The Axis of Eritrea, UIC & Foreign Jihadists In Somalia

It’s been ten months since the Somali National Army, backed by Ethiopian troops, swept into the country’s capital, Mogadishu, forcing Al-itixad militia into hidings. Following the swift victory of the TFG, the hopes of the Somalis were raised at the highest level since the fall of the internationally recognized administration of Siyad Barre in 1991.
Many, including me, applauded the defeat of the clan based religious militia which terrorized those who didn’t pledge allegiance with them. Unfortunately, the security of the capital city didn’t improve as we hoped. One asks: Why the insecurity of Mogadishu is increasing rather than decreasing?

Together, let’s look into the above question to address it in the most fair and balanced way. There are elements that contribute the problems and fuel the ongoing tit-for-tot between the TFG (Transitional Federal Government) and the opposition believed to be headed by members of the AL-Shabaab, a sub division of the Al-itixad party.

The presence of Ethiopians in Somalia and the unwavering support of Eritrea for Al shabaab group are the root cause of the current cycle of violence, by and large. Both parties claim their cause is the just way of lifting the rest of the country up on its feet. Unfortunately; civilians, particularly, those in Mogadishu pay the ultimate price on daily bases. The clan based conflicts is not strange to Somalis. But what some have called “Proxy War” is new to this impoverished incredibly chaotic nation.

Ethiopia has made clear of its intensions in Somalia; “we are invited by the internationally recognized government to help them stabilize the country and to defeat the axis of so called Union of Courts, foreign extremists, which threatened the existence of the Transitional Federal Government, and to eliminate the influence of the rogue nation of Eritrea on the UIC and their foreign allays in the country” said by an Ethiopian official.

Whether or not the Ethiopian claims are true, be the judge. One will ask; did Eritrea ever declare their intention as to why they are supporting the UIC and their foreign jihadists? The only explanation that struck in my mind is the animosity between them and their neighbor Ethiopia. And that is not enough to persuade many who have suspicious of Eritrea’s intentions in Somalia.

The only way out of the current crises requires the Somali people to show unity and goodwill as well as the desire to live in a peaceful environment. In order to achieve such goal, Somalis must work together and pull themselves out of the culture of foreign dependence and break up with the devil which they were sleeping with in the past decade and half.

Abdirahman I. Mohmed-Takhal
atakhal@aol.com
Sept. 2007