By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi

Somalia was without effective central government for more than two decades, which changed the demography of the country, destroying infrastructure and immigrating the brain of the country to outside. The country felt apart without quick signs of recovery.

It is a question lingering in everybody’s mind: why Somalia, once the most powerful country in the Horn of Africa, collapsed quickly or in less than six months? The reality is that Somalia with no proper constitution, law, and the country was established excitedly and without proper agreements between the groups united in Somalia on 1^st July 1960.

The world terror groups established centers because it is free-for-all. Al-Qaeda, Mafia and even many African armed groups use Somalia as save heaven to carry out their illegal operations. Al-Qaeda planned attacks on U.S. Embassies in East African inside Somalia, which killed hundreds of innocent Kenyans and Tanzanians. The Washington administration reacted with missile attacks on the hotspots of Al-Qaeda inside Somalia. The attack killed few terrorists and hundreds of civilians near the hotspots. Today’s Al-Shabab – armed religious group – has links with Al-Qaeda, and they are controlling majority of the southern parts of former Somalia.

The interim National Unity Government led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed is weak and shaky with no control over majority of the country. The government gets security support from African Union Forces in Mogadishu, but without them it will remain like ‘fish in a dry land’. Ahmed administration imposed Islamic Sharia in the country to satisfy the demands of Al-Shabab. Ahmed enjoys world recognition with full diplomatic reception to his visits to different countries, but got no support inside Somalia. However, Ahmed with no political skills and strong educational background don’t have the quality to lead the country out of anarchy.

Moreover, there is war between regional countries inside Somalia. Ethiopia support Ahmed and his administration, where Eritrea harbors and arms the Al-Qaeda linked terrorists like Al-Shabab. The internationally blacklisted terrorist members are hiding inside Asmara and instructing their fighters’ in Somalia: Sheikh Dahir Aways is one of such internationally wanted terrorists. He controls Al-Shabab and vowed to fight Ahmed administration.

Al-Shabab terrorist organization targeted the northern parts of former Somalia like Somaliland and “Puntland” and killed more than thirty people in car bomb. The attacks targeted UN building, Ethiopian embassy and Somaliland Presidential House. Somaliland very much stable and democratic compare to other parts of Somalia. Somaliland is a breakaway from Somalia and established good governance and democracy with human rights and law of justice. Al-Shabab can only be eliminated in educating the people and reducing the poverty in the country.

FBI reported that many Somali-Americans – Ahmed Shirwa a suicide-bomber at UN Office in Somaliland – are going back to Somalia to join Al-Shabab, which is very much disappointing and U.S. need to act on strongly on the matter.

The people of Somaliland are very wise and highly educated compare to their counterparts in Somalia. What makes Somaliland and its people special is that they pull their values of tolerance and forgiveness out at the difficult times. They act smarter, accurate and quicker to solve their internal problems without support from outside world.

A Somali pirate is hot topic in world media, and caught the attention of most powerful personalities and governments. Somali, with 3700 km coast line, is very important path that links east to west. In 2008, the pirates received $125 million as ransom. The office of UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon accused the administration of semi-autonomous region in North-East Somalia called “Puntland” for sponsoring the piracy. Today, the ransom-rich pirates are treated as kings and even marry the beautiful girls and drive brand-new cars. The only way to end such illegal activities is to attack the bases of pirates inside “Puntland”.

The most dangerous and denting is the recent move by the Arab leaders to lift the arms embargo on Somalia. Interim President of Somalia Sheikh\ Sharif Ahmed submitted the request to lift the embargo to Arab leaders, in an attempt to defeat the Islamist – Al-Shabab. This is good to get effective central government in Somalia, but will Ahmed succeed in his plan? Or the arms cost other million civilian lives?!

This is not first time Somali leader to ask for lifting arms embargo, former President of Somalia Colonel\ Abdullah Yusuf convinced the Arabs and Africans to lift the arms embargo, and thousands of tones of arms entered Somalia, but unfortunately he did not succeed, instead it enflamed violence. Yemen exported thousands of tones of weapons into Somalia to support Abdullah’s government, but majority of such weapons are in hands of Al-Shabab today. The Arabs and world shouldn’t allow weapons to go into Somalia because it makes the situation worse. Somalia needs peace but not killing machines.

The Arab League has said that they will ask the United Nations to uplift the arms embargo in Somalia so that Somali pirate and Al-Shabab groups can be fought.

The Arab League said that it will ask the United Nations Security Council to lift the arms embargo that has been imposed on Somalia so that the interim National Unity Government of Somalia can have the opportunity to fight Al-Shabab whose attacks the government facilities and African Forces.

The Arab Leagues representative for African Affairs, Ambassador Samir Husni said they will forward a request to the United Nations Security Council in which they will request for the uplifting of the arms embargo which is currently imposed on Somalia during an international conference that the Arab League is attending in Copenhagen, Denmark which is expected to discuss the problems of piracy along the Somali coast.

President Ahmed shall work on restoring the law through talking and negotiation but not importing weapons into Somalia, which will deteriorate the situation only. Pirates can only be eliminated if and only if the international communities take military action against them inside their own strongholds. And in order to promote democracy and liberty in the region, the world should recognize Somaliland. Somaliland will be useful partner in both regional and worldwide.

Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com

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