1.09.2007
Somalia
Somalia has a window for peace, after 35+ years of civil war and rule by warlords. In recent years, a loose coalition of these warlords have received funding from the US as part of the War Against Terror, as this diverse group of brutal clan leaders portrayed itself as the enemy of Al Qaeda in Somalia. Of course, the daily terrors inflicted by these warlords on the Somali civilians who happened to cross their paths, were also being funded. And, not surprisingly, they didn't keep their promise to capture al Qaeda operatives, and bin Laden's associates have remained at large within Somalia's borders.
Somalia has an internationally recognized government which for most of the last year has ruled only its small capitol near the Kenyan border. It was a different group, the Islamic Courts, which swept the warlords out of the coastal city of Mogadishu and replaced daily chaos with peace. The allegiance of the Courts, and their stance on al Qaeda was unclear. But what was clear is that people in Mogadishu were glad to finally have peace in their streets.
The Islamic Courts are gone now. They were challenged by the recognized government, heavily supported by Ethiopian troops, and fled, the promised all-out war failing to erupt. Ethiopia has a large and advanced army, but its presence in Somalia is untenable, both for funding reasons and because Ethiopia is perceived as a Christian nation, and draws animosity in largely Muslim Somalia.
So what next? Donors and regional leaders are meeting to put together an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, which would allow the Ethiopian troops to withdraw. Will the US under-fund this force, as it has the AU force in Darfur? Or will the US be a leader in stabilizing a country that is a former haven for terrorists and full of people desperate for stability and support from the outside world? The window is open, but it is small. Will peace come in?
Somalia has an internationally recognized government which for most of the last year has ruled only its small capitol near the Kenyan border. It was a different group, the Islamic Courts, which swept the warlords out of the coastal city of Mogadishu and replaced daily chaos with peace. The allegiance of the Courts, and their stance on al Qaeda was unclear. But what was clear is that people in Mogadishu were glad to finally have peace in their streets.
The Islamic Courts are gone now. They were challenged by the recognized government, heavily supported by Ethiopian troops, and fled, the promised all-out war failing to erupt. Ethiopia has a large and advanced army, but its presence in Somalia is untenable, both for funding reasons and because Ethiopia is perceived as a Christian nation, and draws animosity in largely Muslim Somalia.
So what next? Donors and regional leaders are meeting to put together an African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, which would allow the Ethiopian troops to withdraw. Will the US under-fund this force, as it has the AU force in Darfur? Or will the US be a leader in stabilizing a country that is a former haven for terrorists and full of people desperate for stability and support from the outside world? The window is open, but it is small. Will peace come in?
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