Recently, while I was busy with my daily chores, I was alerted by a sudden sound that was coming from my cell-phone, a sound that advised me the text message that just came in. The message read: “Sheikh Sharif has won the presidential election.” I thanked my Somali colleague for the update but received no further details from him, sufficient proof that he is not interested in Somali politics and also quite young to comprehend Somalia’s complicated issues and the central point of the country’s colloquies. After all, he was born in overseas just months prior to Somalia’s slow march to self-destruction.   

Sheikh Sharif’s victory gave many Somalis some sort of hope and relief. Their faces turn into a cheerful grin. To many, it marked the beginning of the end of warlordism, and a fresh start for political Islam in Somalia. To compare him with the rest of the presidential candidates, it seemed that Sheikh Sharif was the preferred man for the job, albeit he does not have any considerable knowledge of how government and its institutions function, but at least he has no criminal record under his belt. 

When Somali warlords were in-charge in the day-to-day Somali affairs, the country became a small place for Islamists to hide. Things had reached a point that all Somali clerics seemed to be on the verge of leaving the country to save their lives, some of them escaping with cuts and bruises.  

If you look back, you will find out that the criminal events that were facing Somali Islamists before 2006 are too numerous to list. There was an unimaginable animosity towards clerics, religious teachers, preachers and intellectuals alike. Every now and then, there was much bloodshed in and around mosques and Islamic centres.  It became a normal practice for the warlords to assassinate clerics in broad daylight. Kidnapping Islamists and surrendering them to Ethiopia and CIA agents became a booming business and an industry itself.  In a report posted by Reuters on June 2006, Mr. John Prendergast from the International Crisis Group had mentioned that the CIA was financing the warlords with cash payments. But after Islamists defeated the country’s bloodthirsty warlords in 2006, the rules of the game in Somali politics have changed dramatically.  

Unfortunately, warlords are back again. But this time, they are clad in a different dress.   Recently, when the new Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was formed in Djibouti, many warlords were given key posts in the new administration. I felt this move would re-open a wound that had been healed or at least well bandaged. I felt that those warlords, who are now with President Sheikh Sharif, are not the kind of men he should associate himself with. Those guys are part of a generation of warlords who committed hideous crimes against the Somali people.

I am afraid the Somali conflict is far from over. But shall we asked ourselves what are the main causes of this catastrophe? Conflict experts try to explain why wars occur, and why people kill each other. They have identified some causes of war that include economic, religious, racial, lust for power, et cetera. But in the context of Somalia, it seems that the country’s long-running conflict does not fall under any category. The reason could be that this war itself is aimless, and that is why it is so difficult to find a solution and a common point of reference.

Can you remember how it all started? and who threw Somalia into the slippery of self-destruction? It was the work of visionless warlords and their clan militias, who believe in tribal allegiance and the term of “danta-guud” or national interest, is not part of their vocabulary.   

The TFG is now headed by President Sheikh Sharif, but unfortunately, it harbors a big number of Somali warlords, some of them serving as MPs, others holding very crucial government departments, including head of the police forces. It is astonishing that some of the most influential ministerial posts were also taken away by other warlords on clan basis. 

Last month, when the Council of Somali Clerics started to reconcile between the TFG and the hard-line Islamists, I was wondering the possibility of such reconciliation. I asked myself whether the Islamists can co-exist with Somalia’s notorious warlords in a unity government? Oftentimes, it is easy to raise questions than to find answers. But this question needs to be raised and it deserves to be answered.

Below are some reasons why the two cannot co-exist. If you pay little heed to what I have listed here, you may predict whether or not the two arch rivals can sing the same tune.

Keeping the above differences in mind, the two cannot be under one umbrella. The formation of a unity government between these two rivals is not even theoretically possible, let alone to be practical. Anyone who takes a look into the history of events in Somalia will find out the absence of any form of co-existence between these two groups. In all cases, the two had never co-existed.

In terms of principles and mindset, Somali warlords still remain who they were. The only difference is that they changed the mask and they are now in a government uniform. The burning question still remains: “can Islamists co-exist with warlords in a unity government?’ My prediction is: NO.
I am aware that my judgments and views may not be shared by many readers, but the coming months and years will either verify or falsify my calculations.

What is the Solution?

All the destructive warlords who committed the most heinous crimes must be removed immediately from the government bodies. To satisfy their tribes, they should be replaced by good guys who hail from the same clan. Afterwards, they should be given a presidential amnesty for the sake of a national reconciliation. But the removal of the unqualified and the corrupt yes-men should come in a slow and steady move.

I want to underscore here that “Djibouti Agreement” was not reconciliation between two rivals, but a power sharing. That is why the parliament was enlarged to double. There is no honeymoon period for President Sheikh Sharif. He has to clean up his administration by removing all the Trojan Horses from the government bodies.

The Council of Somali Clerics and Somali intellectuals, with a helping hand from the international community, should give more emphasis on how to bring together the so-called ‘moderate Islamists’ and the hard-line groups. We pray Allah the Almighty to make Somalia one of peace and security, so that the long-suffering people of Somalia will once again enjoy peace and prosperity.

Mohamed Abbas,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Email: Kismaayo91@hotmail.com

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