By Ismail Warsame
The stateless situation of Somalia, the rise of extremist religious extremism of Wahabi Sect, sea-piracy, enormous porous borders, historical territorial disputes and conflicts, greedy Somali traders willing to sell anything and everything Somalia has to the highest bidder, destruction of Somali fauna, strategic oil/mineral interests in the country, among other things, made Somalia uniquely attractive to the intelligence community. Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya became permanent centres for operation of these foreign spies on Somalia. These countries provide convenient centres of interdiction for apprehended terrorist suspects from Somalia. Many Somalis and non-Somalis were targeted for elimination whenever it was convenient.
Former Somali military officers and Professionals in other fields were eliminated in mysterious circumstances. No national institutions existed to investigate the murders and the horrendous crimes against the stateless people of Somalia. It was like hunting them for sports or game in eliminating any body important enough for the future rise of Somalia as a state.
While these heinous crimes were being perpetrated against Somalis , Somalis were busy in undercutting each other in what everybody commonly call “clan-rivalry” and warlordism, dismissing these daily crimes as the work of their respective rivals, and embracing for new wave for revenge in a vicious circle that pushes Somalia into further abyss and mayhem.
Sometime after 9/11, and following the establishment of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) in Mogadishu, the USA government renewed its security interests in Somalia. The American security agents were keen in finding the connection between Al-Qaeda and these Courts. American resources, however, were limited to Mogadishu. At the time, the only available intelligence infrastructure they could rely on was their global surveillance programs of monitoring internet and telephone communications. They found out that connection indeed existed between elements of the ICU and foreign extremist organizations, including Al-Qaeda. But, the Americans were lacking human intelligence on the ground in Mogadishu. They had to seek help from Djibouti, Kenyan and Ethiopian government, and Somalis in their Diaspora, to establish monitoring and operational network in Somalia.
In the process of setting up espionage centres and other intelligence gathering channels throughout Somalia, the U.S sent a delegation to Puntland State to discuss ways of cooperation against the real and perceived common enemy of Al-Qaeda. In one of a series of meetings with Puntland officials, the US side asked Puntland to help in linking them with those Mogadishu warlords, Puntland thought could be effective against the Islamic Courts Union. Puntland state officials asked those US officials about which warlords they were working with so far?. They told Puntland officials that they were not happy with the effectiveness of the likes of Osman Ali Caato and Mohamed Qanyare Afrax. “What about Muuse Suudi Yalaxow? asked one official of Puntland? “Oh! No! This guy has not picked up his home phone for three months in a row. American cannot work with such a man!” quipped one American official. “What about Mohamed Dheere?” asked another official? “The guy in Jowhar?” another American intelligence officer said. “Yes, we could try that one?” Mohamed Dheere soon found himself airlifted from Jowhar to Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.
A few weeks after these meetings in Bosaso, Mogadishu Warlords announced the creation of The Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism. American dollars in suit-cases were delivered to the warlords under the command of Mohamed Qanyare Afrax at Dayniille Air-strip in Mogadishu. The hunt for Al-Qaeda agents and other foreign militants started in earnest in Mogadishu. Warlords competed in the new game of hunting people for unaccountable US dollars. Any light-skinned person of seemingly Arab origin was vulnerable and a possible target for the warlords’ grab. Residents of Mogadishu broke down into ICU and Warlords camps-a polarisation that transcended beyond the traditional clan rivalry and into an ideological rift of national and religious connotations.
Ethiopia stepped up its war of proxy, this time acting on behalf of the Americans’ counter terrorism programs by offering access to facilities in Godey and elsewhere in its country. Djibouti became the main centre for US covert operations, including interdiction of foreign elements captured in Somalia, and drone attacks against targets in Somalia. Kenya established itself as the coordination centre for covert operations in Somalia, business and financial hub, and modern resort of get-away for Western intelligence and counter-terrorism agents.
A huge spy network of Ethiopia and Western countries took deep roots in Somalia. They now use highly trained personnel of Somali origin from the Diaspora, on the top of well-placed locals. Don’t get surprised if you find spies posing as camel herders in Somalia’s countryside today.
Ismail Warsame
WardheerNews contributor
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ismailwarsame
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