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with Somali Opposition: The European Union has been
pressuring the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to establish
a broad-based government by sitting down with the opposition,
in order to bring a lasting solution to the Somali crisis. The
initiative is remarkably acceptable, as any method to solve the
protracted Somali conflict is prioritized, whatever it may cost
for the people, the government and its neighboring adherents. Also, conferring with the
extremists won’t be productive, as they will not accept
any compromises in their religious thoughts and understandings,
whereas the incumbent party cannot be expected to abandon its
governmental obligations and commitments in international conventions
and treaties. Therefore, reaching out
to the opposition by launching inclusive talks with an open-ended
ultimatum lacks clarity and invites misperception. Defining who
is the opposition and what are their agendas should be looked
into first. The term “terrorism” is by its nature globally controversial. However, I am convinced by the definition given to it by humble language dictionaries like Encarta, which defines it as “violence or the threat of violence, especially bombing, kidnapping, and assassination, carried out for political purposes.” Taking this into account, I can hardly say that there is a moderate opposition party in Somalia . The prominent “Asmara Group,” the one mostly referred to as the moderates, has never denounced the use of violence and the persistent assassinations against innocent civilians who speak out against the insurgency or call for a peaceful solution to Somalia’s conflict or the journalists that cover the conflict impartially. One resident in Mogadishu said the goverment arrests the journalists when they think they are partial, but the insurgents assassinate journalists if they think they are favoring the government. Therefore, they should avoid covering the insurgency attacks negatively. But contrary to any denouncement,
they would have been very happy to see the president or the prime
minister killed, as they consider them to be “traitors.”
The distinction that divides the Asmara Alliance and the Al-shabab
Militants is that the former wants to negotiate with burdensome
demands (though it’s not clear whether they’ll accept
the outcome), while the later consider any dialogue as a compromise
in faith, which religiously is unacceptable. Therefore, perpetuating
the hostility, bombing and shelling, is an approach to Allah’s
will and forgiveness! The conflict in Somalia has never involved religion, but rather has been the outcome of clan marginalization and rivalry. The conflict however did not start in the 1990s; the pastoral Somali have been fighting each other since the 18th century over pasture and other land. Clan-based revenge and retaliations continued up to the post-independence era, as broad-based grassroots reconciliation was not launched by civil governments after the durable clan animosity was not addressed. Rather, the politicians’ campaigns for power reverberated with clannish principles, and then the country edged towards a Marxist-Leninist system that had nothing to do with nomadic pastoral Somalis. After marginalized clans took arms to fight against Siyad Barre’s government, which was weakened by its 1977 war with Ethiopia, the country relapsed to tribalism that tore the nation apart. Whether the country needs
political or clan-based reconciliation is yet a blank space for
arguments. But the origin of the conflict can determine the kind
of reconciliation needed. Implementing a system that suits and
satisfies all clans and genuine grass-roots reconciliation, and
the employment of United Nations peacekeepers to observe the agreements
and to empower the Federal institutions until the country fully
establishes its security forces, are very important factors for
addressing the protracted Somali conflict. Nothing can amuse the
power-hungry groups or the uncompromising elements in Somalia
. * The writer has long reported for the Sub-Saharan Informer on Somali issues and can be reached at fcgabanow@hotmail.com.
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