alarming rate," she says.
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