The Sharif I Have Seen

[Jacaylbaro]

When, in 2006, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed came to power as one of the leaders of the Union Islamic Courts (UIC), he was part of a group that controlled most of central and southern Somalia for six months. It was an extraordinary moment to the Somali people. The city of Mogadishu became a very peaceful place and the Somali Diaspora began to go back home. Somalis hope to regain a peaceful and prosperous country died when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG), backed by Ethiopian troops, and sponsored by the international community, invaded the country and clashed with the UIC. Sharif, and his Islamic Courts forces, was defeated by the Ethiopians; and when the Ethiopians occupied the country, another disaster then befell the Somali people.

 

After two years, the Ethiopian troops decided to leave, knowing that they could not achieved a military victory. They left behind both psychological and physical damage to the Somali people - without deciding a single issue between the warring factions and the TFG. The international community decided again to sponsor a new reconciliation process, known as the "Djibouti Process", where Sharif became the president of Somalia. The Somali people hoped once again that their country was on a track toward peace, but that hope became paralyzed when Sharif's former alliance partners - Aweys and Al Shabaab - teamed up to opposed the formation of his government. It was clear once more that the peace Somalis had yearned for over the years was again elusive. Sharif's government was dead practically before it even arrived.

 

Last week, President Sharif arrived in New York to attend the annual United Nations summit. After finishing his meeting, he came to Minneapolis where he talked to the local Somali community. A huge preparation for a welcoming the president was put in place. I spent several hours outside the Universityof Minnesota asking people what Sharif's government had achieved so far. Unfortunately, no one knew what I was talking about.

 

Since the President came to power: fighting has increased in the country; the government has lost most of the country to Hisbul Islam and Al Shabaab; there is an increase in death and destruction; and more people have fled the capital. The people of Somalia need ever more aid than before. The Somali people need aid and support in order to get people to work and give them hope. No wonder why the people that I talked to could not pinpoint what the President has achieved. So the question is, Mr. President what have you tangibly achieved since taking over as the leader of Somalia?

 

The question is what are we (Somali people) waiting for? Are we waiting for the international community to solve our own problems? If we are thinking of that, Somalia is finished, as there is no chance international community is going to seriously help, because the United States, who is the leader of Western interests in Somalia is suffering itself because of the financial crisis; and President Obama cannot do any more than what President Bush did to Africa. So it seems to me that the Obama Administration's focus on Africa will be public relations only. So are we waiting for Sharif, who is a typical faction leader, and cannot even say a word against the Ugandan AMISOM troops why they bomb markets and residential areas of Mogadishu City, where the average death is 15-20 a day; or, are waiting for the Shabaab and Hisbul Islam, who are both abusing the Somali people and the image of Islam

 

Please, Somalis, let us understand the world in which we live, and be realistic about the situation in our country, and build the nation from a realistic base, and not dreams.

 

 

Abdullahi Nur (Freelance)

gacamey15@hotmail.com

Minneapolis, Minnesota.