Mahiga's (UN's) Somali Road Map

[xiinfaniin]

Mahiga, the UN Envoy for Somalia, as a part of a well planned trip to engage with Somali Diaspora, is touring North America. He was well received in both Toronto and Minneapolis. Coming right after the badly publicized Kampla Accord, and anticipating that Somalis will ask him tough questions, the man come prepared. Here is my take away from his message:

 

1- After twenty years of a world strategy to more or less contain the Somali civil war from spilling over to neighboring countries, the world have finally agreed to resolve the Somali conflict by establishing a non-transitional government. That means come by next Somali conference Somalia will have a real government however weak it may be.

 

2- The world is clear on the territorial integrity of Somalia. And that includes neighboring countries.

 

3- UN recognizes that the 'brain' of Somalia is outside of the country, and is actively working on a process to establish a framework in which Somalis of the professional type can contribute toward the establishment of the state

 

How did he say the transition will end? A Somali dirin as Baashi would say for all parties inside Somalia is how UN plans to end the transition, and establish a formal state. We will see how it turns out. A new Mogadishu caravan is about to depart ...

[Carafaat]

What is your judgement regarding this roadmap ? Can we expect you to be riding on the front of the caravan?

[Allamagan]

After the infamous Kampala Accord the guy seems to have learned his lessons he found out that not all somalis are like the Sharifatyn sell-outs

[NGONGE]

Another Walad Abdullah!

 

http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/26179-Letter-to-the-members-of-the-Somali-Diaspora/page2?highlight=Ahmedou+Ould-

[Che -Guevara]

^Stop stalking odaga, it's unbecoming:-)

[NGONGE]

^^ Was my reply not related to the topic?

(Xiin enjoys my stalking by the way).

[Che -Guevara]

If your reply doesn't reinforce Aw's argument, that makes you stalker the dangerous kind

[NGONGE]

^^ Abtigiis used to stalk him too but I think he's been bribed these days and is back to singing the praises of Sheikh Sharif.

[Che -Guevara]

loooooooool...Abtagiis is a fickle. Only two things remain consistent when it comes to hom.His semi-erotic anecdotes, stories and situational comedy, and his love of ONLF tribal yet noble organization, his description of ONLF not mine before the Zack starts sharpening his spear.

[Jacaylbaro]

NGONGE;748227 wrote:

Another Walad Abdullah!

 

http://www.somaliaonline.com/community/showthread.php/26179-Letter-to-the-members-of-the-Somali-Diaspora/page2?highlight=Ahmedou+Ould-

 

Wondering ,, who is next ??

[xiinfaniin]

Allamagan;748167 wrote:

After the infamous Kampala Accord the guy seems to have learned his lessons he found out that not all somalis are like the Sharifatyn sell-outs

Actually he did not hide inuusan u arag Shariifyada leaders

[Yunis]

^ We are always in search for strategies / road maps from the foreign entities (UN, AU, EU / America). The core experience from the last 20 years is sadly that, the acceptance that not a single road map can come from us.

 

I am not sure of how he was received in MN, but I was in Toronto during Mahiga's visit. The visit was sadly indicative of our Somali society's endless internal division and bickering. A week pirior to the visit, Different groups within the community argued (on how region A should get 25 attendees, region B should get 30.....etc) all vetting for Mahiga's earnest attention, not for Somalia - but that of their region. In the end it was a heavy security, non-descriptive hotel and only about 50 pll attending, some groups / regions even walking out.

 

With a city of over 100k expats, so much for Mahiga touring 'Somali diaspra' community. Where Abdi wali's event was open to all Somalis - says alot on who is in charge of somalia

 

Xiin – your focus with the substance of these meetings is all well and fine. But, where I have issue with is the general state of our affairs and diaspora’s hindrance to progress, but more division and no substance discourse.

[xiinfaniin]

Yunis, the point of departure of any analysis pertaining current Somali state has to be that Somalia is a failed state and UN is the sole care taker of Somalia's political affairs save from regions Alshabaab controls. Now that being the harsh reality, we are not in a position to argue who actually controls Somalia. All I was interested to know was what is the current UN agenda for Somalia. Abdullahi Yusuf's and Sharif's governments, Mahiga informed us, was orchestrated to achieve one goal: to formally bring warlords into the fold of national arrangement. Both efforts (Nairobi (Yusuf) and Jabbuuti(Sharif)) aimed not to build institutions, it was primarily to tame warlords and bring them under one tent. That was that, and it is quite telling.

 

Now, many have realized (as many have hopped they would one day) that Somalia's problems can never be contained. So the UN is aiming to get Somalia out of the transitional status and give it back to Somalis. The growing attention from rising regional powers like Turks also helped solidify this thinking. I think this is a good reason to be hopeful about the future. Of course the Somali people have to ultimately own this and lead...

[Yunis]

Yes no arguing there - from the stand point of failed state UN is obliged to play the head master.

 

But their eventual ‘hand over’ time frame to permanent stable state by Somalis and for Somalis might not come to fruition any time soon given the political status of the state (or the strategic interest of the UN). They might claim that is their ultimate goal to quell donor’s persistence for minimum stability and moving away from endless transition periods.

 

It’s also, complete opposite that UN recognition of Somali’s ‘brains’ are in Diaspora. UN is fully aware that the expands ‘brain’ is just as rigidly divided community as those in the country, they know that expands are not forming broader inclusive professional groups outside the country to rein in warlords, and the various Islamic militia groups, but Diaspora are rather actively settings up conferences, using Somalis clan loyalty to setup pseudo-regional states.

 

This was evident of mahiga’s own admission while in Toronto that over 41 different region-states approached them for support, mostly organized from Diaspora community, Some he claimed weren't on the map.

 

Then how could there be any meaningful handoff under such condition? This mandate could be as long as our life time or as long as we come to our senses.

 

In things Somali political affairs, aside from the humanitarian missions Turkey will very well get frustrated and disappointed for getting into Somalia’s chronic conflict and cut loose when the drought ends, regardless how Turkey wants to project its emerging power.

 

But, there is game changing event underway, the economic outlook of most of UN’s donors are on the brink collapse. Those vital flow of money and prestige towards UN and its agencies may dry up soon.., there might be hope then, which would force us to pay attention and allow Turkey to teach us how to walk, by showing us ways of settling our differences not scores, since UN’s mandate is financially unsustainable in the long run.

[xiinfaniin]

Yunis;748447 wrote:

 

But, there is game changing event underway, the economic outlook of most of UN’s donors are on the brink collapse. Those vital flow of money and prestige towards UN and its agencies may dry up soon.., there might be hope then, which would force us to pay attention and allow Turkey to teach us how to walk, by showing us ways of settling our differences not scores, since UN’s mandate is financially unsustainable in the long run.

And it is precisely because of that realization on the part of the donor countries that Somalia cannot be contained, that Somalia's tragedy stubbornly refused to go away and stay quite, that the conflict in Somalia lashed out with vengeance and manifested itself in the form of daring piracy, dangerous alshabaab and embarrassing (to the world) famine , that the UN decided to begin the process of handing it over to Somalis themselves.

 

As for Diaspora being part of the problem, I think that is half true and half false. The Diaspora that matters and have the administrative and technical skills Somalia needs today (the educated youth) transcend clannish boundaries that define Somalia's political landscape and it is imperative to engage that part of the Diaspora. It is my understanding that Mahiga was talking about this group.