Medeshi Oct 20, 2008Somalia: The way forward
After a protracted conflict, brutal Ethiopian occupation and flawed U.S. policies, there are signs of hope in Somalia. For the first time, the United States and the United Nations realize that ending Ethiopia's occupation and the inclusion of Islamists in the political process are necessary for comprehensive political settlement.
In May 2008, the U.S. Senate passed resolution 541, which demands from Ethiopia a responsible withdrawal timetable and encourages the UN to investigate the human rights' atrocities in Somalia. Members of the Security Council met with the leadership of the Islamist-dominated Alliance of Reliberation of Somalia (ARS) in Djibouti during their Africa tour in June 2008.
Although these are positive steps, establishing a political process that leads the way to a legitimate and functioning transitional administration in Somalia remains elusive. Ethiopia and Kenya - Somalia's hostile neighbors - manipulated the previous peace processes. As recent events indicate, these countries want to undermine the current UN-led peace process in Djibouti.
If the U.S. and the UN are serious about helping end the Ethiopian occupation and the Somali conflict, they must not allow these countries to hijack the UN-led peace process again. The international community must understand that the false arguments of regionalization failed the Somali people more than once. The Ethiopian-dominated Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa is neither capable nor united on this issue.
Neither the international community's quick-fix approach nor Ethiopian-dominated process will bring peace to Somalia. The Islamist-dominated alliance's concessions have to be considered an opportunity to open the process further and include other important stakeholders such as civil society, traditional leaders and diaspora Somalis.
In order to establish a legitimate and functioning government that does not need the protection of foreign forces, the international community must strengthen and expand the currently UN-led peace process in Djibouti.
A. Elmi
