UN chief underlines need to support Somali reconciliation

[Coeus]

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the need to assist Somalia’s transitional Government in its effort to initiate reconciliation with other political and armed groups that renounce the use of violence in favour of the formation of local civil administrations.

Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) also needs help to intensify and conclude consultations on the drafting of a new constitution, Mr. Ban said in an address to the High-Level meeting on Somalia convened by the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of the pan-African body’s annual summit.
“The consultations should provide an inclusive platform for dialogue among Somalis, including those still outside the political process,” said the Secretary-General.
He said Somalia’s political agenda, as defined in the transition road map, requires a security strategy to enable the TFG to develop its own sustainable security forces, deliver basic social services and operate in an expanded and secure environment, including in Mogadishu, the capital.
While commending Uganda and Burundi for contributing troops to the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Mr. Ban said it is necessary to “rapidly generate and deploy” the new troops recently authorized by the Security Council, and give the force the technical, logistical and financial support it needs to do its work.
On piracy, he noted that his Special Adviser on Legal Issues related to Piracy in Somalia, Jack Lang, has proposed a comprehensive approach to the challenge of maritime piracy off the country’s coast, which is based on three pillars – deterrence, rule of law and security, and development. He also noted that the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) has initiated the deployment of a light presence in Mogadishu, Puntland and Somaliland. “This will enhance our engagement with Somali interlocutors as we assist them with implementation of the road map. We continue to work to create the appropriate conditions for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation,” Mr. Ban said.

[Cirwaaq]

The world it seems has and will continue to view TFG as the only solution that is acceptable. This has the consequence of giving members of the TFG the moral high ground and the behavior that has been visible in them as they are aware they cannot do wrong. The TFG can massacre the entire population of moqadishu and the world will turn a blind eye and they have done nothing short of that since they have been installed in Vila somalia. There are claims that a large population of somalis are returning to the government held areas however this is a lie, Moqadishu has always had a large population then most other towns and cities and the population was delibrately evicted by the TFG. Those returning risk their lifes as the amisom troops have shelled residents indiscriminately when ever al-shabab engages them in battle. TFG do not represent the population nor were they chosen by the population and even if shabab are totally wiped out the TFG will not be accpeted as a legitimate government as we all know they have no intention of ever concluding their TFG status as transitional. They have no desire to ever setup a proper government accountable to the population. They have no interest of engaging the population outside their 4KM zone of control. Why should they? they have the security of 12,000 AU troops in an impenetrable fortress. They recieve Aid and finiancial support, have their own airport and sea port. It is cheaper for them to maintain their quasi state-in-a-state without the responsibility of delivering any services to any population. They have their cake and they will continue to eat it.

The international community must force them to negoatiate with shabab or make the TFG understand that their lifesupport lines will be retracted. There canot be allowed to waste another 12months and must be given a deadline to engage with al-shabab. The somali people know that they have the means to negotiate and make compromises with shabab and the international community must also be fully aware of the possibilites that are available to bring about lasting peace between all warring factions. Policy of containment is insufficient to address the suffering of the population and TFG+Amisom are not even in positions of containment in their current location in vila somalia surrounded by al-shabab on all fronts.

It is time to apply pressure or pull the plug on containment as nothing is being contained and shabab have the opportunity to conduct the same strikes that occured in kenya and kampala "The pretext to increase troop size" when the only purpose the troops serve is to extort additional funds from the internation community.