Newly Somali President Declares his Country a "War Zone"

By Shabani Mwalimu*

The newly elected President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullah ‘Farmanjo’ has declared Somalia as a war zone country. The announcement made on Thursday, 5 April 2016, comes amid worsening insecurity as a deadly bombing was recently reported at the Capital Mogadishu where seven lives were lost. Upon his declaration Farmanjo wore a military uniform and offered al-Shabab fighters to surrender. ‘We tell the young, brainwashed al-Shabab fighters that they have a 60-days deadline to lay down the arms with which they use to kill their people and come to us," He said. (Aljazeera)

Early March this year the Trump administration laid down its plan to pursue wider military operations which include special forces operations to fight the armed groups based in Somalia. The Pentagon already has sent rrecommendations to the White House to allow US Special Forces to increase assistance to the Somali National Army and give the US military greater flexibility to launch more pre-emptive air strikes.

The US military intervention is not a new issue but a continuation of long plans commenced in the Bush Era. On the evening of 4 December 1992,USPresident George HW Bush addressed Americans, informing them thatUStroops would be sent toSomalia. And in 1993 theUSlaunched a military operation known as Restore Hope, which joined a multinational force and became known as the United Task Force (UNITAF). The operation came as a result of removal of Siad Barre who was pro-America whose leadership allocated nearly two thirds of Somalia to the American oil giants such as Conoco, Chevron and Philips.

Since then, the US has been shaping political destiny of the Country by establishing client states which have brought nothing to Somalia other than subjugation and oppression. For years, America has been equipping the warlords with weapons and the irony is that they have been accommodated in Governments. Notably the American plan for Somalia is to fragment it into different regions and encourage the energy laden areas like Juba land to cede and fall in line with its interests. It is not therefore strange the announcement made by Farmanjo barely came after the US plans to intensify its military attacks to Somalia.

Somalia a country replete with an abundance of natural resources has been declared by the US as ‘safe haven for terrorists’ purposely to yearn for its economic interests. Oil seeps discovered in the colonial era by both British and Italian geologists. Later, French and American oil companies competed with British and Italian oil companies for concession rights to the exploration of oil. All these have made the country become ground battle between Europe and America for the right to control Somalia’s oil wealth... Europe led by Britain is fighting America through supporting local militias and surrogate countries like Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti, while America is supporting militiamen through countries like Ethiopia and Sudan. This is the nature of the conflict in Somalia.

Somalia is currently the heart of the one of the worst humanitarian crises. Thecycle of long droughtsfollowed by famines has been going on for many decades. Now, more than five million Somalisneed immediate assistancein order to prevent anotherfamine. With empty promises by failed governments including the current regime, Somalia proceeds facing a painful situation from divisions, clan based wars and famine. The so called international Muslim bodies such as Muslim World League, Organization of Islamic Countries as well other international bodies have either not paid much attention nor nothing to the situation.

Like any other Muslim land and as an African country Somalia has been subjected to long periods of domination by the colonialist states. Since Britain controlled the north-western part of Somali for more than seventy years, it was called British Somalia. Italy controlled its south for more than 50 years and was called Italian Somalia and France controlled what known today as the Republic of Djibouti. As well the neighboring countries, in agreement with the colonialist countries especially Britain, have seized large parts of its territory. Thus, Ethiopia - previously Abyssinia, seized the region of Ogadin and Kenya seized extensive lands in the south.

This pathetic situation will however end by reestablishing the Islamic System of Governance the – Khilafah "Caliphate". Its establishment will fully address the burning issues affecting Somalia and the rest of the World.

* Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 125