The Most Influential Players in Somali Politics

Somalia has been in turmoil for the past 20 years, though Somalis are, first and foremost, to blame. However, there are other key figures that have vested interests in influencing Somalia. Some have brought much needed positivity in the looming chaos which has turned things around drastically. Others keep turning the wheels of mayhem while the average person in Somalia subsists in a life of nonexistence. The world is growing worrisome of the ongoing anarchy, and change is a must whether or not those at the helm are ready.

The recent London Conference, organized by David Cameron, the Prime Minster of the United Kingdom, brought together 50 countries to find a lasting solution to the Somali problem. However, judging from the seating arrangements of the delegates, the Somali leaders were seated at the periphery, thus telling their lack of importance.

WardheerNews.com has compiled a short list of these key players and ranked them in this editorial.

1. Meles Zenawi

No country has had bigger influence in the politics of Somalia, for the last two decades, more than neighboring Ethiopia. Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia, is widely considered by many Somalis as the man who perpetuates the anarchy and mayhem in South and Central Somalia. Zenawi’s most defining intervention in Somalia took place in 2006 when Ethiopia’s National Defense Forces (ENDF) attacked the Union of Islamic Courts and took control of Mogadishu. Despite Zenawi’s claim that the war was necessary to stop marauding jihadists from destabilizing Somalia, many analysts believe the move was primarily designed to deflect attention from internal political problems which stemmed mainly from Meles’ crackdown on dissidents during and after the 2005 Ethiopian elections. In essence, Meles wanted to burnish up his democratic credentials for holding the sham elections. Meles’s decision to arm Somali warlords against the Somalia Government established at Arta was also critical, because it led to the sustenance of warlord politics, which further contributed to the destabilization of the country.

Prime Minister Zenawi, actively promotes the establishment of small and weak States inside Somalia. Zenawi has also played the role of a kingmaker in the Transitional Federal Government, with Somali politicians scrambling to get his endorsement if they intend to stay in power. Ethiopian armed forces control and arm several Somali militias in different parts of the country, and this poses a major challenge to the creation of a strong and unified Somali State. In general, if there were ever a list of personalities that have tirelessly worked against Somalia’s interest in the last 20 years, Meles Zenawi would sit at the top.

Godane

2- Al Shabab

It is well known that members of the Al- Shabab group are radicals, ruthless, and have ties to foreign Jihadists and are now members of Al Qaeda. The Al- Shabab militants have only one goal in mind: to impose their misguided brand of Islamic rule in Somalia. Al Shabab, under the leadership of Godane, kill and maim in order to accomplish their goal. They have lost credibility for their popular use of suicide bombings and targeting innocent students and other civilians. The militants, henceforth, are not running for a popularity contest. Having said that, al- Shabab has succeeded, for the last several years, where the Somali Transitional Federal Government miserably failed. In the areas they control, the militants are able to maintain law and order and eliminate corruption. In a country that has been reeling under civil war for over 20 years, Al Shabab, though brutal, have been opposite of everything that the TFG represents—corruption, embezzlement of the treasury, and chronic infighting. It is ironic that Mogadishu, after being liberated from al-Shabab, has been showing signs of unrest, assassinations, and widespread fear. Read More