For a long time, many of us have known the causes and perpetrators of the civil strife that has been raging in our country for the last two decades. After so many failed attempts to solve it peacefully, many Somalis realized that making Sharia as the law of the land was the only viable option to end the seemingly ceaseless conflict. However, the recent upsurge of violence not only changed the nature of the conflict; it also raised a serious question to its solution, leaving us bewildered as to what could be the solution, if any. 

As we all know what began as a genuine popular uprising of the 20-year-long repressive regime soon turned into senseless civil war when the movements’ leaders failed to come up with a unifying, equitable and just solution. Heartless warlords pursuing narrow and selfish personal interest later exploited the violence, creating anarchy and chaos that better suited their ominous dreams. 

The continued civil strife widely opened venues for serious manipulation of external forces. Addis cliques were the first to grasp the opportunity by arming warlords, especially the spoilers of various attempts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and by offering unrealistic promises to those who were not embroiled in the fight, but desired to further narrow local interests. 

In the eight years of last US administration’s war on terror, Meles Zenawi found a willing and powerful ally. Based on their myopic interest of flushing out few suspected Al Qaeda operatives, Bush’s neo-conservatives supported the devil coalition of the warlords and Addis regime. The despised warlords, Zenawi’s Machiavellian manipulation of Somalia’s crisis, indirectly or directly abetted by past US administration have been the major factors contributing to the perpetual civil strife that engulfed the southern part of our country. 

However, the prolonged bloodshed has never led us lose hope in finding a durable solution to it. The adoption of Sharia was seen as a unifying factor that would serve as instrument to obliterate or at least weaken the repugnant clan division that had been exploited by the warlords and their external allies. The Islamists were seen as the most appropriate and legitimate group to make this noble goal into a reality, a goal that was unexpectedly realized with the humiliating defeat of the warlords in late 2006. 

For the first time in generations, Somalis experienced law and order that was envy to many countries. Serious reconciliation began in earnest, unjustly occupied properties were returned to their rightful owners, justice and understanding prevailed. Because of serious miscalculation of some individuals within the Islamist, the Ethiopian occupation abruptly halted the period of the unprecedented peace and stability. 

It cannot be denied that Meles Zenawi’s latest adventure was defeated thanks to the heroic struggle of Islamists together with nationalists and indeed majority of the Somalis. This led to the establishment of the unity government in December 2008, consisting of the Islamists and most of the warlords, as a comprise solution to peacefully end the conflict. Ironically, this time the warlords were quick to champion the proclamation of Sharia as the country’s law, which was unanimously approved by the parliament and decreed by the President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed. With this historic moment, many Somalis prematurely celebrated the end of the 20-year’s bloodshed and a new beginning of peace and harmony. 

Regrettably once again this optimism was short lived when, despite the removal of Ethiopia from Somalia and the government’s adoption of Sharia, some Islamists expressed their dissatisfaction with the outcome of Djibouti conference and immediately announced war against their former allies. This new and bloodier conflict between what seems to be Islamists vs. Islamists has seriously put into question the validity of our long-held believe that the application of Sharia under the leadership of Islamists is the closest solution to end the conflict. If the warlords and their external supporters contributed to the endless conflict, the Islamists seriously damaged our last hope to end it. 

However, that conclusion though understandable is fundamentally flawed since the present conflict has nothing to do with neither application of Sharia nor the act of pious Islamists. The term Islamists is an honourable and revered credential and those entitled should be measured not with their attire and recitation of verses of Quran and Hadith, but by their religious-based actions of integrity, tolerance and understanding. It invariably belongs to those who are seriously committed in dialogue and reconciliation to end the senseless bloodshed. Those who use religion as means to further their misguided agenda by all means should be called anything but not Islamists. They should not mislead us to doubt our core values, nor the genuine Islamists. 

What is more alarming in this latest round of the conflict is the involvement of foreign fighters who according to the recent reports are pouring into the country in great numbers. If these fighters were Muslim brothers as some of us claim, and came to help us defend our Islamic religion against Ethiopian invasion, who are the enemies against whom they are fighting once the occupation ended? 

After all, we are a Muslim nation, and the legitimate role for any genuine Muslim in this conflict is to reconcile between the warring brothers. This verse dictates: “If two parties among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both. But if one of them outrages against the other, then fight you (all) against the one which outrages till it complies with the Command of Allah.” (49, 9) Who wronged who? Those who rejected the offer of a peaceful resolution of any justifiable grievances are certainly the abusers and that is manifestly clear to everyone, especially our so-called Muslim brothers if they were at all interested. 

To our sorrow and dismay, the presence of these foreign fighters only adds fuel to our already severely burning home. Both the scale and ferocity of the latest violence exposed their deep role in the violence. In less than two months, the violence as a fire has spread in all regions of the southern Somalia including locations that had never experienced it in the last two decades. Moreover, hundreds, mainly civilians, have been killed, thousands maimed, more than ten thousand joined the already overflowing refugee camps, and more than one hundred thousand are internally displaced. 

Similarly the unprecedented suicide bombing and political killings demonstrate that these atrocities were carried out by professionals and certainly not the local amateurs who frequently claim the operation. It is now crystal clear that non-Somali fighters are the greatest threat to our existence as a nation – they will surely attract interventions that might harm our long interests. 

No doubt the nature and actors of the conflict have radically changed. The former warlords have matured and mostly repented their past mistakes, Zenawi seems to have learned his latest blunder, and Bush’s infamous war on terror has been discarded and replaced by US President Obama’s historic extension of olive branch to all Muslims. More importantly, the world community that has been mostly indifferent, is now arguably paying full attention to our plight as we became home of the worst humanitarian crisis as well as the centre of international piracy. 

In light of these dramatic changes, we must avoid past mistakes and should seriously focus on the risks posed by the presence of non-Somali fighters in our midst. As Muslims, we should never despair and doubt our ability in solving our problems. No matter how serious is the plight, the reconstruction of Sharia-based equitable and justice society is still the only viable solution to end it. 

The new unity government which has already taken concrete steps towards that direction deserves our total and unequivocal support. Remaining passive in the face of these foreign fighters’ ferocious onslaught against our embryonic government is not only irresponsible, but it is dangerous. 

It is indeed disheartening that despite the enormity of the threat we face, many Somalis, particularly those in the relatively more peaceful regions, seem to be oblivious of its disastrous consequences. As the Taliban of Pakistan has clearly demonstrated, the so-called Al Qaeda of the Horn will not stop in southern Somalia, but will march on to the rest of the country and more likely to the whole region if their misguided design is not halted. 

In short, it is incumbent to all Somalis with a scintilla of nationalism wherever he/she is to rise up and fight back. In one voice, we should also seek international assistance to help us end the worst human suffering that majority of our people have endured for so long. Past grievances however justified should not deter us to own back the country we all love and restore our dignity as a nation. 

Said Liban
E-Mail: Saidliban45@yahoo.com
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