President Museveni is totally Unaware of Root Causes of Somali Tragedy

Mohammed O. Eyow
March 15, 2005

His speech on the eve of IGAD defense ministers’ meeting in Uganda, Mr. Museveni sparked his opinion and willingness to settle Somalia without hearing opposing warlords. We, Somalis, are very grateful for such allegiance and compatriotism the president showed. But his recent opinion will not serve matters be improved peacefully.

The president needs more comprehensive and detailed study about the history and causative elements of the problem in Somalia and what has protracted such unfortunate events which is being occurred until recently in Somalia.

As a chairman of IGAD, Mr. Museveni should understand that what reached Somali crisis to this point and as yet continuing to impede every progress aimed at solving Somali problem is not merely warlords’ adamancy, but It’s the bare and deliberate intervention by Ethiopian regime. The tale dates back decades of conspiracy and hostility to diminish Somali unity and dislodge their power of influence in the region.

Ethiopians, who have latterly received a node of approval and a proxy mandate from US administration under the policy of global campaign on terra, was the mastermind and key plotter of our tragedy.

For Kenya, there is a clear example when former Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi declared to international media during his latest tour to Washington that his country and Ethiopia were not loyal even a single day to work out Somali unity and peace. Because, he said, they will claim the possession of two Somali regions which control by the two states, he meant Northern Frontier District (NFD) and Ogaden regions.

In concise I say to the President before you act emotionally and in goodwill that we love and respect, you need a greater knowledge on the roots, channels and masterminding power behind this quandary. But if there is merely emotional insistence on including deploying peacekeepers with front line forces, then it will not bring success and only they will be part of warring groups. This is adding insult to injury.

I have to express the need of neutral and non-aligned limited AU forces to disarm armed militias and protect peace which is dire requirement for all Somalis. I believe also without network cooperation and rational diplomacy between Somalis and peace keepers, or taking unilateral unhelpful approach then a new cycle of tension will start that can annul the fruits of long peace conference in Kenya and may finally precipitate historic failure to the Africans at large.

In short, until there is pending and unresolved controversial issues, foes can not be friends,

Mohammed O. Eyow
Mosman263@hotmail.com