By Guled Mohamed
February 22 – Mohamed Ibrahim rose from an ordinary Al-Shabab fighter to a field commander within 2 years which saw him spend days and nights in the jungles and abandoned buildings across Somalia fighting, living and dining alongside wanted foreign terrorists including two of the current Al-Qaeda chiefs in Somalia.
Mohamed who goes around by his nickname Suley meaning missing a thumb in Somali because he burnt one of his thumbs learning to plant remote controlled roadside bombs in Mogadishu says he has been living and fighting along the likes of Abu Mansuur Al-Amriki better known as Omar Hammami from the US town of Daphne in Alabama who is the Deputy Al-Qaeda commander in Somalia and Fadhil Mohamed Abdallah, the top man for the global jihadists in Somalia who hails from Comoros.
During his four years stint as an Al-Shabab fighter which he recently decamped after being shot from close range by a foreign Arab fighter in one of the many frontlines in Somalia for questioning a gruesome murder of his elder civilian brother in Kismayu whose throat was slit by an Al-Shabab hit squad on suspicion of spying for his clansmen fighting to oust the extremists from the southern Somali port city of Kismayu.
In the recent past, he says the going has been tough for the revered group with imminent fallout within its top leadership over their cruelty towards civilian populations. The group has made a name out of chopping off limbs of suspect thugs and assassinations of innocent people who refuse to join them as well as other more callous acts like slitting throats of suspected spies.
Receiving a paltry $60 per month as salary with 10 days of leave every month, Ibrahim gave a chilling account of his association with a group he now believes have nothing to do with Islam.
“I was a field commander in charge of 90 young men in Bondere frontline. My men included Somalis, young Kenyan non-Somalis and Eritrean. Al-Amriki, the American Al-Qaeda 2nd in Command in Somalia is always in the frontline visiting Al-Shabaab fighters. I have fought and dined and spend days and nights with him together with so many other foreign fighters. The top commander Fadhil from Comoros never visits the frontlines. He lives in the livestock market in Mogadishu and I have also seen him so many times,” Ibrahim said.
He survived death by a whisker from the close range bullet intended to permanently silence him for voicing a concern over his brother’s death. That is when he realized he was along fighting and dining with the enemy.
“The bullet pierced through my left bicep travelling just under the skin across my back before popping out from the right shoulder. When they slit my brother’s throat and nearly killed me in cold blood I realized I was in the wrong place and planned my escape. All this time I was dining and fighting with an enemy I never knew. Since my escape I have helped 20 fighters decamp from Al-Shabaab and I hope to help many more because the heaven they promise people is a lie. There is no jihad in Somalia, it is a fallacy” Mohamed said pointing at the healed bullet wound on his back.
He secretly hatched an escape plan together with four of his colleagues. On December 16 their plot succeeded when they finally defected to the government after the President and the Prime Minister gave a 100 day amnesty to Al-Shabaab fighters who would switch sides.
“I planned my escape for 4 months. It was very difficult because I knew as soon as Al-Shabaab finds out I was a dead man. It was 4 months of fear. I am lucky my status as a field commander helped me to easily escape. The atrocities I have witnessed in my 4 years with Al-Shabaab are so gruesome giving me all the reason to leave,” he added.
And to make things even easier for his final escape, he saw first hand how wounded accomplices were dealt with by foreign fighters who call the shots within Al-Shabaab.
“Al-Shabaab has become so ruthless that it even kills its soldiers who are seriously wounded in the many battles in Mogadishu. They shoot them because they have no enough hospitals or money to treat them. What pains me most is seeing very young boys brainwashed to fight and then abandoned or killed when they are seriously hurt. Joining Al-Shabaab is easy but getting out is impossible. I thank God I left and will never ever take part in any of their un-Islamic activities again,” He said looking relaxed.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
0
comments
Pay day in Mogadishu frontlines.
By Guled Mohamed
Mogadishu, January 21 – It is always sweet to receive your dues after a hard work and that is the feeling among Somalia’s military officers who recently received their stipends for their-much needed efforts to protect the government and civilian populations against an onslaught by the ruthless Al-Shabab insurgents.
At least 8000 soldiers received $100 each in a peaceful exercise that lasted for 10 days from 29th December to 7th January 2011 and which was overseen by AMISOM and coordinated by IGAD under the watchful eye of Colonel Dido Rasso from Kenya and his team who were reporting to the AMISOM Force Commander Major General Nathan Mugisha who in turn played the crucial role of linking the team with the donors and Somali government.
In a bid to end months of anxiety and prevent any double payments all the soldiers were paid from their positions in the many frontlines in Mogadishu in order to help the government ascertain the exact number of its forces so that it can better address the many challenges facing the embattled force.
AMISOM Force Commander Major General Nathan Mugisha hailed the team for a job well done and called upon the donors urging them to continue assisting the Somali government to ensure soldiers get their stipends and in future their pay on monthly basis just like any other stable country in the world.
“The Somali soldiers are playing a crucial role in safeguarding their country and people. It is therefore only fair for them to get their dues in regular basis in order to give them an impetus to continue protecting their nation. The payment team and the Somali government both worked tremendously hard to make sure each soldier gets his deserved share. AMISOM will always continue to support the Somali people and the government as required by its mandate,”
Colonel Rasso said that the payment was conducted in the government-controlled districts of Bondere, Shangani, Wadajir, Hodan, HamarJajab, Dharkenlay and Waberi. Three teams went round all the military bases to pay-off the government forces.
Each soldier was required to append his or her signature on the payment rooster to confirm receipt of the stipend. Those who received their dues included wounded soldiers hurt in the line of duty. Many others died protecting their nation from callous insurgents with ties to Al-Qaeda.
Some of the hot spot positions where the team visited included Juba hotel, Uruba hotel, Shangaalaha, Hosh and Tarbuunka where the team had to sometimes dodge bullets and pay in the midst of heavy battles.
“The exercise was a success and it has given us an insight into the TFG military which will go a long way to better streamline the force and harmonize their pay system. This was the main reason why we had to oversee the exercise. I believe the government will see the fruits of the exercise soon. I wish to thank AMISOM Force Commander, the military leadership and the Minister of Defence for their cooperation and vision which made it easy for us to pay the deserving soldiers their little dues in the many frontline positions,” Colonel Rasso said.
The paid soldiers were simply elated and hope their dues would be regular. They also promised to diligently work for their country and warned the opposition forces to prepare for the worst now that their morale is high. The pay also enforced discipline as some soldiers who used to abscond their duty are now reportedly clutching on their rifles already defending their country hoping they will now get their dues regularly.
“I am so happy because I can now at least pay my debts. We have waited for this day for so long. The government must ensure we get our arrears and our future salary is paid in time so that we can also feed our families. We will continue to fight for our country and protect our people because that is what is expected of us as the military,” TFG Liaison Officer Lieutenant Issa Mohamed said.
Mogadishu, January 21 – It is always sweet to receive your dues after a hard work and that is the feeling among Somalia’s military officers who recently received their stipends for their-much needed efforts to protect the government and civilian populations against an onslaught by the ruthless Al-Shabab insurgents.
At least 8000 soldiers received $100 each in a peaceful exercise that lasted for 10 days from 29th December to 7th January 2011 and which was overseen by AMISOM and coordinated by IGAD under the watchful eye of Colonel Dido Rasso from Kenya and his team who were reporting to the AMISOM Force Commander Major General Nathan Mugisha who in turn played the crucial role of linking the team with the donors and Somali government.
In a bid to end months of anxiety and prevent any double payments all the soldiers were paid from their positions in the many frontlines in Mogadishu in order to help the government ascertain the exact number of its forces so that it can better address the many challenges facing the embattled force.
AMISOM Force Commander Major General Nathan Mugisha hailed the team for a job well done and called upon the donors urging them to continue assisting the Somali government to ensure soldiers get their stipends and in future their pay on monthly basis just like any other stable country in the world.
“The Somali soldiers are playing a crucial role in safeguarding their country and people. It is therefore only fair for them to get their dues in regular basis in order to give them an impetus to continue protecting their nation. The payment team and the Somali government both worked tremendously hard to make sure each soldier gets his deserved share. AMISOM will always continue to support the Somali people and the government as required by its mandate,”
Colonel Rasso said that the payment was conducted in the government-controlled districts of Bondere, Shangani, Wadajir, Hodan, HamarJajab, Dharkenlay and Waberi. Three teams went round all the military bases to pay-off the government forces.
Each soldier was required to append his or her signature on the payment rooster to confirm receipt of the stipend. Those who received their dues included wounded soldiers hurt in the line of duty. Many others died protecting their nation from callous insurgents with ties to Al-Qaeda.
Some of the hot spot positions where the team visited included Juba hotel, Uruba hotel, Shangaalaha, Hosh and Tarbuunka where the team had to sometimes dodge bullets and pay in the midst of heavy battles.
“The exercise was a success and it has given us an insight into the TFG military which will go a long way to better streamline the force and harmonize their pay system. This was the main reason why we had to oversee the exercise. I believe the government will see the fruits of the exercise soon. I wish to thank AMISOM Force Commander, the military leadership and the Minister of Defence for their cooperation and vision which made it easy for us to pay the deserving soldiers their little dues in the many frontline positions,” Colonel Rasso said.
The paid soldiers were simply elated and hope their dues would be regular. They also promised to diligently work for their country and warned the opposition forces to prepare for the worst now that their morale is high. The pay also enforced discipline as some soldiers who used to abscond their duty are now reportedly clutching on their rifles already defending their country hoping they will now get their dues regularly.
“I am so happy because I can now at least pay my debts. We have waited for this day for so long. The government must ensure we get our arrears and our future salary is paid in time so that we can also feed our families. We will continue to fight for our country and protect our people because that is what is expected of us as the military,” TFG Liaison Officer Lieutenant Issa Mohamed said.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
0
comments
Al-Shabab admit to public cruelty and abuse of power
By Guled Mohamed
Mogadishu, December 26 –The notorious Al-Shabab militants have finally admitted to mistreating the public blaming their barbarism to recent crushing defeats in the hands of the poorly funded Somali government and their backers African Union peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.
In a rare public appearance in the agricultural rich district of Afgoye, 30 km west of the capital Mogadishu, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf aka Shongole, a senior Al-Shabab commander warned his accomplices of a severe blow to their fading rule should they continue mistreating the public.
Al-Shabab rose from obscurity into power by default as an off-shot of the once powerful Islamic Courts Union which controlled Mogadishu and large swathes of land in southern Somalia between mid 2006 to late December after rooting out a US-backed coalition of warlords who had divided up Somalia into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
“The reason the Mujahedeen’s have failed to emerge victorious against the infidels is largely due to the bad relationship between the public and Al-Shabaab. If we are stronger than the public we should remember that Allah is also stronger than us… We need to fairly treat the people if we are to succeed,” Shongole was quoted on local radio on Saturday while addressing residents of Afgoye town, which they recently usurped together with Hizbul Islam their former copy-cat Islamist gang who were in charge of the sleepy town along the shores of river Shabelle.
The latest remarks by Shongole, a close confidant of Al-Shabab Commander Ahmed Abdi Godane – who is rarely seen in public and is believed to moving around dressed in a woman’s veil -- is short of admitting constant public mistreatment, killings, robbing and rape as they stand accused in the public opinion which has unfortunately became a way of life in many Al-Shabab held regions of southern Somalia.
Analysts say Shongole’s remarks is not likely to change the groups cruelty against the public largely due to the unlettered nature of the thousands of their underage militias who only believe in enforcing their strict application of Sharia law devoid of wisdom unto the war weary public many of who adhere to the more tolerant Sufist belief.
From the southern port city of Kismayu to the central regions of Somalia where Al-Shabab’s autocratic rule extends, the group is accused of widespread human rights abuses contrary to the same Islamic belief they so adamantly claim to adhere to.
For the ordinary Somalis who languish in poverty and have nothing to eat as a result of Al-Shabab’s ban on humanitarian aid agencies. Many have either fled or a contemplating fleeing from areas controlled by the group not knowing what next to expect in the immediate future under Al-Shabab’s terrible reign.
PUBLICITY STUNT
Just 15 km from Afgoye where Shongole was speaking, Al-Shabab militias were reportedly robbing people around the Elesha Biyaha internally displaced persons (IDP) camps located along what has come to be known as the Afgoye corridor in the humanitarian circles where the worlds biggest concentration of IDP camps are located with more than half a million people living in squalid camps in a 20-mile stretch of land along the busy Mogadishu-Afgoye road.
Many of these poor IDP’s were actually rooted from their homes in Mogadishu by Al-Shabaab’s unsuccessful attempts to unseat an interim government struggling to assert its authority in a country that has virtually become a byword of anarchy with an incessant war that span for 20 years since the ouster of the last central government in 1991.
Witnesses said heavily armed Al-Shabab militias riding heavily tinted vehicles kidnap anyone seen coming out of the various Hawala’s or money transfer companies located in the camps to secret locations where they lock their victims, robbed them of any US Dollars they had been sent by relatives abroad before beating them up in the pretext of punishing them for cooked-up crimes according to their scriptures.
“Al-Shabab militias kidnapped him and drove to an undisclosed location where he was robbed, kicked and accused of being a spy for the government and AMISOM. He had gone to pick our monthly bill of $100 sent by our sister living in the US. He was released in the evening and threatened to be killed if he revealed what happened to him. He has fled to Mogadishu and left us without food. There are many other victims of this daylight armed robbery,” said a young Somali teenager, speaking by phone from Elesha IDP camp sounding really worried.
If you thought this is to much wait until you hear of other merciless acts committed by Al-Shabab militias who seem to simply be getting away with anything they do in Somalia.
A poor potter is still struggling to survive from a harrowing experience with Al-Shabab after his tongue was cut-off with a live electricity wire for apparently being suspected to be a spy after he was spotted carrying goods several times on his wheelbarrow for a client from the insurgent held sprawling Bakara market to the government-held Hamarwayne district.
And as if that is not enough, they recently killed 2 pastoralists near Kismayu for refusing to pay Zakat or alms. A Mogadishu teenager was shot dead by an Al-Shabab militiaman after he refused to pick up his hair after it had been forcibly clipped. The reason, he had kept an un-Islamic hairstyle.
“If these ridiculous crimes are anything to go by, Shongole and his accomplices have a right to be really worried because Al-Shabab is slowly fading away. Since it is an ideological belief it is very hard to fight it head on. Their inhuman treatment of the same public who supported them yesterday will deprive them of recruits and the economic muscle they badly need. They stand no chance and the likes of Shongole cannot redeem their already bloodied hands with any public relations gimmick,” a Somali analyst said declining to give his name for his own safety.
Mogadishu, December 26 –The notorious Al-Shabab militants have finally admitted to mistreating the public blaming their barbarism to recent crushing defeats in the hands of the poorly funded Somali government and their backers African Union peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.
In a rare public appearance in the agricultural rich district of Afgoye, 30 km west of the capital Mogadishu, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf aka Shongole, a senior Al-Shabab commander warned his accomplices of a severe blow to their fading rule should they continue mistreating the public.
Al-Shabab rose from obscurity into power by default as an off-shot of the once powerful Islamic Courts Union which controlled Mogadishu and large swathes of land in southern Somalia between mid 2006 to late December after rooting out a US-backed coalition of warlords who had divided up Somalia into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
“The reason the Mujahedeen’s have failed to emerge victorious against the infidels is largely due to the bad relationship between the public and Al-Shabaab. If we are stronger than the public we should remember that Allah is also stronger than us… We need to fairly treat the people if we are to succeed,” Shongole was quoted on local radio on Saturday while addressing residents of Afgoye town, which they recently usurped together with Hizbul Islam their former copy-cat Islamist gang who were in charge of the sleepy town along the shores of river Shabelle.
The latest remarks by Shongole, a close confidant of Al-Shabab Commander Ahmed Abdi Godane – who is rarely seen in public and is believed to moving around dressed in a woman’s veil -- is short of admitting constant public mistreatment, killings, robbing and rape as they stand accused in the public opinion which has unfortunately became a way of life in many Al-Shabab held regions of southern Somalia.
Analysts say Shongole’s remarks is not likely to change the groups cruelty against the public largely due to the unlettered nature of the thousands of their underage militias who only believe in enforcing their strict application of Sharia law devoid of wisdom unto the war weary public many of who adhere to the more tolerant Sufist belief.
From the southern port city of Kismayu to the central regions of Somalia where Al-Shabab’s autocratic rule extends, the group is accused of widespread human rights abuses contrary to the same Islamic belief they so adamantly claim to adhere to.
For the ordinary Somalis who languish in poverty and have nothing to eat as a result of Al-Shabab’s ban on humanitarian aid agencies. Many have either fled or a contemplating fleeing from areas controlled by the group not knowing what next to expect in the immediate future under Al-Shabab’s terrible reign.
PUBLICITY STUNT
Just 15 km from Afgoye where Shongole was speaking, Al-Shabab militias were reportedly robbing people around the Elesha Biyaha internally displaced persons (IDP) camps located along what has come to be known as the Afgoye corridor in the humanitarian circles where the worlds biggest concentration of IDP camps are located with more than half a million people living in squalid camps in a 20-mile stretch of land along the busy Mogadishu-Afgoye road.
Many of these poor IDP’s were actually rooted from their homes in Mogadishu by Al-Shabaab’s unsuccessful attempts to unseat an interim government struggling to assert its authority in a country that has virtually become a byword of anarchy with an incessant war that span for 20 years since the ouster of the last central government in 1991.
Witnesses said heavily armed Al-Shabab militias riding heavily tinted vehicles kidnap anyone seen coming out of the various Hawala’s or money transfer companies located in the camps to secret locations where they lock their victims, robbed them of any US Dollars they had been sent by relatives abroad before beating them up in the pretext of punishing them for cooked-up crimes according to their scriptures.
“Al-Shabab militias kidnapped him and drove to an undisclosed location where he was robbed, kicked and accused of being a spy for the government and AMISOM. He had gone to pick our monthly bill of $100 sent by our sister living in the US. He was released in the evening and threatened to be killed if he revealed what happened to him. He has fled to Mogadishu and left us without food. There are many other victims of this daylight armed robbery,” said a young Somali teenager, speaking by phone from Elesha IDP camp sounding really worried.
If you thought this is to much wait until you hear of other merciless acts committed by Al-Shabab militias who seem to simply be getting away with anything they do in Somalia.
A poor potter is still struggling to survive from a harrowing experience with Al-Shabab after his tongue was cut-off with a live electricity wire for apparently being suspected to be a spy after he was spotted carrying goods several times on his wheelbarrow for a client from the insurgent held sprawling Bakara market to the government-held Hamarwayne district.
And as if that is not enough, they recently killed 2 pastoralists near Kismayu for refusing to pay Zakat or alms. A Mogadishu teenager was shot dead by an Al-Shabab militiaman after he refused to pick up his hair after it had been forcibly clipped. The reason, he had kept an un-Islamic hairstyle.
“If these ridiculous crimes are anything to go by, Shongole and his accomplices have a right to be really worried because Al-Shabab is slowly fading away. Since it is an ideological belief it is very hard to fight it head on. Their inhuman treatment of the same public who supported them yesterday will deprive them of recruits and the economic muscle they badly need. They stand no chance and the likes of Shongole cannot redeem their already bloodied hands with any public relations gimmick,” a Somali analyst said declining to give his name for his own safety.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
0
comments
Worst new year message for Somalia.
By Guled Mohamed
December 20, Mogadishu - Somalia's restive capital woke up to shocking news of the merger of two militant groups, Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabab which continues to fight against government forces and African Union peacekeepers in the lawless country.
The word in the streets of Mogadishu is this latest amalgamation after it emerged on Sunday that Hizbul Islam has officially joined Al-Shabab, their former perennial rivals. There could never be a worse New Year message to the war-weary Somalis like this latest merger.
Hizbul Islam chairman Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and a few of his top commanders reportedly joined Al-Shabab following recent secret talks in a bid to save their own skin following recent battles with Al-Shabab which captured several towns from Hizbul Islam including Bur Hakaba.
Al-Shabab fighters were actually preparing to retake Afgoye town from Hizbul Islam before news of the merger emerged. Afgoye is a rich agriculral village located 30 km east of the capital Mogadishu. It is also a commercially important town as it is located at an intersection of the roads leading to Kismayu, Baidoa and the central regions of Somalia.
These two rival Islamist groups have been fighting for supremacy in Somalia at the expense of ordinary poor population. They recently squad-off in Bakara market killing dozens of one another. Assassination attempts of their top leadership had become a daily norm and they have also fought over the limited resources in Somalia.
Many people are wondering what their merger will add to the already volatile situation in Somalia. To be sincere their marriage of convenience will not add anything given that they were both fighting the TFG and AMISOM and that they had their own internal rifts and infighting.
Mohamed Osman Arus, a spokesman for Hizbul Islam confirmed the merger saying, "Yes, we have merged and we are now one group. Our forces are now fighting together," witnesses confirmed that Hizbul islam fighters in several locations in Mogadishu are now fighting as Al-Shabab militants.
The latest merger is however opposed by some Hizbul Islam hardliners including Maalim Hashi, Hassan Mahdi and a few other top commanders who are believed to be contemplating to join the government should the said merger materialize. This could not however be independently verified as both Maalim Hashi and Hassan Mahdi's phone numbers were off.
Mogadishu residents are skeptical of the latest merger of the two rival Islamist groups and believe it will only add fuel to the already volatile situation in Somalia.
“Somalia is so unfortunate and has so many enemies. The people were really enthusiastic about the new Prime Minister and his cabinet. I sometimes wonder because whenever there is a glimpse of hope in Somalia someone somewhere simply scuttles it. This merger between Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabab will only add fuel to the fire. They have no good intentions for us, they simply want to finish off the few ordinary Somalis who have survived their unholy war,” Resident Osman Mohamed, 60, said looking pensive
These two groups have traditionally been Somalia's biggest opposition groups. They continue to jointly control large swathes of land in Somalia including pockets of the capital Mogadishu, Kismayu and most other parts of southern, eastern and western Somalia.
Some believe the merger is a plot by Sheikh Aweys, Somalia's cynical Islamist leader and the father of militancy in Somalia to topple Al-Shabab, his biggest opponents to ascending to power in Somalia.
But for Sheikh Aweys it looks like he has decided to take his worst enemy from within. Well as they say if you cannot beat them, simply join them.
Will it be easy for Sheikh Aweys or the Red Fox as he is known around for his red dyed beards to topple Al-Shabab from the inside? Many Somalis would gladly hope so but it will not be a walk in the park for Mr. Aweys.
RELIGIOUS CARD
Al-Shabab is led and financed by foreign fugitives who have no intention of seeing peace in Somalia simply because their survival depends on the raging war. The more fighting and people dying in Somalia, the safer they are. That is the unfortunate reality Somalis find themselves in.
"These fugitves are playing the religious card to their advantage. If the jihad they are propagating is really true why didn't they start it in their own home countries, I sometimes wonder who is fooling who. My Somali brothers who have fallen for this religious nonsense are either doing it for the money or simply too ignorant to know the truth," wondered Ali Abdullahi, another Mogadishu resident.
This is what might happen in the coming weeks if the said merger is true and is actually implemented.
Expect bloodier fighting in the Somali capital Mogadishu meaning many innocent civilians will continue to die in this unnecessary war. The new Al-Shabab outift might not necessarily make any progress in the battle fields simply because the African Union peacekeepers in Somalia are too strong for the ragtag Islamist militias.
Worse of all for Al-Shabab is that the Somali government forces are said to be in high spirits following plans to finally pay them their dues or stipends in the coming weeks or so. TFG Soldiers often fight alongside AU peacekeepers and actually make up the first frontline. News of their long awaited stipends will surely given them a reason to resist any Al-Shabab offensive.
This can only mean one thing then, we should expect a stalemate in the ongoing battles in Mogadishu.
As it has always been it is the Somali public that has and will continue to suffer the greatest burden of this totally unnecessary war in Somalia and until the ordinary people say enough is enough the situation will unfortunately remain the same. More deaths and suffering for the ordinary poor Somali man, woman or child.
As I pen off, I can already hear loud explosions in Mogadishu. Perhaps it’s just another Al-Shabab reminder that they are still around and that the merger is a reality.
Whatever the case I just wonder when the Somali people will eventually realize that bullets, artillery fire and suicide bombers will only cause more deaths and suffering for the poor and further destruction to their already damaged and bullet-poked capital city Mogadishu.
Surely, when will this madness end?
December 20, Mogadishu - Somalia's restive capital woke up to shocking news of the merger of two militant groups, Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabab which continues to fight against government forces and African Union peacekeepers in the lawless country.
The word in the streets of Mogadishu is this latest amalgamation after it emerged on Sunday that Hizbul Islam has officially joined Al-Shabab, their former perennial rivals. There could never be a worse New Year message to the war-weary Somalis like this latest merger.
Hizbul Islam chairman Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys and a few of his top commanders reportedly joined Al-Shabab following recent secret talks in a bid to save their own skin following recent battles with Al-Shabab which captured several towns from Hizbul Islam including Bur Hakaba.
Al-Shabab fighters were actually preparing to retake Afgoye town from Hizbul Islam before news of the merger emerged. Afgoye is a rich agriculral village located 30 km east of the capital Mogadishu. It is also a commercially important town as it is located at an intersection of the roads leading to Kismayu, Baidoa and the central regions of Somalia.
These two rival Islamist groups have been fighting for supremacy in Somalia at the expense of ordinary poor population. They recently squad-off in Bakara market killing dozens of one another. Assassination attempts of their top leadership had become a daily norm and they have also fought over the limited resources in Somalia.
Many people are wondering what their merger will add to the already volatile situation in Somalia. To be sincere their marriage of convenience will not add anything given that they were both fighting the TFG and AMISOM and that they had their own internal rifts and infighting.
Mohamed Osman Arus, a spokesman for Hizbul Islam confirmed the merger saying, "Yes, we have merged and we are now one group. Our forces are now fighting together," witnesses confirmed that Hizbul islam fighters in several locations in Mogadishu are now fighting as Al-Shabab militants.
The latest merger is however opposed by some Hizbul Islam hardliners including Maalim Hashi, Hassan Mahdi and a few other top commanders who are believed to be contemplating to join the government should the said merger materialize. This could not however be independently verified as both Maalim Hashi and Hassan Mahdi's phone numbers were off.
Mogadishu residents are skeptical of the latest merger of the two rival Islamist groups and believe it will only add fuel to the already volatile situation in Somalia.
“Somalia is so unfortunate and has so many enemies. The people were really enthusiastic about the new Prime Minister and his cabinet. I sometimes wonder because whenever there is a glimpse of hope in Somalia someone somewhere simply scuttles it. This merger between Hizbul Islam and Al-Shabab will only add fuel to the fire. They have no good intentions for us, they simply want to finish off the few ordinary Somalis who have survived their unholy war,” Resident Osman Mohamed, 60, said looking pensive
These two groups have traditionally been Somalia's biggest opposition groups. They continue to jointly control large swathes of land in Somalia including pockets of the capital Mogadishu, Kismayu and most other parts of southern, eastern and western Somalia.
Some believe the merger is a plot by Sheikh Aweys, Somalia's cynical Islamist leader and the father of militancy in Somalia to topple Al-Shabab, his biggest opponents to ascending to power in Somalia.
But for Sheikh Aweys it looks like he has decided to take his worst enemy from within. Well as they say if you cannot beat them, simply join them.
Will it be easy for Sheikh Aweys or the Red Fox as he is known around for his red dyed beards to topple Al-Shabab from the inside? Many Somalis would gladly hope so but it will not be a walk in the park for Mr. Aweys.
RELIGIOUS CARD
Al-Shabab is led and financed by foreign fugitives who have no intention of seeing peace in Somalia simply because their survival depends on the raging war. The more fighting and people dying in Somalia, the safer they are. That is the unfortunate reality Somalis find themselves in.
"These fugitves are playing the religious card to their advantage. If the jihad they are propagating is really true why didn't they start it in their own home countries, I sometimes wonder who is fooling who. My Somali brothers who have fallen for this religious nonsense are either doing it for the money or simply too ignorant to know the truth," wondered Ali Abdullahi, another Mogadishu resident.
This is what might happen in the coming weeks if the said merger is true and is actually implemented.
Expect bloodier fighting in the Somali capital Mogadishu meaning many innocent civilians will continue to die in this unnecessary war. The new Al-Shabab outift might not necessarily make any progress in the battle fields simply because the African Union peacekeepers in Somalia are too strong for the ragtag Islamist militias.
Worse of all for Al-Shabab is that the Somali government forces are said to be in high spirits following plans to finally pay them their dues or stipends in the coming weeks or so. TFG Soldiers often fight alongside AU peacekeepers and actually make up the first frontline. News of their long awaited stipends will surely given them a reason to resist any Al-Shabab offensive.
This can only mean one thing then, we should expect a stalemate in the ongoing battles in Mogadishu.
As it has always been it is the Somali public that has and will continue to suffer the greatest burden of this totally unnecessary war in Somalia and until the ordinary people say enough is enough the situation will unfortunately remain the same. More deaths and suffering for the ordinary poor Somali man, woman or child.
As I pen off, I can already hear loud explosions in Mogadishu. Perhaps it’s just another Al-Shabab reminder that they are still around and that the merger is a reality.
Whatever the case I just wonder when the Somali people will eventually realize that bullets, artillery fire and suicide bombers will only cause more deaths and suffering for the poor and further destruction to their already damaged and bullet-poked capital city Mogadishu.
Surely, when will this madness end?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
0
comments
AMISOM captures former interior ministry offices from Al-Shabab.
By Guled Mohamed
December 2, Mogadishu – African Union peacekeepers from Uganda on Thursday captured the former ministry of interior offices from Al-Shabab militants after several days of heavy fighting, AMISOM spokesman Major Ba-Hoku Barigye confirmed.
The interior ministry office is located in Bondere district and is located west of the former Italian embassy building in the Somali capital. This is a significant victory for the AU peacekeepers who have been battling Al-Shabab militants for some times now.
“Our forces have captured the ministry of interior offices from Al-Shabab just now. They are now securing it. Al-Shabab has been attacking the peacekeepers in the last few days and we took this opportunity to expand our areas of responsibility by capturing this important building. We know Al-Shabab deployed 70 women fighters in those areas and one of them was killed. This is all I can say at the moment,” Major Ba-Hoku said.
Al-Shabab, who have a pact with the global jihadist group Al-Qaeda, has been loosing public support in Somalia largely due to their brutal treatment of ordinary Somalis. At least 700 families of displaced farmers and pastoralists have fled into Mogadishu’s Dharkanlay district after Al-Shabab ordered them to pay taxes.
Majority of these families are so poor that they could not afford to pay the taxes Al-Shabab was demanding. They were threatened with a severe punishment and that is why they had to run away to Mogadishu.
There is an interim government in place in Somalia which is struggling to pacify the country with the help of AU peacekeepers from Ugandan and Burundi. Somalia’s last central government was ousted by clan militias in 1991 who plunged the Horn of African country into anarchy.
December 2, Mogadishu – African Union peacekeepers from Uganda on Thursday captured the former ministry of interior offices from Al-Shabab militants after several days of heavy fighting, AMISOM spokesman Major Ba-Hoku Barigye confirmed.
The interior ministry office is located in Bondere district and is located west of the former Italian embassy building in the Somali capital. This is a significant victory for the AU peacekeepers who have been battling Al-Shabab militants for some times now.
“Our forces have captured the ministry of interior offices from Al-Shabab just now. They are now securing it. Al-Shabab has been attacking the peacekeepers in the last few days and we took this opportunity to expand our areas of responsibility by capturing this important building. We know Al-Shabab deployed 70 women fighters in those areas and one of them was killed. This is all I can say at the moment,” Major Ba-Hoku said.
Al-Shabab, who have a pact with the global jihadist group Al-Qaeda, has been loosing public support in Somalia largely due to their brutal treatment of ordinary Somalis. At least 700 families of displaced farmers and pastoralists have fled into Mogadishu’s Dharkanlay district after Al-Shabab ordered them to pay taxes.
Majority of these families are so poor that they could not afford to pay the taxes Al-Shabab was demanding. They were threatened with a severe punishment and that is why they had to run away to Mogadishu.
There is an interim government in place in Somalia which is struggling to pacify the country with the help of AU peacekeepers from Ugandan and Burundi. Somalia’s last central government was ousted by clan militias in 1991 who plunged the Horn of African country into anarchy.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
0
comments
Brace for change, new Somali PM tells his people
Mogadishu, November 30 – Somalia’s youthful Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi is urging his war weary countrymen to be prepared for change as a new lean cabinet made up technocrats he recently swore in prepares to turn around events in the lawless Horn of African country plagued by 19 years of conflict.
Security, government accountability, reconciliation and revenue collection are the top priorities for the 48 year Prime Minister who hopes to achieve them with help from a team of 18 ministers majority of who are from the Diaspora just like him.
Many ordinary Somalis have high hopes of the new cabinet and see them new as the best chance for the beleaguered Somali government to assert its authority amid an Islamist onslaught led by the ruthless Al-Shabab militias who have completely made it impossible for the young administration to provide much needed social services to its majority poor population.
The biggest challenge facing the new team is time. They have less than a year before the mandate of the transitional federal government expires in August 2011. However, Prime Minister Mohamed is optimistic his team can deliver the peace and stability that has eluded Somalis since 1991 when the previous government was overthrown.
The 48 year old Mohamed served as a colonel in the Somali army before moving to the Foreign Ministry of the ousted government of President Mohamed Siad Barre. He later worked in the Somali embassy in Washington from 1985 to 1989 where he remained until his recent appointment to the challenging office of Premiership.
“Our people should know that time has come to embrace peace and stability. This is something my government intends to accomplish. Its time for change. If every Somali citizen can play his part and work with this government we will achieve our goal. The people should not loose hope. I think we can defeat this enemy called Al-Shabab and bring peace and stability to this great country called Somalia,” he said, speaking from a roof top at the main base of African Union peacekeepers backing his government
FIXING MOGADISHU’S INSECURITY
Prime Minister Mohamed says the new cabinet he chose is made up of professional and promises to change the way the government conducts its businesses. He is also very keen to see government forces getting stipends and salaries, something that previous governments failed to honour and which is believed by many people as single biggest reason why previous administrations have flopped.
“Our troops should be given first priority not only on material or monetary things but we also have to provide them with anything they need in order to give them a reason and purpose to fight for their country. After we fix the issue of insecurity in Mogadishu then we have to think of ways to settle the political issues through genuine reconciliation and then we can start collecting revenues or taxes. In future, the government must be self sufficient,” Prime Minister Mohamed said.
Unlike his predecessors, Mohamed comes with knowledge of financial management from his previous jobs in New York where he managed funds estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. He warned corrupt government officials saying he would not tolerate corruption.
“We have to make sure our people feel proud of their government. Every government revenues or expenditure has to be made public and anyone who tries to engage in corruption will be exposed and put to trial. This new cabinet knows the problems the previous governments have been through and we have to learn from past mistakes. This is our country and we cannot gamble with it. We have to restore hope and bring back peace. There is no any other option for us since our people are suffering,” he said, choosing his words very carefully.
He heaped praise on President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda who this week become the first head of state to visit Mogadishu. Museveni is also the first President to have sent his forces in Somalia in 2007 to serve as African Union peacekeepers, where they are still stationed together with Burundian forces who later joined them.
“I think the people of Uganda are really fortunate to have a President like Museveni who is a great leader. The courage and leadership he showed to come to Mogadishu and send his forces is simply tremendous. I hope his visit will pave way for other leaders to follow suit and visit Somalia which has been portrayed as an inhospitable place where nothing but war is going on. This is a fallacy and we hope the world will not close its doors on us,” he added.
Security, government accountability, reconciliation and revenue collection are the top priorities for the 48 year Prime Minister who hopes to achieve them with help from a team of 18 ministers majority of who are from the Diaspora just like him.
Many ordinary Somalis have high hopes of the new cabinet and see them new as the best chance for the beleaguered Somali government to assert its authority amid an Islamist onslaught led by the ruthless Al-Shabab militias who have completely made it impossible for the young administration to provide much needed social services to its majority poor population.
The biggest challenge facing the new team is time. They have less than a year before the mandate of the transitional federal government expires in August 2011. However, Prime Minister Mohamed is optimistic his team can deliver the peace and stability that has eluded Somalis since 1991 when the previous government was overthrown.
The 48 year old Mohamed served as a colonel in the Somali army before moving to the Foreign Ministry of the ousted government of President Mohamed Siad Barre. He later worked in the Somali embassy in Washington from 1985 to 1989 where he remained until his recent appointment to the challenging office of Premiership.
“Our people should know that time has come to embrace peace and stability. This is something my government intends to accomplish. Its time for change. If every Somali citizen can play his part and work with this government we will achieve our goal. The people should not loose hope. I think we can defeat this enemy called Al-Shabab and bring peace and stability to this great country called Somalia,” he said, speaking from a roof top at the main base of African Union peacekeepers backing his government
FIXING MOGADISHU’S INSECURITY
Prime Minister Mohamed says the new cabinet he chose is made up of professional and promises to change the way the government conducts its businesses. He is also very keen to see government forces getting stipends and salaries, something that previous governments failed to honour and which is believed by many people as single biggest reason why previous administrations have flopped.
“Our troops should be given first priority not only on material or monetary things but we also have to provide them with anything they need in order to give them a reason and purpose to fight for their country. After we fix the issue of insecurity in Mogadishu then we have to think of ways to settle the political issues through genuine reconciliation and then we can start collecting revenues or taxes. In future, the government must be self sufficient,” Prime Minister Mohamed said.
Unlike his predecessors, Mohamed comes with knowledge of financial management from his previous jobs in New York where he managed funds estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. He warned corrupt government officials saying he would not tolerate corruption.
“We have to make sure our people feel proud of their government. Every government revenues or expenditure has to be made public and anyone who tries to engage in corruption will be exposed and put to trial. This new cabinet knows the problems the previous governments have been through and we have to learn from past mistakes. This is our country and we cannot gamble with it. We have to restore hope and bring back peace. There is no any other option for us since our people are suffering,” he said, choosing his words very carefully.
He heaped praise on President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda who this week become the first head of state to visit Mogadishu. Museveni is also the first President to have sent his forces in Somalia in 2007 to serve as African Union peacekeepers, where they are still stationed together with Burundian forces who later joined them.
“I think the people of Uganda are really fortunate to have a President like Museveni who is a great leader. The courage and leadership he showed to come to Mogadishu and send his forces is simply tremendous. I hope his visit will pave way for other leaders to follow suit and visit Somalia which has been portrayed as an inhospitable place where nothing but war is going on. This is a fallacy and we hope the world will not close its doors on us,” he added.
Monday, November 29, 2010
0
comments
Its now or never in Somalia.
By Guled Mohamed
November 29, Mogadishu – “What should we do to turn around our country’s troubles?” I recently tossed this question to a group of journalists visiting the capital Mogadishu who had come to cover the latest Somalia upheavals.
My intention was to create a brainstorming session about the problems facing the Horn of African country and the best possible solutions to end the nearly 20 years of chaos.
My timing of the question was perfect as it caught everyone unawares on a cool serene night in Mogadishu. It elicited a well heated and honest response from the six visiting foreign journalists and seven of my colleagues.
This discussion happened hours after parliament approved a cabinet of technocrats appointed by the new Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo”
Many ideas came out of this rare session held late at night close to the Indian Ocean.
The below statements stood out among many brilliant ideas.
Somalia needs a charismatic leader who can rally the masses and who will be above petty clan interests to steer the country out of its current debacle.
Somalia needs an economic development to bring about hope to the majority poor population giving them a reason to live and stop them from supporting extremists groups.
Somalia needs security that can only be achieved if the government pays its soldiers.
The internationally community should stop the lip service and genuinely help Somalia get out of the mess.
The Somali government is a sham. It is corrupt and ineffective. The Somali people need a government that is both sensitive to their needs and which
At the end of the day, nothing can be achieved without the local population taking the lead in solving their problems.
All the above ideas and many more others that I have not made public conclusively point to one major solution: Somalia needs a pragmatic leader or simply a saviour who should be patriotic and honest in order to lead the masses to a better future.
It said that leaders are born and not made.
I can’t wait to see that leader emerging in the ruins of the never-ending conflict that has ravaged Somalia.
I have a feeling that we might not wait for too long to see a glimpse of this leader Somalia badly needs at this hour of need.
President Sheikh Sharif’s recent appointment of PM Farmajo, a relatively unknown personality within Somalia’s political elite might actually be a good start for Somalia if what is said about the young Premier is anything to go by.
My instincts tell me that new PM Farmajo has all the qualities to be that rare leader who has eluded Somalis.
If my instincts come to happen, then Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Somalia’s current president will take the credit for his latest appointment.
The president, PM and the new cabinet has nine months to turn around the huge challenges into a success.
Farmajo has just appointed a lean cabinet of 18 ministers comprised mainly of technocrats from the Diaspora. After weeks of politicking, canvassing and opposition by parliament, the Somali lawmakers finally approved the cabinet.
Their single most important task ahead is the rampant insecurity that has made it impossible for the interim government to provide much-needed services to the war-weary populace.
Is Farmajo, the saviour Somalia has been waiting for?
Many ordinary Somalis believe so.
However, time will tell.
One last advice to Farmajo and his new team.
Please break away from the old politics of clan, nepotism, corruption and unnecessary visits to regional and western capitals that previous cabinet members were known to do.
Get your priorities right by securing Mogadishu and the rest of Somalia. Resuscitate the collapsed state by ensuring all ministries are operational in Mogadishu. We are tired of the so-called-briefcase ministries and the behind the scenes shoddy dealings in the name of Somalia.
Please pay government police and military and other government civil servants and slowly and carefully implement quick economically viable projects that will provide jobs and livelihoods to the poor population.
Nothing will happen overnight. You will have to be patient and expect a real battle from individuals and groups who have no intention of change in Somalia and whose sole aim is to maintain the status quo for their own selfish gains.
November 29, Mogadishu – “What should we do to turn around our country’s troubles?” I recently tossed this question to a group of journalists visiting the capital Mogadishu who had come to cover the latest Somalia upheavals.
My intention was to create a brainstorming session about the problems facing the Horn of African country and the best possible solutions to end the nearly 20 years of chaos.
My timing of the question was perfect as it caught everyone unawares on a cool serene night in Mogadishu. It elicited a well heated and honest response from the six visiting foreign journalists and seven of my colleagues.
This discussion happened hours after parliament approved a cabinet of technocrats appointed by the new Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed “Farmajo”
Many ideas came out of this rare session held late at night close to the Indian Ocean.
The below statements stood out among many brilliant ideas.
Somalia needs a charismatic leader who can rally the masses and who will be above petty clan interests to steer the country out of its current debacle.
Somalia needs an economic development to bring about hope to the majority poor population giving them a reason to live and stop them from supporting extremists groups.
Somalia needs security that can only be achieved if the government pays its soldiers.
The internationally community should stop the lip service and genuinely help Somalia get out of the mess.
The Somali government is a sham. It is corrupt and ineffective. The Somali people need a government that is both sensitive to their needs and which
At the end of the day, nothing can be achieved without the local population taking the lead in solving their problems.
All the above ideas and many more others that I have not made public conclusively point to one major solution: Somalia needs a pragmatic leader or simply a saviour who should be patriotic and honest in order to lead the masses to a better future.
It said that leaders are born and not made.
I can’t wait to see that leader emerging in the ruins of the never-ending conflict that has ravaged Somalia.
I have a feeling that we might not wait for too long to see a glimpse of this leader Somalia badly needs at this hour of need.
President Sheikh Sharif’s recent appointment of PM Farmajo, a relatively unknown personality within Somalia’s political elite might actually be a good start for Somalia if what is said about the young Premier is anything to go by.
My instincts tell me that new PM Farmajo has all the qualities to be that rare leader who has eluded Somalis.
If my instincts come to happen, then Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, Somalia’s current president will take the credit for his latest appointment.
The president, PM and the new cabinet has nine months to turn around the huge challenges into a success.
Farmajo has just appointed a lean cabinet of 18 ministers comprised mainly of technocrats from the Diaspora. After weeks of politicking, canvassing and opposition by parliament, the Somali lawmakers finally approved the cabinet.
Their single most important task ahead is the rampant insecurity that has made it impossible for the interim government to provide much-needed services to the war-weary populace.
Is Farmajo, the saviour Somalia has been waiting for?
Many ordinary Somalis believe so.
However, time will tell.
One last advice to Farmajo and his new team.
Please break away from the old politics of clan, nepotism, corruption and unnecessary visits to regional and western capitals that previous cabinet members were known to do.
Get your priorities right by securing Mogadishu and the rest of Somalia. Resuscitate the collapsed state by ensuring all ministries are operational in Mogadishu. We are tired of the so-called-briefcase ministries and the behind the scenes shoddy dealings in the name of Somalia.
Please pay government police and military and other government civil servants and slowly and carefully implement quick economically viable projects that will provide jobs and livelihoods to the poor population.
Nothing will happen overnight. You will have to be patient and expect a real battle from individuals and groups who have no intention of change in Somalia and whose sole aim is to maintain the status quo for their own selfish gains.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)