Given the unenviable position of Somalia and the dire needs of its people, the recent joint declaration in Aden between the President and the Speaker is a positive development and a small step in the right direction in overcoming the political logjam hindering progress towards peace. It presents a faint but promising hope of restoring the long awaited stability and a functioning government to the suffering masses of Somalia. The road to recovery is long and cumbersome. It is strewn with uncertainty and the deeply entrenched communal distrust needs to be conquered collectively in a spirit of common purpose and collaboration.  The declaration in Aden serves this purpose, however, a radical change to the current mindset of the politicians, from the shallow obsession with stature, power and influence to the more responsible moral obligation of serving the people is pre-requisite to the success of this endeavor.

Regrettably, instead of addressing the nation, the president’s sudden departure to Addis Ababa two days after the talks concluded, dampens expectations and slows the momentum. It lends itself to creating, unnecessarily, more intrigue and suspicion, especially given the secretive nature of the behind closed door dealings with the Zenawi regime every time a major political development is achieved. Worse yet, the complete silence and failure in explaining to the people the purpose and intent of those trips adds fuel to the fire. It is now questionable if opposition members could be won over to support this important initiative. It is not only appropriate but obligatory that an atmosphere of trust and cooperative effort be maintained to prevail over the political impasse crippling this nascent government.

Understandably, Ethiopia is a neighbor with legitimate strategic concerns in the stability of Somalia as well as economic interests just as Somalia desperately needs its neighbor’s assistance in restoring a functioning government in the country. However, this shouldn’t necessarily mean pawning the sovereignty of the nation and reducing Somalia into a mere sphere of influence at the mercy of Addis Ababa. Rather, a strong and friendly bilateral relationship based on equal partnership which mutually benefits both peoples should be pursued. The president’s closeness to the regime in Addis Ababa portrays him in bad light and in the eyes of many in the country; he comes across as a stooge, incapable of formulating his own policies or making decisions without first clearing with his boss, Mr. Zenawi. This must change, especially if it is rendering his administration ineffective, not to mention alienating half of the parliament and almost 75% of the population.

Despite the loss of a precious year and 3 months, since the birth of the government, on petty political differences on the cost of human life, destruction of property, deepened suspicions and prolonged national misery, the president’s turnaround on agreeing to the inviolability of the transitional charter is very encouraging. It is also commendable and worthy of praise his toned down rhetoric and mellowed outreach to the Speaker.  The burdens of duty are indeed weighty and considerably mammoth in scale to be shouldered by one individual, group or region. Credibility, in the minds and hearts of the people, will not be earned by the number of handshakes with foreign dignitaries, but will be conferred by the orphans, the widows and the starving masses. The evasive peace eluding us will not be found in the boulevards and presidential palaces of foreign cities but lies in the midst of our villages, towns and the roadside shacks of our displaced persons.

No nation, or far that matter leader, in the world faces the challenge confronting Somalia and its nascent transitional government. Reconciling a divided nation, building government institutions from scratch and dealing with a prolonged civil strife and lawlessness. This will require diligence, vision, courage, transparency, accountability and above all political maturity. Half hearted approaches or lukewarm efforts driven by personal or regional interests will not fly. Therefore, it is incumbent upon both leaders as well as the parliament and the general public to make this enterprise succeed. The alternative is simply unthinkable.

Overcoming the obstacles of poverty, anarchy and charting out the road to peace and stability demands the president to lead the way by example: Tolerance to dissent, participative decision making, genuine empathy to the abject poverty plaguing the nation and more than anything else, upholding the supremacy of the law, fairness and equality among citizens. Those indispensable leadership qualities, coupled with earnest effort and goodwill will undoubtedly assure legitimacy and public support, without which, there is no hope for Somalia to ever successfully deal with or surmount its present turmoil. The world community has shown its commitment to help Somalia both in capital investment and in good advice but the onus is on its leaders, sons and daughters to step up to the plate in rescuing this country.

Truth always prevails. Righteousness, no matter how long subdued or beaten, will always triumph. The nefarious band of thieves wreaking havoc and violence in the country are no match to the will and strength of the people, if only there were leaders whose qualities were distinctly discernable and not confused with the hues of the evildoers. For long, the speaker of the house was caught between a rock and a hard place. The declaration in Aden should expose the real truth: whether the opposition of the armed parliamentarians in Mogadishu was driven by genuine skepticism on the intentions of the president or were captives to greed, driven by ulterior motives. Now that the executive branch has extended an olive branch, they must in return seize the opportunity and support the Speaker in moving the peace process forward. Anything less will vindicate the president’s long held assertion that they had it good in sustaining the status quo and have no interest in ending the anarchy.

The present state of affairs is untenable and must end. Conflict when constructive, is not entirely negative but beneficial in stimulating better ideas to solve complex problems. However, when dysfunctional, its disruptive tendencies must be controlled and avoided at all cost. The opposition has attained its objective and as a consequence of their vehement insistency on the fundamental principles of the interim charter, the Aden Accords came into being. It is time now to join hands and work together. Aborting this milestone achievement at this stage will cast a shadow of doubt on the true intentions of the opposition. The country must move forward onto the path of healing. It can not wait forever for few armed and contentious men to come to their senses. Furthermore, continued belligerence on their part will have serious consequences in justifying the removal of the seat of government into another more peaceful city. Should this inevitability were to happen, then they will have to live with the eternal stigma of being the men who permanently unseated Mogadishu as the capital city of the nation.

Although intentionally ambiguous, the accords reached in Aden represent the best chance for a long time of advancing the chance of peace in Somalia. Its success must be assured and to increase those chances, the international community must double its efforts. The speaker’s involvement is crucial and must be ascertained by guaranteeing his personal safety as well as establishing a venue with proper amenities inside the country, which could accommodate the whole parliament, its 275 members and their staff.

The task at hand to rebuild the country is immensely complicated and intimidating; however we are equal to the challenge. The building blocks we lay today will be the detriment of whether future generations will suffer similar fate or will be spared the tumultuous upheaval afflicting us. Instead of seeking the shade of bigger men, we, the people, must rely on our own abilities and character to move ahead. There are those amongst us who measure their status and personal worthiness to the number of male names they could count before running into the name of an official in a high ranking position. Others refuse to acknowledge or choose to turn a blind eye on the trespasses and wickedness of their kinsmen. We must mature as people and go beyond those travesties. Equally on the other hand, the government must create an environment conducive to human progress, mental growth, social and emotional integration based on the democratic ideals of accountability, transparency and justice. Then and only then, will we truly overcome the hurdles blocking our way in reaching our potential and this nation achieving its destiny and proper place on earth.

Rashid Yahya
Ali E-Mail: Rashid_ali_66@hotmail.com

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