Somalia: African solutions for African problems?
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| One of the most potent intoxicants in Africa today is the canned phrase "African solutions for African problems".
While "ASAP" is an acronym that connotes a timely and efficient
result, most if not all, operations that are veiled with the romantic
motto, have proven that they are not indigenously conceived, funded or
driven.
Since this phrase entered the African lexicon in 2007,
it has proved to be of no substantive value to the continent or its
people. Contrary to what it was originally intended, the phrase has been
taken hostage by domestic political sloganeers and foreign elements
eager to advance zero-sum interests. It also became the ideological
impetus that helped establish multi-national African forces such as AMISOM.
As is clear in Somalia, this kind of politico-military system -
especially when neighbouring states are directly involved - routinely
contain or "solve" a problem by creating several newer ones that
perpetuate dependency, exploitation and indeed subjugation.
"When one asks a powerful neighbour to come to aid and defend
one with his forces…These forces may be good in themselves, but they are
always dangerous for those who borrow them, for if they lose you are
defeated, and if they conquer you remain their prisoner," forewarned
Niccolo Machiavelli several centuries ago.
In Somalia, not only did our current leadership, and that of
the last decade, fail to heed the aforementioned warning, they
obediently competed and outperformed each other to prove themselves as
unyielding loyal subjects. It is clear that no Somali can pursue a
political career in his own country without first getting Ethiopia's
blessings. Already, Ethiopia has installed a number of its staunch
cohorts in the current government and (along with Kenya) has been
handpicking virtually all of the new regional governors, mayors, etc.
Byproduct of vicious fratricide
Recently, while reading on poverty, I came across the
anthropologist Oscar Lewis' (controversial) theory "the culture of
poverty" in which he argues that while poverty might be systemic and
generational, it fosters unique self-perpetuating value system that
ultimately becomes engrained in the poor person's way of life.
People who are altered by that attitudinal phenomenon commonly have
"a strong feeling of marginality, of helplessness, of dependency, of
not belonging. They are like aliens in their own country... (and) have
very little sense of history".
I could not help but reflect on our own self-defeating, self-perpetuating predicament.
As in Stockholm syndrome,
a good number of the Somali leadership have become emotionally and
politically bonded with the very power that abused them and fuelled
enmity between them (off and on) since the seventies.
Capitalising on that psychological advantage, Ethiopia has
managed to get the exclusive right to set up an embassy inside the Villa
Somalia (government compound), independent "consulates" in Somaliland and Puntland,
and independently operating intelligence command centres in each of
these balkanised political entities. To further complicate matters,
Ethiopia has signed independent "military treaty" with each of these political entities.
Yet, the current leadership - as those before them - seems content with such arrangement. That, needless to say, motivated Kenya to follow the same effective strategy - isolate the centre from the periphery, and lure the latter entities into deals that they can't refuse.
Exposing the lame ducks
Only a few weeks into the Ethiopia-led (AMISOM) military
operation, the UNSGR warned the next violence that targets the UN may
force it out of Somalia.
"I am deeply conscious that if we make a mistake in our
security presence and posture, and suffer a significant attack,
particularly on the UN, this is likely to mean to us withdrawing from
Somalia," said UN Special Representative Nicholas Kay.
To underscore his message, he adds this: "There are scenarios
in which if we take further significant losses, then that would have a
strategic effect on our mission."
Was this a reckless telegraphing intended to implicitly dare
al-Shabaab with a "Go ahead, make my day; force us back to Nairobi"
message? Or was it a cryptic warning intended to preempt the
Ethiopia/Kenya tag-team from getting too creative in their covert
operations intended to manipulate facts on the ground?
While you ponder, consider adding this into your calculus: The
UN deliberately bypassed AMISOM when it commissioned a Ugandan
contingent of over 400 Special Forces to guard its facilities and staff.
This particular contingent is neither officially part nor does it take
any orders from AMISOM. Why?
Because, the controversial implanting of Ethiopia and Kenya
into AMISOM has changed its dynamic from a peacekeeping force into a
political vehicle.
Ambassador Kay is too experienced to make haphazard
security-related statements. He was well aware of what he was saying and
where he was saying it. He affirms that awareness in his presentation.
Between the lines he was signalling his frustration with the
Ethiopia-driven AMISOM, and how he and UNSOM ended up biting the dust. I
have argued before that the Ethiopia/Kenya and US/UK interests are in
an imminent collision course.
Musical chairs and revolving doors
Though the next election/selection is more than two years away,
the usual suspects of mostly political conformists who are devoid of
any transformative ideas or strategies are already in their hysterical
manoeuvring and counter-manoeuvring routine. They are dutifully eager to
demonstrate their capacity to perpetuate the status quo.
Intoxicated with the rhetoric that our "good neighbours are
making self-sacrifice for us" these politicians are determined to hinge
the future of our nation on the question of "Who would be the next
president and the next prime minister?" rather than "What new vision and
strategy would these individuals bring in order to help heal or repair
our broken nation?"
Against that backdrop, on May 5, over 100 MP signed a
non-binding resolution demanding the resignation of President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud or face impeachment.
Make no mistake, Somalia is held in a nasty headlock by a
neighbourhood tag-team unmistakably motivated by zero-sum objective. It
is their so-called African solution (not so much of the extremist group
al-Shabaab) that is setting the Horn on fire.
Against that backdrop, our IDPs (Internally Displaced
Politicians) continue on their respective pipedreams. Of course, where
there is no vision, neither strategy, nor political will and continuity
matter.
Ambassador Abukar Arman is the former Somalia special envoy to the United States and a foreign policy analyst.
Source: Al Jazeera
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