The International donor’s disdain and the home coming of Sheikh Aweys: Signals the demise of President Sharif’s Government

By Abdikarim H. Abdi Buh
April 25 , 2009

The Brussels fundraising held in the name of Somalia is actually another ploy to raise funds for the AMISOM contingent in Somalia. It was made known by the office of UNPOS that the funds($250 Million) with the exception of $31 Million is ring fenced for the expenditure of AMISON troops stationed in Mogadishu precisely a week before the commencement of the meeting but miraculously missed the attention of the Somali public as is always the case. The United Nations originally hoped to raise funds to the tune of $166 Million but was taken by surprise by the generosity and commitment of the international community towards beefing up of the lean force of AMISON which demonstrated to keep the enlarged TFG throughout its short shelf life in Mogadishu. The AU and the Arab League contributions towards the TFG ,who has no foot hold in the country other then the backs of AMISOM tanks, was no more then several millions which can hardly open a decent Supermarket in London – I wonder the TFG’s fate when its founders are using it as cash cow for their own ends.

The TFG lost the trust of the public, friends and foes alike, due to the everlasting contradictions emanating from its uncoordinated government ministries, allied tribal elders and bewildered reconciliation clergy. The TFG’s mishaps can’t be detailed in this short article but to mention a few:

•The ceding of Somalia’s sea to Kenya,
•The presence of AMISON,
•The controversial Sharia brand,
•The notorious remnants of the old TFG ,
•The rampant piracy,
•The 3.5 million food aid dependent,
•The ill disciplined TFG forces,
•The strong uncompromising Islamist opposition,
•The unpopular 4.5 formula,
•The lack of funding from its sponsors,
•Relationship with Ethiopia and above all
•The lack of a sphere of influence which they can assert as their own space.
The sheer weight of the above is bound to take its toll on him and on his government which by any measure is beyond their ability at this moment in time - in the language of computer games such a task is known as controller thrower (very complicated game which makes you throw away the game controllers). The president’s character is the real culprit because unlike leaders who concentrate on a long term vision with the view of transforming their people’s frame of mind in the long-term president sharif is just an echo chamber – agreeing to every proposal with the full knowledge that he can’t deliver but always intends to buy the hour which renders him as a looser in every sense of the word leader.


“My rightime to retire and to buy a bungalow in the neighbourhood of Professor Geedi is now or never.”

The president agreed to the Fatwa of the reconciliation clergy and Mogadishu tribal elders to repatriate the AMISON troops with in 120 days but instead brought in more which left a bad aftertaste in the mouth of the peace activists of the society. He agreed to introduce Sharia law but his version just turned out to be another apple of discord – his prime minister proclaimed that the TFG adopted sharia just to lure the people from the Islamists and such political statement puts powerful ammunition in the hands of the opposition because it is and admission of deception and also his unnecessary detailed explanation of how it works - our Sharia is not the kind which amputates the hands and feet of the thugs- didn’t help either.

The make or break of the long awaited reconciliation process:- AMISOM and the SHARIA
The return of Aweys to Mogadishu, may give the fractured Islmic courts a sense of direction in the near future and may change the landscape of the political situation in Mogadishu for the better, although a modest scuffle can’t be ruled out. The combined actions and rhetoric from the factions in Mogadishu and beyond, who all hail from Islamist platform, showed time and again that there is an ample room for a leader who can keep them under his wing and to their good luck Sh. Aweys’ return turned out to be an answered prayer.



Unlike president Sharif, Sheikh Aweys commands the
respect of all the Islamist factions, albeit, to a different degrees. He is a veteran in this business of political Islam as Mr. Abdulahi Yusuf was an icon for secularism. His forces were in action in the 90’s in Puntland, southern Somalia and Somali west. He was the founding father or architect of the 2006 Union of Islamic Courts which unfortunately proliferated in to the current war lord like scenario. He is well conversant in the tribal politics of the Somalis and also the tactics our trouble some neighbour – Ethiopia- employs to dwarf any attempt of reconstituting a Somali government which ever shape it might take. He has a competitive advantage over the others - if only he can translate his vast relevant experience collected over the years in the hard way into Noah’s Ark to deliver his country in to safety.

The recent spat of assassinations in Mogadishu which the TFG and the tribal elders of Mogadishu are blaming on Al- Shabab and other Islamists is nothing new but was going on for the best part of the last three years although a brief lull was felt after the defeat of the Ethiopian forces. The assassins used to target Government officials, Elders, Civilians, Doctors, Journalists and other professional personalities and this recent one is geared more on the ARS - Djibouti. This reign of terror was initially started by some special groups sponsored by the Ethiopian intelligence in their hunt for OLF, ONLF and Al – Itihad cadres. The intention of Ethiopia at this juncture is to start and all out war between the different factions of the Islamists with the view that Somalia, the country it loves to airbrush from the map, will be sucked in to black hole. The most likely assassins in Mogadishu are the Ethiopian trained soldiers who are with the TFG forces because all the factions denied that their forces carried out the heinous act but the TFG is fixated only in blaming the opposition for every thing.

Recommendations regarding the three burning issues
The AMISOM factor

As a confidence building the TFG should be given a tangible and verifiable guarantees that the facilities – Airport, Sea port and the presidential place – remains in their hands until the expiry of their term in office and in return The president of the TFG needs to listen to the opposition factions, the neutral clergy and the elders for once – repatriation of AMISON troops is precondition for reconciliation talks.

AMISON contingent is locally known as the flash force - when you are short in credit on your mobile you often send a miss call to your friend in the expectation that he/she will call you back. The AMISON troops are known to promptly bombard Mogadishu Bakara Market when ever a bullet is fired at them no matter how small it is. The interest of Mogadishu in particular and Somalia in general is not served to accommodate a hostile army who are on the ground for the protect ion9from its people) of the Imported TFG at exorbitant price – soldier’s stipend of $3,200 per month which adds up to £268 Million per year.

The Sharia factor

The application of Sharia in Somalia can’t be turned in to political tug of war as it was the central pillar of our constitution through out our history. The often conflicting interpretation of the Quran and the Sunna propagated by the new armed revolutionary clergy is what made most of all Islamic world ungovernable and in crisis. The prophet (SCW) left the Umma with the Quran and the Sunna as guidance but gave the UMMA the right to choose their own leaders so Al-shabab’s dream of imposing their imported brand over our native one will never see the light of the day.

The prime minister’s statement that the brand of Sharia of his government is the moderate brand which spares the amputations, the dehumanising of women and the likes is the one most of the Somalis subscribe to and any faction that dreams of importing the Taliban Style version will loose the heart of the masses. Kingdom of Saudia is the only country which claims to be Islamic state – It has the worst human rights record in the world and as such can’t be a role model for Somalia.

The Islamist Factions factor

The leader of the opposition, Sh. Aweys, should spare no effort in to whipping the boisterous and divided Islamists in to one rational camp before the commencement of the peace dialogue with the TFG. The Islamists are in complete disarray and their ideology’s range is beyond scope – the Al- Shabab(Taliban) on one end of the scale and Indhacade(Warlord – drugs tycoon) Husbi Islam on the other end. I believe that forgiveness changes things in this case and as the situation stands the Islamists killing each other is no more a threat but a reality on which the countdown has just started so you are tasked to safe Somalia from another cycle of civil war carried under the banner of Islam. You get to understand that history will judge you by what you built not by what you destroyed.

Abdikarim H. Abdi Buh
Email: Abdikarimbuh@yahoo.Com
WardheerNews contributor