kk
The Arte group’s
foreign policy has been disastrous and destructive to
Somali’s occupied territories causing to a relapse to
pre-independence situation. The Arte group must have openly
disputed Kenya and Ethiopia’s claim over Somali
territories and must sought a negotiated settlement, the
split over border disputes which are central problem in the
current African history and must have shown their desire for
peaceful reunification of all ethnic Somalis and a united
country under Federal system. However, rumor has it, that
Mr. Abdikassim Salad Hassan and his designate Prime Minister
Hassan Abshir Farah have been
secretly negotiating with Kenya and Ethiopia that, they will
renounce Somalia’s claim of occupied territories of
Northern Frontier District (NFD) and Somali West in exchange
for recognition. These two clowns are beyond desperate and
will do anything to further their personal interests, even
if it means selling Somalia at any price.
Luckily, the Arte
group is not a representative, lacks public support and it
only controls small enclaves in the city of Mogadishu.
Therefore, a sit at the UN as a result of support from
African and Non-aligned countries on the UN’s credential
committee of the General Assembly and a token recognition of
one or two unsavory countries wouldn’t confer them any
legitimacy under International Law to renounce Somalia’s
occupied territories which are still denied their right to
self-determination.
Similarly, the SRRC
Ethiopia’s favorite group is unprepared and ill-equipped
to govern Somalia, since they couldn’t form a real
opposition to Arte group and have failed to combine their
forces under one leadership. I believe, any insistence of
Ethiopia to hold on Somali territories and leave the
artificial colonial boundaries to remain as the colonialists
have left them, in my view they will look the other way.
Historically, the
African continent is divided into fifty-three countries and
today’s States were defined by colonial powers and present
frontiers in Africa are not real boundaries because
territorial lands were drawn up; thus fragmenting entire
people and as result remain sources of many conflicts in the
continent. This 80,000 kilometers of boundary, designed by
the European in 1884 Berlin Conference was to divide and
rule the continent and remain vague and in need of redrawing.
Wole Soyinka the Nigerian Nobel Prize-winner said, “We
should sit down with square rule and compass and redesign
the boundaries of African nations”.
The colonial
boundaries undermine nation building, since the Europeans
colonialists deliberately and with total disregard for their
actions created enclaves, exclaves, perforations and product
territories including corridors, trans-state clans, and
ultra-state ethnic divisions that provide structural basis
for continued conflict. As a result Africa witnessed endless
wars, ethnic violence, failed states and Africa became
notorious as number one continent for coups, refugees and
genocide.
No continent on
earth has suffered more carnage arising from territorial
disputes than Africa and from its foundation the
Organization African Unity (OAU) in May25, 1963 has
unwaveringly refused to host any discussion of modifying
colonial boundaries. In addition, what African heads of
States has perpetuated since independence the Europeans set
1884 at the Berlin Conference, because of entrenched
political interest? However, the Organization of African
Unity (OAU) to be credible must go on board upon the issues
of the artificial colonial boundaries, which is vital to the
rebirth of the whole continent and hasn’t so far received
much attention.
There are two
options available for the Organization of African Unity
(OAU) to resolve the border conflict; one is to redesign or
to de-signify the boundaries through regional integration. I
don’t see any problems and African heads of States need
not to be scared since there are ample colonial treaties,
maps, specific areas with particular ethnic identity (ethnic
settlements) providing clear boundaries and instead clans of
similar features, cultural and traditional affinities now
find themselves divided on both sides of these artificial
borders. On the other hand, The organization must set up a
procedure for mediation under the rules of diplomacy, where
countries who have border conflicts can engage direct
negotiations with a third party agreed upon and if they can
not reach a satisfactory solution to their dispute, should
have a recourse to the International Court of Justice.
Somalia will never
compromise but will pursue to resolve its dispute over
border conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya by means other than
war. Somalia’s President Hon. Aden Abdulle Osman one of
the founding members of the Organization of African Unity
openly disputed and refused to recognize the current African
borders set by the colonialists. The Organization of African
Unity’s (OAU) Charter (article 3, Paragraph 3) calls for
“respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
each State”. As a consequence the President of Somalia at
the time Hon. Aden Abdulle Osman didn’t sign the Charter
regarding the African borders to remain as colonialists left
them and to date Somalia still remains the only country that
opted out of that provision.
Mohamed Siad Barre,
during 1988 Peace Accord, which he signed with the Ethiopian
leader, Mengistu Haile Mariam, obliged only each side to
cease supporting Somali anti-government guerillas. Somalia
didn’t renounce its claim to the region nor will it
renounce its claim to Somali inhabited northern regions now
under Kenya and strongly supports the Somali communities in
Ethiopia and Kenya’s aim of self-determination and union
with Somalia. Therefore, no government in Somalia presents
or in the future can sign off these territories occupied by
Kenya and Ethiopia but must continue to work towards
cherished dream of reunification. However, because of
Ethiopia and Kenya’s unyieldingness insisting to hold on
to territorial integrity and Somalia’s long-term goal of
uniting all its compatriots these differences remain
unresolved?
Even, Mr. Mohamed
Ibrahim Egal who embarked on a policy of détente while
Prime Minister of Somalia for the missing territories, but
now wants to secede from Somalia and demanding sovereign
status for “Somaliland” in a letter of January 3, 1998
to the Secretary General of the United Nations, he suggested
that France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Kingdom and
the United States of America should form a panel to organize
the formation of a State in the Somali-inhabited territories
in the Horn of Africa. Not to do so this, he claimed, would
make any call for territorial integrity of Somalia
unrealistic; as an alternative, “Somaliland” demands
recognition of its sovereignty and resents vehemently any
equation of itself with the factions of Somalia.
Mr. Egal recognizes
the fact that, only the total sum of all parts makes the
whole, to reconstitute Somalia and while in Parliament in
1963, he voted with the Government to break ties with
Britain after the referendum results were denied when a
commission of inquiry endorsed Somali aspirations in
Northern Frontier District (NFD) who overwhelmingly voted in
a referendum to unite with Somalia.
At the time Kenya
wanted to return only three Regions (Garissa, Wajir and
Mandera) but the Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, then the Prime
Minister refused to accept and as a result the Somali
government broke diplomatic relations with United Kingdom
who didn’t respect the will of the people in the Northern
Frontier District. It was United Kingdom who gave Somali
territories to Ethiopia and Kenya at different times. As a
result Somalia went wars with Kenya and Ethiopia over the
split of border disputes and the latest being 1977 when
Somalia almost invaded Ethiopia only to be pushed back by
coalition of Ethiopians, Soviets, Cubans, East Germans,
Yemenis, and Libyans. Similarly,
Somalia was offered to retain up to Jigjiga more than half
it was claiming but Siad Barre refused to accept it and said
all or nothing. This is why border conflict and internal
unrest in Western Somalia and Northern Frontier District (NFD)
will remain unresolved until effective control of these
territories is turned over to Somalia.
I believe, in the
long term its Ethiopia and Kenya’s best interest to let
these people free and allow them to join their brethren in
Somalia where they share a common language, religion, way of
life, and destiny which transcend clan divisions and make
them all Somalia not Ethiopian or Kenyan. Both Kenya and
Ethiopia could free up a meager resources now spent on
armaments to direct towards their development, raise the
living standard of their people and live in peace and
harmony with Somalia. What is the moral argument for
Ethiopia and Kenya to justify their domination? It is high
time for Ethiopia and Kenya to recognize it is best restored
these territories to their legitimate inhabitants who have
nothing in common with them and give attention to their
development, which hasn’t been taking root.
In Islam one’s
gender doesn’t count as criteria of superiority or
inferiority and Islam promotes the feeling of brotherhood
and equality among its followers. Thus, Islam considers
women as human as men and equal in rights; but considers
their roles in society as complementary but not superior or
inferior to each other. Of the four verses in Qur’an
addressing the issue of equality between men and women, I
will quote one of the verses fourteen hundred years ago, the
Qur’an recorded: “Whoever, be it a male or a female,
does good deeds and he or she is a believer, then they will
enter the Paradise.” (Qur’an: chap.4, verse 124). So in
Islam, man and woman are equal in rights and no difference
in degree or level of women’s humanity or tribute in
Islam; but equality is not one and the same to similarity.
Muslims are not
evaluated on the basis of a gender, but on the basis of
their faith and character and Islam promotes the sense of
brotherhood and equality not only between male and female
but also equality among human society- we are all equally
related to God in the same way. However, Islam totally
rejects the equality notion in the Western world between
male and female, which pays a lip service to women’s
equality, doesn’t emphasize on the rights which people
have over each other (man and woman) and doesn’t seek to
give a meaningful purpose to their life on this earth. But
it rather creates confusion, dissatisfaction with their
status as women in this society, and as a result many women
find themselves difficult to deal with their daily life:
whether they are adults, adolescents or children.
The article on the
subject of gender equality of the ‘African Unity Treaty’
is offensive implying African women in the 21st
century are still behind their fellow men and are denied
equal opportunity or are not liberated enough. However, in
Somalia’s case a Muslim country it is inconsistent with
our religious values and role in which Islam has envisioned
for man and woman and had we signed would have opened the
door to many social problems. If approved could have been a
real challenge where children are raised under social and
moral norms that conflict with the teachings of Islam.
Islam doesn’t
deny women for equal opportunity but ostracizes what some
call ‘modern’ woman, which was the intent of the gender
equality clause. Haven’t we learned anything about the
past experience when Siad Barre introduced ‘the family law’
a decree allowing the equality of women and men, where women
were given the right to divorce men (Islam allows women to
divorce their husbands in some circumstances) or deny
divorce if they don’t want to and the family inheritance
be divided equally among family members contrary to Islamic
law. Said met strong resistance from the devout 14 religious
men who lost their lives to the dictator’s firing squad.
On the issue of
borders, Somalia will never compromise but will pursue to
resolve its dispute over border conflict with Ethiopia and
Kenya by means other than war. Somalia’s President Hon.
Aden Abdulle Osman one of the founding members of the
Organization of African Unity openly disputed and refused to
recognize the current African borders set by the
colonialists. The Organization of African Unity’s (OAU)
Charter (article 3, Paragraph 3) calls for “respect for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each State”.
As a consequence the President of Somalia at the time Hon.
Aden Abdulle Osman didn’t sign the Charter regarding the
African borders to remain as colonialists left them and to
date Somalia still remains the only country that opted out
that provision.
There must have been however, a
legislation setting out the terms for secession and since
there was no central authority in Somalia before Djibouti,
participation of Somaliland was must to put forward their
motion for secession. Despite this fact, the Somaliland
administration refused to attend the Djibouti peace process,
missing their chance to put forward a motion for secession
and resented those former government officials and
representatives of civil society from the north who
participated and became members of the new assembly of
Somalia.
There must have been however, a
legislation setting out the terms for secession and since
there was no central authority in Somalia before Djibouti,
participation of Somaliland was must to put forward their
motion for secession. Despite this fact, the Somaliland
administration refused to attend the Djibouti peace process,
missing their chance to put forward a motion for secession
and resented those former government officials and
representatives of civil society from the north who
participated and became members of the new assembly of
Somalia.
This means he will be required to hold
a referendum on secession to separate from Somalia and he
will need an amendment to the Constitution and to do that,
he needs to negotiate with the government of Somalia, which
is formed in Djibouti, which was non-existent before and
still long way to go. He has to be little bit more patient
and use the transitional period of the current government of
three years to prepare Somaliland for eventual separation
through democratic process (referendum, plebiscite etc). I
have no doubt that, the new government will accommodate Mr.
Egal's wishes if he wants to explore fully the right of
self-determination of Somaliland to separate from Somalia if
agrees in principle to a referendum on accession to
sovereignty supervised by the United Nations and results
interpreted on the bases of simple majority However, there
is a big question mark over Egal's ability whether he will
be politically strong enough to pull off the secession
threat when the majority of the people in the north are
opposed to secede from Somalia and want peace to get on with
their life. He is mindful that, Somaliland's territorial
boundaries would be under discussion in any negotiations of
secession and if Somalia is divisible so is Somaliland
region.
This falls within the scope of his
prerogative as a President of Somalia and he will exercise
without acting recklessly to curtail the ambitions of
secessionists in both regions to ban them from freedom of
movement and any foreign support of assistance of money and
material they receive to destabilize the country will also
be banned. Egal must realize that, now it is the time to
seek a recognized legal possibility of negotiated secession
Somalia with the new government without wasting with time
the U.N Secretary General, the U.N. Security Council and the
International Community.
Aden Mohamed
adenmohamed60@msn.com
