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Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (l) visiting Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki (r) in Mombassa: «Discussing the peace process in Somalia.»

© afrol News / Kenya govt

afrol News, 2 January - As Somalia's transitional government, with strong support from Ethiopian troops, has rooted the Islamist militia out from all its strongholds, Somalis enjoy their first strong hope in over a decade of re-establishing a functional central government. Ethiopia today announced its troops would stay in Somalia until stability was assured.

Over the last two weeks, the formerly impotent transitional government has managed to extend its power all over Somalia, strongly helped by a large Ethiopian force - that defeated the powerful Islamist militia - and Kenyan forces, which sealed off the Somali border to hinder Islamists from regrouping in Kenya.

According to Somalia's interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi, fighters from the radical Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) yesterday gave up their last bastion, the southern port town of Kismayo at the Kenyan border. The Islamist fighters had been scattered in the bush along the Kenyan border, Mr Ghedi said.

With the border sealed off by the Kenyan army, Somali government troops supported by the Ethiopian army were now going after the last Islamist militia fighters to "collect them and bring them back home," the Prime Minister added. He expected no further major battles.

In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and in other liberated areas, civilian lives had mostly been spared during the government takeover. Most residents were positive about the ousting of the Islamist rulers, which had been popular only half a year ago when re-establishing peace and order in Somalia's war-ravaged urban centres.

During their rule, however, the Islamists introduced conservative Islamic rules and practices unknown to Somali culture. In particular the banning of the light khat drug, the closing of cinemas, banning of music and segregation of women made the Islamists unpopular, along with the introduction of thousands of fanatic jihadist fighters from the Arab world.

While there have been some minor protests against Ethiopian troops in Mogadishu - a reminder that Somalia and Ethiopia have fought many bitter wars in recent history - clam, relief and normal life has already returned to Somali cities and towns. Khat is again traded freely, cinemas have reopened and music is again heard in the streets.

The interim government and its Ethiopian allies have already promised to address the major worry of war-tired Somalis - a fear that warring clans again will take over the country and jeopardise the apparent law and order experienced under the Islamists. Prime Minister Ghedi has promised clan militias will not be allowed to regain power.

As a first step, the transitional government did not allow the many armed militias that ruled the capital prior to the Islamist takeover in June to return to Mogadishu. While still not successful, the government has ordered all militias to hand over their weapons and issued an amnesty for all in possession of illegal arms if handing them over to the government.

The also includes Islamist fighters, which mostly were very young Somalis recruited at Mogadishu schools. According to Mr Ghedi, many youngsters recruited by the Islamists had already handed over their arms as

Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi in Mogadishu: «We will capture them.»

© Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed / afrol News

the town of Kismayo fell. Only the Islamist leadership and its foreign jihadists are yet to be caught.

The transitional government led by interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed thus for the first time seems close to take effective control of Somalia. For the last year, it has been based in the interior town of Baidoa, controlling only a very small territory and failing to disarm the militias that controlled the rest of country. Also, its frequent calls to the international society to send peace-builders had been without result.

In contrast, neighbour states now seem to be willing to make a real effort to help President Yusuf's government to consolidate its newfound control over Somalia. President Yusuf today was received by Kenyan President Kibaki in Mombassa, discussing "the peace process in Somalia," according to the Kenyan presidency.

The Kenyan President currently heads the regional grouping IGAD and has pledged to convene a "summit early in the new year in order to urgently discuss the unfolding events in Somalia." African peacekeepers in support of the transitional government will be on the agenda and by now, both Uganda and Nigeria have offered to send contingents.

It is hoped that these African peacekeepers could take over for Ethiopian troops as soon as possible to avoid further anti-Ethiopian sentiments among sceptical Somalis. Also the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, today told the Addis Ababa parliament that he wanted his troops to withdraw from Somalia as soon as possible, hopefully within two weeks, if peacekeepers were able to take over by then.

"Somalis are asking never to return to anarchy," PM Meles however reminded Addis lawmakers, adding that Ethiopia "will not stop supporting Somalis" until that aim was reached. Mr Meles noted that the Somali transitional government did not have sufficient well-trained troops and that Ethiopia and future peacekeepers needed to focus on strengthening and educating the regular Somali army.

But Mr Meles generally maintained a humble tone when addressing the Ethiopian parliament and answering opposition MPs. It seemed clear that Ethiopians are not willing to spend larger sums on maintaining a costly Somali military operation over the long run. National budgets call for a quick end to the Ethiopian intervention, with a robust takeover by international peacekeepers.

If the plan developed by Ethiopia and the Somali transitional government is well implemented, President Yusuf can soon disarm remaining Somali militias and take effective power in the country, which has lacked a central government since 1991. For that, however, foreign peacekeepers must be sent quickly into Somalia to support the weak government. There is willingness to send troops, but there are still no funds made available to pay for that operation.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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