The Status Quo in Somalia unacceptable, Say IGAD Ministers
The 36th Extraordinary meeting of the IGAD Council of Ministers held in Addis Ababa on 15th June was in a real sense extraordinary. It was not a meeting where ideas repeated in past meetings were regurgitated. It was a meeting at which all Ministers, without exception, committed their countries to doing what it takes to assist the TFG in overcoming the security challenge it continues to face.
No doubt, the problems in Somalia are not going to be resolved through measures that are taken in the security area only. The military approach will never ensure sustainable peace and national reconciliation. The primacy of politics should be insisted upon, in Somalia or in any situation of conflict.
It was in this spirit that the TFG concluded, in March this year, the historic agreement with Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama'a. This is an agreement which has a real potential to contribute to the strengthening of the TFG and the forces for peace in Somalia. But the TFG should not be allowed to believe that the effort to broaden its base has now been completed and that there is no more effort needed to bring into its fold all those who might still be prepared to commit themselves to peace and to embrace the Djibouti process. In other words, the TFG has a standing obligation to remain committed to the principle of inclusivity which is the only sure basis for defeating extremism in Somalia and for keeping at bay non-Somalis who have been benefiting from the division within Somali society.
On the other hand, no matter how much the TFG might be committed to embracing all those committed to peace, there would still be the likes of Al-Shabaab leaders and their dedicated followers who would never abandon their objective of forcibly removing the TFG and imposing their brand of extremism on Somali society and the region at large.
The TFG needs to have the military wherewithal to be able to defend itself from these groups and also defend the people of Somalia from the real threat they face from these sources. This is what the TFG has not been able to do thus far. This is not because the TFG officials have been unwilling to undertake this task. The real culprit has been lack of capacity, but lack of capacity that can be addressed, and should have been tackled long ago.
One major problem in the security area that the TFG has not been able to solve has been the absence of a unified command responsible for managing, administering and deploying the various TFG security forces. This needs to change and change as soon as practically possible, said the IGAD Ministers at their latest meeting in Addis Ababa. They have agreed to take concrete measures in this area to assist the TFG, beginning with an assessment of the situation on the ground.
The other related problem in this area has been lack of coordination and the absence of a mechanism for such coordination between AMISOM and the TFG security forces. The IGAD Ministers also discussed this issue at the meeting and have agreed to take the appropriate steps in this regard in consultation with other stakeholders.
It is with the view to facilitating the creation of enhanced opportunities for carrying out these and other related tasks that it was felt by the Ministers that there was a need for convening a summit of the IGAD countries at the soonest opportunity. In general, the 36th Extraordinary meeting of the IGAD Council of Ministers was quite businesslike and greatly meaningful. That the planned summit would be even more meaningful cannot be doubted.