Ambassador Mahiga doesn't really want Peace in Somalia

At that time (1972), Ambassador Augustine Mahiga was special adviser to John Malecela, the Tanzanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, because they were family friends and it was a year later when Mahiga completes his Bachelor of Arts at the University of East Africa in Darasalam Tanzania.

 Once upon a time, Somalia was a peaceful state that supported many African and Asian countries to become independent nations. For example Somalia gave financial and political support to countries like South Africa, Bangladesh, Angola, Mozambique, Eritrea,  Djibouti and many others to assist them in driving out western colonial powers but today the Somali people are left alone without any tangible positive help from their fellow Africans.

Its leader Mohamed Siad Barre who brokered tens of peace deals, including the famous "Mogadishu Accord” between Uganda and Tanzania on October 1972 which effectively stopped the conflict and war between the two East African countries.

Wanume Kibedi, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Malecela his Tanzanian counterpart and Omar Arteh Ghaleb, the Secretary of State for the Foreign Affairs of Somali Republic, signed the agreement on behalf of their countries.

The agreement also tightened the relationship between Uganda and Somalia and exchanged diplomatic visits followed.  While speaking at the Independence Day celebrations, October 9, 1972, at Nakivubo Stadium in Kampala-Uganda, Siad Barre called on African countries to pool their resources and brains together to develop their countries instead of engaging in fighting among themselves. At the Independence Day reception, Somali musicians and dancers entertained the dignitaries.
Siad Barre was awarded Uganda’s highest honor "The First Class Order of the Source of the Nile" in appreciation of his conciliatory effort in the Uganda-Tanzania conflict at the function.

At that time (1972), Ambassador Augustine Mahiga was special adviser to John Malecela, the Tanzanian  Minister of  Foreign Affairs, because they were family friends and it was a year later when Mahiga completes his Bachelor of Arts at the University of East Africa in Darasalam Tanzania.

Before he (Mahiga) went to Canada to apply his PHD of International Relation at same year, he was appointed to be a member of senior National advisers.

On October 20, 1972, a Uganda delegation of ministers, senior government and army officials left for Mogadishu to attend the third Somali Revolution Day celebrations set for October 21, but Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere, who had accepted the invitation at the beginning of the month, refused to attend Somali’s Revolution Day celebrations and chose to abstain from the celebrations.

His advisers, including Mahiga told the president not to go to Mogadishu, because they persuaded him a wrong policty - which they said that President Siad Barre loves Uganda and its leader Idi Amin so much, because they (Amin and Barre) are Muslims.

 Idi AMin seized the power in a military coup in 1971, similar to 1969 Si’ad Barre's coup in Somalia, The Tanzanian Leader Nyerere offered sanctuary to ousted Uganda’s president Milto Obotte, as they were friends and both Obote and Nyerere attempted to wipe out Amin’s government, but failed to remove him.
 
Mahiga and Somalia.

Somali and Tanzania established diplomatic relations on 1962, but the diplomatic relations deteriorated in 1972 and since that time the situation remains the same. Mahiga was the man who told his friend John Malecela the Minister of Foreign affairs to destroy the two buildings of Somali Embassy in Daraslam, but Italian Ambassador to Tanzania warned and told them if they do so they will violate the diplomacy rules and the laws of International relations. He told them that Italy will stop the development project including the (Tanzanian Italian Petroleum Refinery Co. Ltd.) in Dar es Salaam which was built between 1964 and 1966 by Snam Progetti in collaboration with Saipem.

Its because of the fact that Italy colonized Somalia and enjoyed a strong relations with the Somali regime that Italy decided to react aggressively towards the Tanzanian project of demolishing the Somali embassy premises and level it to the ground, some Tanzanian officials even suggested to rise the Tanzanian flag on the top of the Somali embassy's wreckage.

After receiving his PHD in International Relations from the University of Toronto 1975, he come back to Darasalam and immediately he was appointed as the chief of staff and special adviser to the President on international relations.

Two years later August 17, 1977, when the War between Somalia and Ethiopian begun Ambassador Mahiga flew to Addis Ababa and met Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam. He told them that Tanzania will support Ethiopians in driving back the attacking Somali forces across the border. since then its widely believed that he is a close trusted friend by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zanawi who arguably doesn’t want to see stable and peaceful Somalia again. And for that sake he transferred the Somali crisis file into the hands of his notorious secret service agents who deal with the Somali political issues from their Intelligence and national security prospective.

 When the ongoing disaster in Somalia started in 1991, Mahiga sent an official letter to the man who’s clan militia drove president Mahamed Sia’d Barre’s dictatorial regime from the capital city of Mogadishu congratulating him for the job they have done. He then rushed to Nairobi and met Aidid’s envoy to Kenya.In 1992 Mahiga met with Mohamed Sahnoun (Algeria) who was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Somalia - the man who gave his heart and sincere efforts to the Somali people to ensure lasting peace and stability in Somalia, he tried to convey a phony information about Somali People, but Sahnoun rejected Mahiga’s malicious report.

Shockingly, Mohamed Sahnoun was sacked after seven gold months with Somali People by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Mahiga played a crucial role in the genocide that Ethiopian troops committed in capital Mugadisho and around the country. He is the man who campaigned for Ethiopia’s invasion in Somalia and consequently the rise of the radical forces in Somalia, its worth mentioning that before the Ethiopian invasion Al-shabaab was small sect who bended them self’s within the ICU forces due to their relatively small numbers and their limited acceptance from the local Somali population due to their ultra conservative interpretations of Islam. Its the Ethiopian invasion who gave them the crucial boost they needed, thousands of angry young Somali men joined their militia and millions of dollars in donations were channeled to them from the concerned Somalis around the globe. Amb Mahige takes major credit for that because he was among Horn of Africa panel of experts who campaigned for the Ethiopian invasion.

Augustine Mahiga, 66-year old was nominated by United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on June 9, 2010, now he is the United Nations Special Representative for Somalia and the head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia. Many Somalis believe that this is a clear diplomatic mistake committed by Ban Kin Moon – it’s a mistake, because this is the man who always gave the wrong impression about Somali political issues and its people, and more importantly his previous decisions about Somalia yielded a severe consequences.

Judging by his previous approaches towards Somalia, it’s very obvious that Mr.Mahiga is not the right man for this position and many Somali politicians still view him negatively due to his previous hostile approaches towards the Somali interests. His current approaches towards Somalia speaks for it self--when the government started its long waited offensive against Al-shabaab in Mogadishu and shortly when the first positive results emerged, Mr.Mahiga announced the so called Nairobi meeting which is an obvious attempt to delegitimize the Somali government and it will give crucial moral support for Al-shabaab and other destructive tribal militias who doesn’t want peace and stability in Somalia for their own selfish interests-- I’m afraid that for Mr. Mahiga its business as usual and I’m confident that alot of fraudulent cash exchanges will be involved in this proposed meeting as its the usual in all UNPOS organized conferences and meetings about Somalia--this money should've been redirected to the suffering Somali people back home.

Have a look the first Ten months he was in charge when 65% of the donated money from the International community is missing.  
He don’t give a shit Somali families, without doubt he doesn’t even know about Somali people that they desperately need UN humanitarian aid.
The Somali Transitional Government is widely portrait as "UN BACKED GOVERNMENT" the real persistent question is, to what extent that UN is really backing the TFG, at the moment we all can see that UNPOS is working on delegitimizing the Somali government at the time when surprisingly the Somali government is showing real commitment towards reclaiming its territories from the anti peace elements, the question is " Why Now?".

In Conclusion, The majority of Somali people doesn’t trust Mr. Mahiga due to his previous hostile malicious approaches towards the Somali political issues, the ordinary Somalis believe that Mr.Mahiga is part of the Ethiopian strategy in Somalia, this strategy is the biggest obstacle towards maintaining lasting peace and stability in Somalia, the Somali factors who aligned them selfs as enforcing elements of this illicit strategy can not be ignored as well. Mr. Mahiga him self is a great obstacle and currently he is " Ethiopian Trojan Horse" who doesn’t want peace and stability in Somalia but rather the continuation of this ongoing chaos will serve his own selfish interests and that of his country and Ethiopia as well.

We should listen to the Somali voices  both in side Somalia and the Diaspora communities, I’m quite sure that the overwhelming majority will vote in favor of immediate resignation of the agent of destruction (Mr.Mahiga). I personally will invite the UN and Mahiga him self  to observe the vote counting process.

Somali need an envoy like the widely respected Mohamed Sahnoun, because the time is up now and it’s the moment that we must reclaim our country back from Al-shabaab and other destructive forces including Mr.Mahiga, clan administrations, pirates...etc.
 
Warfa Garad Jama
Political Analyst 
Mogadishu-Somalia.
Email: garaad1996@hotmail.com