The African Tribune - Towards Peace and Stability in Somalia

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Towards Peace and Stability in Somalia

     The tribal conflict in the war-torn country of Somalia has been a great concern for Somalis and peace-loving people of the world. Somalis does not have a functioning government since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.As a result of tribal wars, a plethora of Somalis have fled persecution and have found a safe heaven in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East as well as in neighboring African countries.

With the intensification of the tribal wars, the people of Somalia have become exhausted from these wars, and are desperately seeking to find a peaceful resolution to the problem gripping their country. Somalis are directly affected by these wars. More than ever before, the Somalis understand the importance of peace and stability for the wellbeing and prosperity of their people. The people of Somalia would like to see a peaceful Somalia in which the respect of human right, democracy, peace and prosperity prevail. But the desire of the people for peace is being thwarted by military intervention and interference in the internal affairs of Somalia coming from neighboring countries such as Ethiopia. The presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalis no doubt deteriorates the situation thereby leading to the intensification of violence, thus preventing the warring factions from resuming dialogue towards the common goal of reestablishing a government that would embrace all Somalis together.

     The current situation vividly demonstrates that some countries supported by some interest groups are fuelling tribal conflicts in a bid to further intensify bloodshed in the country. These activities are aimed at further dividing the people on ethnic line and do not in any way help to bring the different sides to a negotiating table. In addition, these activities are also aimed at establishing the supremacy of one tribe over the other which is not acceptable by the other parties. This is one of the main problems that need to be addressed if Somalia is to come out of the quagmire of tribal wars and bring peace and stability in the region.

     On the other hand, the military presence of the Ethiopian government in Somalia negatively affects the process of dialogue and the role of a transitional government responsible to bring about peace and stability with the consent of Somalia. However, as the situation clearly shows, Somalia is being used by Ethiopian government as an scapegoat to fulfill a hidden political agenda of its own to ensure foreign support for its existence as a government. The fight against terrorism is a pretext used by the Meles regime to justify its presence in Somalia. However, the fight against terrorism needs the support and involvement of all Somalis, and this effort can be successful if the different parties agree to a peaceful settlement of their problem. Peace and stability can be achieved by the people of Somalia alone represented by their tribal leaders without exception. It is, therefore, important to give the people of Somalia a chance to work for peace and stability. This means the need for external forces to refrain from actions that could strain relations between the parties concerned.

     The efforts of the AU and the UN to help in the process to establish a transitional government are commendable, but need great caution, and understanding of the sociocultural situation of the people of Somalia. Looking at the time it has taken to bring all parties together, one can conclude that something has gone wrong somewhere. The will of Somalis to find a lasting solution should be respected.

     At this point the role of the international community should be to support the peaceful desire of the people of Somalia and encourage the different factions to resume dialogue toward peace and stability. The political future of Somalia is a result of the continued dialogue between the different tribal groups of Somalia.

     The way to deal with the situation is for the UN and the AU to work through the different Somalia groups. This requires the need to heed to the voices of Somalis, stop interference in the internal affairs of Somalia, and respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Somalia as the basis for sustained process of dialogue for the establishment of a functional government in Somalia aimed at bringing about peace and stability which the people of Somalia and the international community will cherish.