Hiiraan Online

However, the debate in the consultation meeting revealed the level of hopelessness in the Somali diaspora and how they see the role of the rest of the world. Some Somalis argue that the international negligence was primary factor that led to the failure of their nationhood. “It is not realistic to put one’s house in order when they have no friend” an elderly Somali man said to me.

Somalia was left to the mercy of criminal warlords, muddled islamists and edgy neighbours. They all share a common strategy which is maintaining the status quo. First, the warlords have been benefiting  from the lawlessness financially by creating their own air and see ports; having dodgy deals with international companies to dump deadly waste into the Somali sea and most recently they invented clan-based states to collect taxes and raise funds from the donors.

Ironically, while their counterparts such as Charles Taylor of Liberia have been indicted by the International Criminal Court, Somali warlords have held ministerial posts in every Somali governments with impunity.

Chaos in Somalia has been an enormous opportunity for some of the religious groups. Some of them even openly explain how the current situation in the country enabled them to spread what they view as a “true Islam”. For them, anarchy has given them an opportunity they never enjoyed under the stability of previous governments which did not let them preach freely.

Finally, in a book he recently published, the long-term ally of Ethiopia and the former TFG president, Abdilahi Yusuf, finally confirmed the old Somali suspicion that Ethiopians have been promoting weak sub-national interties who can’t agree on anything in the country. Prolonging the conflict has been a preferred option for Kenya and Ethiopia, and instead of helping their neighbour to stand on its feet once again, they see the furtherance of a Somalia at war with itself as the only strategy that can protect them from a repetition of the territorial disputes they had with the former Somali governments.  

In the hearts of Somalis, the international community left them alone and many observers agree with their disappointments. The timing of interventions by the international community has been attracting criticism. In his book, Somalia: The Missed Opportunities, The former UN envoy to Somalia, Mohamed Sahnoun, insisted that “if the international community had intervened earlier and more effectively, much of the catastrophe that has unfolded could have been avoided.”

The unprecedented withdrawal of UN forces in 1994 is evidence of the failures of the international community. The US led mission known as ‘Operation Restoring Hope’ faced some resistance from one of the warlords in Mogadishu, while the rest of Somalia was either under the control of the UN peacekeepers or were unwaveringly supporting the mission. The majority of regions in Somalia were cooperating with the peacekeepers. Unfortunately, after the killing of 18 American soldiers, the international community decided to pull its troops out of the country leaving the same people they came to help at the mercy of brutal warlords. Even the American soldiers on the ground at that time view the decision to withdraw the peacekeepers as a betrayal of the Somali people.

Michael Durant, one of the pilots of Black Hawk helicopters shot down in Mogadishu in 1993, told a British newspaper that the situation in Somalia was worsened by the US government decision to pull its troops out of the war-torn nation, and he believes that they “had an opportunity to implement some change back in 1993 and we allowed that window of opportunity to close.”

Somalia on the Agenda

After two decades, it seems that the international leaders are putting Somalia in their diaries. The historic visit to Mogadishu by Turkish Prime Minister, Erdogan and the announcement of Premier Cameron to hold an international Conference on Somalia are a glimpse of hope for many Somalis.

As British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said the London Conference ‘comes at the right time’. It is a right time, because, for the first time since civil war brought down the former dictator, Siyad Bare in 1991, Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu has fallen into the hands of an internationally recognised authority. Al Shabaab’s removal from the city has effectively handed full control of the capital to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). It is also the first time international flights have dared to land at Mogadishu’s airport.

The timing of the conference coincides with Al Shabaab’s announcement to formally join Al Qaida, which appears to be the consequence of a lack of support for the organisation among the Somalis and many people are anticipating that such a move will deepen the level of division within the organisation’s leadership. It strengthens the position of the Somali clerics who were against the non-Somali agenda of Al Shabaab.

Somalia is ready to put its house in order if it is genuinely helped by the civilised world. Therefore, The London Conference should support the current fragile peace and stability by promoting the relocation of the UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations to the country. Other international organisations need to follow the example of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who has already relocated his envoy to Mogadishu. This will create job opportunities for the younger generation while it prevent them joining Al-Shabaab. It will also increase the capability of international community to closely monitor the peace process and good governance.

Mogadishu is home to two million of Somalia’s approximately ten million citizens; it was also the epicentre of the civil war for the last two decades – if it gets peace the rest of Somalia will follow. This emphasises the importance of capitalizing on Mogadishu’s peace and security. An increase in the number of peacekeepers is very important to fill the vacuum Al-Shabaab has left in other liberated towns. A platform should be provided for Somali religious clerics to debate with nationalist members of Al-Shabaab to encourage them to put down their arms.

No Room for Failure

Any failure of this conference will have a devastating consequence on Somalia. It will mean the Somali problem is insoluble; it will encourage opportunist groups to maintain the status quo and once again, the civilised world will be humiliated.

Therefore, for the London Conference to come up with a positive outcome, participants need to satisfy Somali people who are in despair at the lack of commitment by the international community. This means it is essential to engage the intellectuals, women, youth groups, diaspora communities and peace activists, by presenting a sustainable strategy that aims to help starving Somali children and their skeletal breastfeeding mothers.

The conference should avoid the mistakes of the previous conferences of merely providing a platform for power-mongers. Thus, the subsequent process of the conference needs to create an inclusive platform for all Somalis to contribute to the rebuilding of their nation.   

It is also essential for the participants of this conference, to reconsider the ‘dual track policy’ whereby international community deals simultaneously with both the TFG and regional power brokers. This policy only encourages power-mongers to divide the country into tiny and clan-based ‘states’. Instead they should help the TFG to allow the national army to have immediate responsibility for the security of all liberated parts of Somalia, to build capable institutions, to combat corruption, and promote transparency. This will eventually help TFG to extend its authority over the rest of the country and this is the best road map that can lead this war-torn nation to the end of its ordeal so it can hold free and fair election.