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SOMALIA
YEARNS FOR
JUSTICE
Jamal Ali
July 2, 2007
Through out
its modern
history,
Somalia had
been
victimized
by foreign
invaders.
Fore
instance,
like other
parts of
Africa and
Asia,
Europeans
invaded
Somalia.
Although
they
encountered
stiff
resistances
from the
Somali
people, due
to their
military
superiority,
they had
succeeded to
conquer the
country
entirely. In
addition,
long sides
with the
European
aggressions,
the
Ethiopians
were also
either
grapping or
claiming
territories
from
Somalia.
However,
Somalis
never
accepted the
Ethiopian
claims nor
they ceased
their
struggle to
defend and
liberate
their
country
and
themselves
from the
occupiers.
However, to
pacify the
resistance,
Europeans
did what
they knew
best divide
and
rule.
Initially,
they
partitioned
Somalia into
three parts
controlled
and ruled by
three
different
European
powers such
as British
Somaliland,
Italy
Somaliland
and
France
Somaliland
(Djibouti).
As Somali
insurgency
continued,
and their
grip on the
country
weakened,
they further
added to the
division of
Somalia by
rewarding
western
Somalia also
known as
Ogadenia to
the
Ethiopians
and the NFD
to Kenya.
The total
collapse of
the Somalia’s
central
government
has created
a muddled
state.
Tribal war
fares,
criminal
gangs and
warlords
have filled
the vacuum,
and
produced the
worst human
tragedy that
Somalia has
ever
experienced.
In order, to
find a
lasting
solution for
the Somali
saga
however, the
Ethiopian
double-cross
of
the Somali
conflict has
to be dealt
with, the
missing
international
role has to
be
established
and an
inclusive
reconciliation
conference
has to be
held.
The
Ethiopian
Double-Cross
As far as I
can
remember,
there has
never been a
peace
between
Somalia and
Ethiopia,
and the
epicenter of
this
antagonism
stems from
the fact
that the
landlocked
Ethiopians
have been
craving to
have
unrestricted
access to
Somali
seashores.
In
addition,
Ethiopia
occupies the
Ogadenia
region which
is
exclusively
inhabited by
ethnic
Somalis that
never
accepted the
Ethiopian
rule. More
over, the
other
Somalis
who live in
the
independent
Somalia have
always been
sympathetic
to their
brothers
in Ogadenia
who have
been living
in under
state of
emergency
through out
their half
a century of
the
Ethiopian
occupation.
After the
fall down of
the Somali
government,
and the
ensuing
civil war
that broke
out in
Somalia, the
Addis-Ababa
regime felt
that the
time has
came for
them to
fulfill
their long
waited dream
and started
its discreet
and
undeclared
war against
Somalia. It
did so by
arming and
directing
the ignorant
and brutal
warlords to
instigate
and foment
wars among
Somali
tribes.
Even though,
the UN
Security
Council has
imposed an
army embargo
against
Somalia,
the
Ethiopians
have been
openly
supplying
weapons to
the warlords
and
illegally
crossing
into
Somalian
borders to
eliminate
what it
considers
irredentists.
In this
process, the
Ethiopians
assassinated
countless
Somali
intellectuals
and former
military
officers.
In the
current
episode, the
Ethiopian
regime has
used false
and baseless
allegations
against
Somalia by
claiming
that there
are Al-qaeda
operatives
in Somalia
including
those who
committed
terrorist
acts in
Kenya and
Tanzania. In
my opinion,
this
information
is
absolutely
wrong. It is
a stark
reminiscence
of the
alleged WMD
against Iraq
in the run
up to go to
war in Iraq.
After all,
the
Ethiopians
have been
occupying
Somalia
since last
December,
2006, and
they did not
produce a
shred of
evidence to
substantiate
their
mendacious
propaganda.
Nevertheless,
it has
secured a
marriage of
convenience
with the
current
American
administration
which is
apparently
grasping
straws and
gave the
Ethiopians a
free ticket
to hunt and
kill Somalis
at
will.
There fore,
it is time
to put an
end this
madness and
the
continuing
carnage in
Mogadishu
and
elsewhere in
Somalia. The
only way to
achieve that
is an
unconditional
and
verifiable
withdrawal
of the
Ethiopian
forces from
Somalia.
The missing
international
role
The
international
community’s
attitude
towards the
renewed
Somali
conflict has
been
reproachful.
While the
full-fledged
support of
the US and
the UN to
the puppet
TFG
(warlords)
is quite
obvious, the
dismissive
attitude and
benign
neglect of
the
Arab League
with regard
to the
current
Somali
crises and
the
Ethiopian
invasion to
Somalia is
unfortunate.
It is a mind
boggling to
many Somalis
who are
asking
themselves
where is the
solidarity
that
supposed to
bind the
Arab League
members
together. In
my opinion,
they
miserably
failed
Somalia.
I was in
every
respect
disturbed to
read an
article in
the Guardian
Newspaper on
June 7,
2007,
Fledgling
and Fragile,
by Simon
Tisdall who
wrote
“Somalia’s
shaky
peace
process will
have to
overcome
challenges
from both
inside the
country and
out
if upcoming
talks are to
bear
fruit”. In
his article,
he goes on
to quote the
USA
under
secretary of
African
Affairs Ms.
Jendayi
Frazer and
Mr.
Triesman,
the
Britain’s
Minister for
Africa. Both
politicians
lambasted
and blamed
for the
Somali
crises what
they called
Somali
extremists
and the
Eritrean
government.
Nothing is
further from
the truth,
Eritrea
doesn’t
share border
with
Somalia. It
has neither
the military
nor the
economic
power to
support the
Somali
resistances
that are
fighting
with the
Ethiopian
occupiers.
Their
comments are
clear
misrepresentation
of the
truth; show
their little
disregard
for justice,
peace, and
stability in
Somalia. In
short, one
can only
conclude
from their
ignorant and
irresponsible
attitudes
towards the
Somali
plight that
“We
destroyed
your short
lived
stability,
and we have
nothing to
offer to
you, so, you
might as
well accept
the
Ethiopian
occupation,
or else, you
are
terrorists”.
I am sorry,
but that is
an insult to
our
intelligence.
Further
more,
contrary to
their
disingenuous
and
misleading
statements,
the true
spoilers and
wreckers of
the
Somalia’s
peace
process are
the
Ethiopian
occupiers
and those
who blindly
support
their
barbarous
and hate
driven
policies.
Inclusive Reconciliation Conference
Somalis are
extremely
divided and
cynically
appose one
another, and
the invasion
of
the
Ethiopian
troops to
Somalia is
the point in
contention.
The last
thing that
our
nation needs
is another
window-dressing
peace
conference.
Therefore,
it is
irrational
to have a
reconciliation
conference
in a hostile
environment
where the
instigators
of the
conflict
itself are
in control,
and the
participants
are under
the mercy
and scrutiny
of the
occupiers.
Thus, the
present
arrangement
is nothing
but an
airtight
cover-up of
the
Ethiopian
conquest to
Somalia, and
the
atrocities
they have
committed
against
defenseless
and
vulnerable
Somalis.
Hence, it is
an exercise
in futility
and is bound
to fail. As
a
consequence,
what Somalis
need is a
genuine
reconciliation
conference
that is open
and
inclusive to
the
different
groups with
divergent
views to be
held in a
conducive
and safe
environment.
Conclusion
Those who
ignore
history are
bound to
repeat it.
The Somali
conflict has
taken
different
turns and
twists,
however, it
is obvious
to me that
history is
repeating
itself. The
victimization
of innocent
Somali
civilians
who are
yearning for
justice
and the
partition of
our country
by our sworn
enemy are
happening
right before
our
eyes.
Our country
is under
occupation
of the
Ethiopian
government
that is well
prepared to
put Somalia
into a deep
comma once
and for all.
As a result,
it is up to
the Somalis
to liberate
their
country from
the foreign
invaders. We
need to
organize
ourselves,
so, we can
challenge
our enemy
both in the
military and
political
fronts.
As a final point, if the international community is genuine to find a
lasting
solution for
the Somali
conflict,
the
Ethiopian
double-crossing
and their
meddling
of Somali
affairs has
to be
stopped, the
international
community’s
credibility
has to be
re-established,
and an
inclusive
and
transparent
reconciliation
conference
has to be
held in a
conducive
and safe
environment.
Jamal Ali
Jamali305@yahoo.com
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