MOGADISHU (HAN) December 21.2020. Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. Monitoring Regional Issues. In collective effort, Somalia needs peace now more than ever before. What do I mean by that? Over seventy five percent of the population in Somalia is under thirty years of age and has known nothing but violence. The country is described to be one of poorest in sub Saharan Africa. In every list of human development the country is at the bottom. Over thirty years, the country has been under the shadow of death. More death and threat of violence is out of the question.
Somalis have been fighting each other for competition of little resources, mainly access for water and grazing land for their animals. Before the civil war, the country had never made the world headline. It was never peaceful either, but isolated from the rest of world. All Somalis know the pecking order. The world comes to know about Somalia in the years of the political and social turmoil. As result, some of our people migrated to everywhere, except the continent of Antarctic. This goes without saying that Somalis are always thankful for the hospitality they received from friendly nations.
Somali people are very enterprising people; Their presence was felt everywhere. In the corridors of power, business chambers, educational institutions, international institutions, financial institutions, sports arenas and so on and so forth… They settled in well and even contributed to the economies of the host countries, (Mainly in Africa, Europe and North America.) That clearly shows their potentiality.
In geopolitics, It is a matter of fact that Allah (God) has blessed Somalia’s ancient land enormous resources and its location makes it one of the best strategic positions in the world. That is why other countries are involved in Somali affairs relentlessly. They are said to have business and trade interests. Even though, Somalis are ancient feuding people they know how to manage their own affairs. They never forget their roots and friends in the hard times. Some of the Somali friends are genuine. They continue to help Somalis to bring about peace to their troubled land.
The worldly untapped resources of this country is part of the problem and will be open for discussion, let it be aside for the time being. It is time for other countries to cease competing over Somalia and its resources. Somalis know that their friends have chosen them, when they were poor, vulnerable, helpless and dire situation. These friends have invested in them wisely and strategically. Somalis today don’t have enough words to express their gratitude, but they can see the wolves in the sheep…Surely, it is about time for all nations to work together – big and small – to bring about prominent peace to this troubled land of Somalia. It is a collective responsibility. Then resources will be prioritized accordingly in its day.
Somali’s are well conversant that billions of dollars are spent in Somali peace by International Somali partners and unfortunately that peacebuilding effort is compromised. It needs to be saved quick before it collapses all together. The Somali people through their civil society groups are calling for peaceful resolution to the present crises. They don’t want conflict and that has been made clear over and over again. They know that their country has been recovering slowly and the democratic institutions, which are established with your international funds, have begun to take root.
It is widely understood that the country is in a political and a constitutional crises now. It is time to heed the Somali calls, at least on part of the international friends. It is for Somalia’s sake and your sake and deal with the people you called spoilers. Undoubtedly in the eyes of Somalis, they are real threat to Somali Peace and security and your interests as well. It is high time, in the view of many Somalis, to make them accountable for their actions. A former Turkish diplomat observes the Somali issues, when he writes in his twitter,” President Farmaajo has to act with maturity and compromise like his predecessors, Hassan Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in handling the current political crises in Somalia.”
The opposition groups suspect that international Somali partners are fully aware that the country is in serious crises like their Turkish counterpart, but some of the countries have tacit support for this regime in private. If that is true, then It is time for them to come clean and choose to support the Somali people and Somalia’s fragile democracy in unison and take a firm stand.
Analysts are in the view that the world ought to know that Somalis are becoming more sophisticated than one imagines and they know business interests. At the same time, they know well how to survive in hostile environment if the sky falls. This society knows when to choose compromise over confrontation. It second nature for them. The majority of the people think that this is the time to compromise… (it ought to be noted if Somalis set something on their mind no one can change that reality.)
It is unanimous consensus among peoples across the regional states that the current administration has failed the Somali people who welcomed it. They feel that the president betrayed their trust and no one could redeem him, no matter what.
Therefore, the International Community ought to know that the majority of the Somalia’s population have not experienced a real peace, particularly the young generation. To them, the concept of peace itself is abstract idea! Moreover, as the international community funded this peace. It is seen to be their peace more than the Somalis’ peace.
President Farmaajo is like the former president, Abdullah Yusuf. He is not a compromising type, but he is a lot weaker in the eyes of the opposition. Be warned – History is likely to repeat itself in Somalia. The end.
By Mohamed Mohamud Adde.
The author is an academic and independent Somali Political Analyst who is based in Mogadishu.
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