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Talk to Al Jazeera Abdiweli Mohamed Ali: 'Ready to move on'
Will Somalia's new prime minister be able to fight famine and corruption in
order to build a functioning state?
Talk to Al Jazeera<
http://www.aljazeera.com/profile/talk-to-al-jazeera.html>
Last
Modified: 05 Dec 2011 12:54
omalia has been plagued by civil war, instability and famine for a
decade. With the armed group al-Shabab fighting for control the Somali
government is struggling to stay in power.
Government forces survive with support from troops of the African Union
mission in Somalia known as AMISON, but the prime minister is facing
another wave of foreign intervention from countries fed up with
al-Shabab.Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, an academic and a self-professed technocrat
who has spent several years in the US, was recently appointed prime
minister of Somalia in a government reshuffle. His government managed to
take over most of Mogadishu from al-Shabab, but a lot of Somalia remains in
the group's hands.
Kenya has already sent forces, and now there are signs that Ethiopian
troops are entering, or may already have entered the country - a move that
may prove disastrous. The last time Ethiopian forces entered Somalia 16,000
people were killed and one million displaced.
So will the new prime minister be able to build a functioning state? Can he
battle famine and corruption? Or will the country remain a failed state?
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Somalia's prime minister, talks to Al Jazeera's Sami
Zeidan.
"You cannot find peace through violence, everybody has to understand it, we
understand it and our brothers on the other side should understand it.
I don't want to dwell on defeating Shabab, fighting Shabab, because they
are not aliens, they are our kids, they are Somals. My government is for
reconciliation, for peace. We will offer an olive branch to them
[Al-Shabab], if they want to renounce violence; if they want to sit down
with us and discuss issues with us we are ready for that.
Reconciliation is the best strategy. Only Somali can solve Somali
problems. It has to come from us, from the Somals. After 20 years of civil
war had enough, we are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and people
at this time understand that fighting will not solve their problems and
they are ready to move on."
*Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Somalia's prime minister*
Source:
Al Jazeera
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Received on Mon Dec 05 2011 - 23:54:16 EST