By Shirwa Abdullahi Ibrahim
Terrorism is the most asymmetric global threat that has no border, nationality, and religion; therefore, the global counterterrorism efforts require a holistic approach to overcome it. Al-Qaida affiliated terrorist group of Al-Shabaab established a secret stronghold bases in Somalia due to absence of a capable government and a period of political and security crises in the country, therefore the government of Somalia called for the international community to support reinforcement troops to counter the enemy.
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have done a lot of brilliant work in countering against terrorist groups in Somalia. The militia has been militarily weakened, stopped from expansion, dislodged many strategic locations controlled by these ruthless militia groups etc. Later, under the security council resolution 2628 the mission’s name was relocated into African Union transition mission troops in Somalia (ATMIS), with clear mandate to further accelerate the fight against terrorist group Al-Shabaab, and to fully implement the scheduled components of the Somali Transitional Plan (STP) fulfilling the set time frame period.
Ethiopia, like other troop contributing member states, did come into Somalia territory with an official mandate of the Government of Somalia to join the fight against the terrorist groups, Al-Shabab and Al-Qaida. Being a proactive member in both AMISOM, ATMIS missions the terrorists are not completely uprooted, due to one way or another, however, Ethiopia’s contribution towards counterterrorism mission was valuable and deserves to be upheld.
It is also a quite important to know the security situation in Somalia, is perfect and the country is now quite safe and stable. The Government is efficient, fit to fully undertake its overall national security; Federal member states duly control their jurisdictions chasing terrorists’ elements in the remote bushy areas. Somali National Army (SNA) was well restructured, trained, and prepared overtaking the country’s overall security.
Army embargo that was obstacle to the country’s defense mechanism for decades have been lifted. The enemy was militarily weakened, large areas in the south and central of the country liberated from the enemy and returned to under the control of the government, and all these achievement milestones have been assured by Somalia National Army accompanied and facilitated by AMISOM troops. The Somali National Army is in full recovery, showed resilient and ready to take over the country’s security from our brotherly AMISOM troops who contributed much to the security of Somalia.
As for the transitioning from ATMIS of the next peace Support Mission. Somalia, as hosting country has a full right to determine which country troops will join and which not. Somalia, indeed, indebted, to the brotherly African countries whose troops sacrificed in restoring peace and security into Somalia, nevertheless, the composition of the next support troops (AUSSOM) is the sole prerogative of the Federal Government of Somalia, and it isn’t sharing, nor negotiable matter, that should be clear to anyone concerned. The Mission will be preferably based on the national security priority; therefore, with consultation to concerned partners and allays, the choice will be clear.
As, Ethiopia, I think it fair enough if conditioned to fully recognize the sovereignty of Somalia and immediately revoke the illegal MoU signed with the self-breakaway region of Somalia, which was unacceptable violation and insult to the sovereignty of the country. So, its evident logic that you can support someone that you are on the other hand, in enemy to him.
More interestingly, the recent arise comedy like story called “to where is the way to access to the red sea”, that a neighboring country has been spelling out repeatedly, with no legal argument base seemed to be beginning of an orchestrated new form of proxy crisis aimed to disrupt the delicate peace and security of the Horn of Africa region. A region that has already been staggering with its multiple odd complications on the ground such as, internal conflicts, terrorism, poverty, droughts, contagious diseases, natural disasters, external interference, regional competitions, etc.
That someone woke up one day in the morning and start yelling out “the way to the access of the red sea”? threatening to get access to the sea either by peace or by..? was astonishing. However, again, disregarding to every respected law and norms exist either to be international or regional, Addis Ababa, chose deliberately to sign an illegal MoU, with Somaliland, a secessionist region of Somalia, which allegedly grant a 20km of maritime lease base to Addis Ababa in the coast of Somalia, deeply shocked the whole world. This reminds me a Somali idiom Somali word which says “ku qabso ku qadi mayside” meaning, “hold on to it, you won’t be deprived”.
This MoU triggered the ongoing tension and dispute between the two countries, posing uncertainty to the stability of the region. Mogadishu and Addis Ababa have a lot of other positive avenues to work with cooperate to each other, rather than choosing hostile and unproductive dark corridor. The two neighboring countries had unpleasant history of grudges and enmity, therefore, such a reckless action, can only revitalize and irritate healed bruises and wounds in the past, and diverts the attention from the joint combat against the common enemy, terrorist groups al-Shabaab, to eliminate from the region.
Aligning to the strategic significance and the geopolitical and geoeconomics dynamic of the region, and the intertwisted geopolitical competition and challenges sensitivity within the region or beyond, the Ethiopia’s unwarranted act, seems to be as a foreign agenda. Obviously, it’s beyond regional agenda, aimed to destabilize the region and Addis Ababa, acts as an agent implementing this unlawful project in the region. “If the way to sea can be found and reached out to such that simple, “just I want” it won’t have remained there for that good centuries long. In that case, our brothers should know that “the road to the access the red sea is blocked and barriered”, and there no way to that side, it must be returned.
The sea belongs to the people of Somalia and can only be accessed with the permission of the Federal Government of Somalia, based on the international laws, bilateral and through the UN convention on the law of sea (UNCLOS). So, anything less than that could be waste of time and only increase an avoidable enmity and destruction to the region.
Addis Ababa, has a handful of its own internal problems, that needs to be addressed, instead of meddling internal issues of a sovereign nation. The two counties share a common destiny, therefore the problem of one side effects the other, and, in that case, our prayer and best wishes is to Ethiopia, to maintain peace, harmony, and better future.
In conclusion, there is an ongoing negotiation process led by the Government of Turkey, Somalia joined to the negotiation table, while it has every right not show up, therefore, we look forward, Addis Ababa will come that table with an open-minded agenda to move forward towards resolution of the conflict.
The Author is Charge de’ Affairs of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia in Islamabad.
