From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Jul 19 2009 - 16:56:34 EDT
Somalia: Abduction highlights Government Collapse
19 Jul 19, 2009 - 9:35:14 AM
By Faizal Mohamud
http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Abduction_hig
hlights_Government_Collapse.shtml
The 'official' kidnapping of the two French Servicemen in Mogadishu this
week is the latest warning shot to the International Community, who
continually ignore the dynamics of the Islamist insurgency and misguidedly
support feeble and corrupt megalomaniac groups in the name of transitional
governments, that Mogadishu is under the full of control of Alshabaab.
Since the French guests had been staying at "Sahafi Hotel", where dozens of
Somali government officials have sought residence, their sole abduction
demonstrates that Islamist hardliners did not abduct the two men directly
but through third party.
Because had they had access to the building the casualty would have been
greater and more painful as more ministers who had been staying at next
doors would also have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
So the abduction must have been carried out by members in the government or
their security guards, who then transferred them to the militants, and that
was practically what had happened according to reliable sources in Somalia.
The disorganization of the government security forces and the lack of chain
order make the matters worse, as anybody can hardly distinguish between
armed groups in Somalia.
When President Sheikh Sharif was elected in January, some Islamist
figureheads have held major posts in his government and their "wild"
fighters have automatically joined the government forces though quite
separate in terms of uniform and order without proper training. This has
brought the government forces under various leadership and authorities,
which is a key factor for its weakness, and triggers constant defection of
its soldiers.
For instance, the Interior minister, Abdulkadir Ali Omar, the only Islamist
leader who had not fled from Somalia during the Ethiopian invasion, leads
his militiamen who are autonomous from the defence ministry and Police chief
and have been largely associated with Hizbul Islam since influential
Islamist leader, Hassan Dahir Aweys returned to Mogadishu (despite he
survived from assassination attempt, in which his bodyguard was killed)
These militias are believed to have abducted the Frenchmen, who had
impersonated as journalists but were later indentified as servicemen, (a
status that could minimize their chance of survival), and handed them to
Hizbul Islam, who are seen less radical than Alshabaab but has the same
ideology.
After Alshabaab demanded unconditional transfer, Hizbul Islam later handed
the hostages over to Alshabaab according to Somali media reports.
In Somalia, kidnapping is a routine crime committed by discrete groups;
Islamist insurgents, local bandits and pirates, but in different reasons.
Local bandits abduct in search for ransom, and Islamists in a way of
punishment, so the prospect of survival of their victims is too low compared
to the local bandits as they behead their captives and prisoners of war.
However, the involvement or the facilitation by government forces in the
recent abduction is scandalous and questions the credibility and legitimacy
of not only the Somali government but also that of President Nicolaz
Zerkozy, French citizens would ask why their servicemen were sent to
unsecure, Alqaeda-infested Somalia. That's why I have used the "official
kidnapping" in the first paragraph, because of the involvement of government
forces.
Gravely, President Sharif's Government is integrating into state of
non-existence and cannot survive even with the support of the international
community who usually invest in unworkable politics in Somalia without
consideration to past failures.
President Sharif needs to form a new effective government that can restore
stability, create secure environment for a free and fair election and ensure
peaceful progression to a legitimate government or resign to give the
opportunity to anyone who can achieve those objectives.
The International Community needs to support only genuine political process,
ensure that their funds are properly used, that corrupt officials are held
accountable for their crimes and establish international finance team to
monitor funds to Somalia to avoid the pitfalls of the past, where millions
of dollars vanished into the pockets of selfish leaders, who maintain
luxurious lives in the West and in neighbouring countries with impunity.
They also need to establish international justice system for the war crimes
committed in Somalia, and probe the human rights violations in the country
to warn those continuing the hostility that such impunity is no longer
tolerated.
They need to warn Somalia's Diaspora Communities, who have long contributed
in the continuation of war by sending funds and organizing political
fundraising, of any involvement in the conflict and that they could be held
accountable for such contributions. They finally need to reach out to the
criminal master-minders who have been responsible for the disappearance of
young Somali immigrants in US and Europe who were recruited for suicide
activities in Somalia.
The writer is a Somali journalist and could be reached at
<mailto:journ20@gmail.com> journ20@gmail.com
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