Ethiopia, Kenya decided to takeover Somalia
15/12/2012
_____
Mareeg.com-In implementing their recently concluded
<
http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php?id=6307:kenya-ethiopia-agree-on-regional
-security-cooperation&option=com_content&catid=52:national-news&Itemid=291>
regional security cooperation agreement and reaffirming their indefinite
military occupation of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya have decided to takeover
and perhaps later annex Somalia under the cover of the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD). Since only Ethiopia exercises uncontested
power within the Organization, on December 6, 2012, IGAD Joint Committee of
Ethiopia and Kenya under the auspices of former Kenyan Minister, Mr. Kipruto
Arap Kirwa, IGAD Facilitator for Somalia Peace and Reconciliation (IFSPR),
issued <
http://www.mfa.gov.et/weekHornAfrica/morewha.php?wi=730#730> a
statement and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Grand Stabilization plan
(GSP) for South and Central Somalia.
As explained in the prerelease statement, the GSP covers political
reconciliation, local administration, national security, rule of law, and
delivery of necessary assistance to communities in need. In addition to
Ethiopia and Kenya, a Somali team liaised with the Office of the Prime
Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia and led by former
head of the Somali National Security Services (SNSS), General Mohamed Sheikh
Hassan attended the IGAD Joint Committee deliberations in Addis Ababa. It is
not clear if the new federal government had full knowledge of the team's
existence, working responsibilities and accountability.
The Office of IFSPR is independent from IGAD's Secretariat. The IGAD
Facilitator is based in Addis Ababa, while the IGAD Secretariat is based in
Djibouti. For further background information, on April 28, 2010, a
<
http://unpos.unmissions.org/Portals/UNPOS/Repository%20UNPOS/100428%20MOU%2
0AMISOM-IGAD-UNPOS.pdf> Memorandum of Understanding on Somalia has been
signed among AMISOM, UNPOS, and IGAD Facilitator. This tripartite MoU
marginalizes IGAD Executive Secretary, Inj. Mahboub Maalim who is of a
Somali-Kenyan origin from Somalia peace process.
The new IGAD Joint Committee initiative takes place while the international
community- the donor countries, the United Nations, the Arab league, the
Organization of Islamic Countries and the African Union are reviewing their
strategic cooperation with the newly elected post transitional federal
government in the light of the decisions reached during the Mini Summit held
in New York in September 2012. Furthermore, it comes out after the first
official visit of the president of the federal government, Dr. Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud to Ethiopia and Djibouti and in the midst of his official visit to
Turkey with which the federal government has signed important economic and
security agreements.
Fortunately with unblinking honesty, the Deputy Special Representative of
the Secretary General (DSRSG), Peter de Clercq published a brief titled "
<
http://unposomalia.tumblr.com/> What next for the United Nations in
Somalia?" in the Tumblr blog of the United Nations Political Office for
Somalia (UNPOS) in which he highlighted the ongoing strategic review process
dictated by the new political dispensation. While reading the brief is more
informative, the DSRGS made the following critical points:
v. That the federal Government has sought UN and AU support for
rebuilding the security apparatus (national army and police force),
rebuilding a credible judiciary system, implementing a decentralization and
local/regional administrations as well as undertaking a comprehensive
capacity building of Somali Institutions;
v. That the UN has committed to align itself along the "six
pillars" plan announced by the President of Somalia and the new UN mission
will concentrate on state and peace building. He quoted President Hassan
Mohamud saying to the UN Review Mission: "If you don't start treating us as
a viable State, we will never become one."
v. Finally that the ambitions of the new administration match
the challenges ahead and that the administration has asked a space to think
through and implement the new strategy laid out by the president in his "six
pillars" strategy.
It is absolutely buoyant to see that an official of UNPOS is capable to
voice such a rightful and honest statement in opportune time so that the end
of transition would not be a farce. The DSRSG argued forcefully that "peace
building is a complex business, but not giving this important [Somali]
initiative a chance brings even bigger risks." Time will tell if his views
are embraced wholeheartedly and implemented without delay by his leaders.
Rather than reinforcing the message of his deputy and five days before the
signing of the MoU in Nairobi, Kenya planned for December 13, 2012, the
SRGS, Dr. Augustine Mahiga, issued
<
http://unpos.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=nTsDS6IeHk4%3d&tabid=
9705&mid=12667&language=en-US> a statement in which he welcomed the IGAD
Facilitator Initiative for Somalia. The assertion that the new initiative is
a Somali-owned, led process is far from the truth.
The content of MoU raises many questions and concerns. It consists of a
preamble and 9 articles. The preamble stresses the threat of terrorism,
threats of State, human insecurities, other emerging security concerns,
commitment of government of Somalia to work within IGAD's framework and
stabilization, and the "required partnership engagement" for greater
stability in Somalia. Article 5 of the MoU overrides and restricts the
constitutional, political and administrative responsibilities, prerogative
and citizens' relationship of the Somali Government.
First and foremost, the MoU delegitimizes the federal government and
pre-empts its sovereign leadership role in the internal and external affairs
of Somalia. It attempts to completely abort the prospect of the
international efforts geared towards statebuilding and peacebuilding in
Somalia. It is takeover, not support of Somalia. Above all, it ignores the
political arrangement created by the adoption of the provisional
constitution, the ending of the transitional period and the rehabilitation
of Somali State in accordance with the political platform announced by the
new Government.
Other glaring shortcomings of the MoU include the exclusion of Eritrea,
Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Burundi, and the empowerment of IGAD Facilitator
over UN/AU Facilitators. The MoU creates multiple overlaps and weakens the
centrally guided and coordinated implementation of the approved Somali
National Security and Stabilization Plan (NSSP), which outlines in detail
the establishment of complex structures at national, regional and district
levels and the legislations required to create a secure and safer Somalia.
These tasks fall under the jurisdiction of the President, Federal Parliament
and the Council of Ministers.
During his first visit to Kenya in November 2012, Prime Minister Hailemariam
Desalegn of Ethiopia stated that his country views Kenya as a strategic
all-weather partner and friend in a troubled region. He also defended
Kenya's direct control of the process for setting up administrations in
Jubba and Gedo regions in violation of Somali sovereignty, provisional
constitution and UN resolutions.
It is interesting to see if the international community and the United
Nations are willing to go along with the Ethiopian and Kenyan takeover of
Somalia in violation of the latter's independent self-governance and
political transformation. The Ethiopian bid to secure its regional power
role at a time of state failure, civil conflicts and undemocratic regimes in
power could be potentially a destabilizing factor rather than a stabilizing
power in the region.
As a matter of urgency, the federal government has to streamline its
strategic dealing with the international community, develop and practice
protocols and procedures for uprooting its internal dysfunctional behavior
and creating disciplined working habit that will strengthen its decision
making and execution process. The basis of this reform must be the
development of a national political platform that will boost national
loyalty to a clear domestic and foreign policy agenda. In a nutshell, to
diminish the unwarranted external influences and interferences, the federal
government must act quickly by mobilizing the public awareness on
citizenship, sense of patriotism, justice, social harmony and common
interests.
Mr. Mohamud M Uluso
mohamuduluso_at_gmail.com
Received on Sat Dec 15 2012 - 11:39:09 EST
