http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/1532/eu-to-step-up-role-war-torn-somalia
EU to step up role in war-torn Somalia
by Francesco Guarascio
*22 February 2012*
**
*The EU has pledged extra resources to the African Union Mission in
Somalia, to aid what the country's prime minister describes as a move from
"lawlessness and chaos to an era of law"
*The European Union plans to increase its support to the African Union
Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, and extend the outreach of anti al-Qaeda troops
beyond the capital Mogadishu in a bid to pacify the troubled country. Fears
of an Afghanistan-style scenario are far from remote.
"I am happy to say that the EU stands ready to mobilise additional
resources to enable an increase of the number of troops," said European
Commission President José Manuel Barroso during a press conference in
Brussels yesterday. "The improvement of the security situation is a way to
extend our presence on the ground."
Barroso's pledge comes as the international community gathers in London for
a crucial conference on Somalia on February 23. Representatives of 40
governments and half a dozen international organisations are expected to
attend the meeting. It is anticipated that new funds will be made available
to help the Somali authorities continue their fragile path towards
normality. The Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of
Somalia, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, showed confidence. "After 21 years of civil
fighting, violence, anarchy and warlords, I am encouraged by the enthusiasm
showed to me and my country. Somalia is moving from an era of lawlessness
and chaos to an era of law," he said in a joint press briefing with Barroso
in Brussels.
The al-Qaeda sponsored al-Shabab militia, which still controls vast areas
of Somalia, appears to be vulnerable. A harsh famine which hit the country
in 2011 highlighted the al-Shabab movement's inability to properly run the
territory under its rule. The lack of food in areas under al-Shabab control
is pushing many Somalis to leave their homes; international figures suggest
that one million people have left the country, while another 1.5 million
are estimated to be internally displaced, out of a total population of
around 7.5 million. Almost 20 per cent of children in Somalia are severely
malnourished.
"People are choosing with their feet who they stand by," an EU official
said. "Many are leaving the area under al-Shabab's control because it is
impossible to receive humanitarian aid there." The situation is so harsh in
the areas controlled by al-Shabab that Somalis are turning to any possible
alternative. Surprisingly, people living near the Ethiopian border are
reported to have welcomed the arrival of the much disliked Ethiopian troops
when they recently took control of some cities.
Al-Shabab fighters have to face Ethiopian troops pouring into the country
from the North-West and Kenyan forces coming from the South. Mogadishu is
presided over by a significant contingent of AMISOM troops, which may
almost double if EU pledges are fulfilled. Their number could increase from
almost 10,000 now to nearly 18,000. Additionally, the international
community is stepping up efforts to secure the Red Sea and rid it of Somali
pirates, a burden that costs the world economy $7bn a year, according to
the One Earth Foundation. Many observers consider that this is the best
opportunity in decades to bring Somalia closer to becoming a normal state.
Nevertheless, the route towards statehood is still obstructed by serious
obstacles.
The humanitarian emergency gripping the country reduces al-Shabab's ability
to rule the territory it controls, but it also creates instability for
government forces. The political situation remains fluid and the
transitional government is weak. Somaliland, a vast region in the north,
wants independence from Somalia. President Barroso called for political
progress as a precondition for renewed European engagement and the presence
of Somaliland's representatives at the conference in London is a positive
sign. Somalia's neighbours, although useful in cornering al-Shabab, may
also be unreliable. Ethiopia has previously tried to snatch territory from
Somalia, and seems unlikely to revert from its traditional expansionist
policy.
As for al-Shabab, it is weakened and on retreat, but it remains master of
huge areas of the country. "Even Mogadishu is not safe at all yet,"
admitted an EU official. Military means are useful to lower the morale of
al-Shabab's troops, but it might prove more effective to cut their
financial support, which is exactly where the international community is
failing. Al-Shabab receives funding mostly through informal Hawala
transfers which are based on honour and are conducted outside the banking
system. There is no way to check how much money is brought into the country
this way. And the alternative is simply impracticable at the moment. "Who
would dare to open a bank in Somalia?" was the ironic remark of another EU
official.
Under such circumstances, deploying new troops outside Mogadishu to expand
control over the country poses risks for EU-backed forces. A repeat of
Afghanistan is both possible and highly undesirable.
----[Mailing List for Eritrea Related News ]----
Received on Wed Feb 22 2012 - 10:11:00 EST
