The abdication of responsibility in the Somali security sector

For the past few weeks there has been an abnormal amount of targeted killings as well as bombings occurring in Mogadishu. The capital has been rocked by rampant insecurity because of the sustained attacks it has endured by Al Qaeda's local branch "Al Shabaab". The militant Islamist's have vowed to bring down the federal government and what it calls the "Apostates". The bombings last week mainly targeted restaurants and hotels popular with government officials, it proved the long held assertion that Al Shabaab had the time, discipline and access to the required resources for the execution of well planned terrorist attacks.

                                                                Top Somali military official appointed in 2012

The government was quick to dismiss the terrorists attacks as "Desperate" and not "significant". With such attitude to terrorism and Al Shabaab you would believe that the war has been won a long time ago. Perhaps the government officials are confusing their personal AMISOM security guards,with that of Mogadishu. With such statements it is not hard to be pessimistic whenever officials tout words like "Improvement in security" for the public. 

The federal government indeed has a serious security problem despite having over several thousand AMISOM, SNA and other Security branches present in the capital. There can be an argument made about SNA having been able to curb some of its "Isbaro" problem that was so rampant under the TFG.  

Well yes, illegal checkpoints are not present in Mogadishu anymore, that doesn't mean the SNA is credible or competent. Despite regularly working beside the slightly more professional AMISOM troops in the capital, the SNA still projects everything but professionalism.

There has been documented cases that point to the Somali security forces being disorganized as well as showcasing poor skills in the field.  They are regularly seen as not paying attention to their surroundings in public areas as well as having a serious problem of addiction to drugs such as Khat. Even basic requirements such as wearing the proper uniform is a challenge, a challenge that is not being addressed by the military officials. Thus a culture of indifference and laziness is pervasive in the Security forces.

                                                                   The bullets were mostly hitting the sand instead of the target

Indeed there are many institutional problems the SNA and the other security forces are facing. These institutional problems exists due to two factors. One is the lack of funding the Somali security services have to deal with. It is a problem for the government if they cannot guarantee constant monthly salary, rationing as well as sufficient bullets and firearms. The other problem is the lack of political will coming from Mogadishu when it comes to the Somali security sector. Indeed we have been hearing alot of complaints and criticism against the donor countries from Mogadishu. However funding is not everything when it comes to the Somali security sector. 

There are other factors that are at least equally as important as providing firearms and salary. For example, the SNA suffers a lack of discipline. It is always imperative that there is a chain of command and someone that has responsibility for the SNA units, those are of course the army officials that have personally been handpicked by the president. Therefore any failure of behalf of the soldiers, must be immediately tied to the higher up officials. We saw that did not happen when the conflicts between SNA and civilians broke out in lower Shabelle.

Indeed it was a major eyeopener that Mogadishu was unable to clearly and swiftly punish those instigating violence and to quickly impose a curfew in these towns. Instead the fight was raging close to a month and allowed Al Shabaab to meddle and influence the fighting clans to "make peace". The government had to move the whole army to the outskirts of the town, basically admitting these uniformed men were bandits, and that the only way for peace to prevail in places such as Jowhar was expelling every soldier.

                                                               Humiliation for Mogadishu, propaganda victory for Al Shabaab

 

The incompetence that Mogadishu displayed was not easy to swallow. As a consequence the military officials faced no reprimanding or disciplinary action. Indeed there was no one taking the blame for this massive display of institutional failure in the SNA. We must ask ourselves then, if Mogadishu is unable to exert power over the army, let alone reform it. How will the federal government ever disprove critics that it can not govern the rest of the country?

Unless action is taken to tackle these problems, the country will be dependent on AMISOM for the foreseeable future.

How to spot Al Shabaab sympathisers on social media

Today's globalized world has given us so many benefits, one of those benefits is the internet, or more precisely, social media. With the technologies of today we can share ideas, laughter and news between our friends, relatives or complete strangers.

I personally use my time on social media to mostly discuss Somali issues with other like minded Somalis. It inevitably leads to discussions about Somalia and the misery that plagues the country. The misery of course being Al Shabaab. I find asking myself, the war that the terrorists have waged in Somalia started many years ago, but when did the war against the global Somali diaspora begin?

We do know that initially Al Shabaab desired to target diaspora Somalis with their terrorist propaganda for the purpose of recruitment. This of course eventually failed. The whole approach to global terrorism has indeed attracted more foreigners than actual Somalis. This is an important point. Somalis that deeply appreciate their cultural and religious heritage as well as their unique history will not find any favor with Al Qaeda and the charcoal fueled terrorists. 

This does not mean that some gullible Somalis did not swallow the lies that were fed to them by the terrorists. These type of Somalis can be very staunch supporters of the Shabaab and its war ideology, but would be easily mistaken for moderates if you only took a glance at their accounts.

They are somewhat subtle and not very direct as you would expect from staunch Al Qaida supporters. Therefore it is important to expose and educate Somalis that believe terrorism against Somali civilians can be excused or worse, forgiven. It is for this purpose i believe it is important i explain to the best of my abilities how to spot and confront the Al Shabaab sympathisers on social media. 

                                 

                                          Discuss with the suspected sympathiser 

If you suspect someones sympathies lies with Al Shabaab, then your first action should be to open up a discussion. Ask this person relevant questions regarding Al Shabaab and the terror they daily commit in Somalia. Sharing articles and pictures that illustrate the violence they commit daily is helpful in getting the discussion started. If the person at one point states that he/she believes Al Shabaab should get amnesty and that they "after all are Somalis", that person is at this point a confirmed sympathiser.

                                          Look at the suspected sympathisers history

If the person has rejected the discussion and doesn't wish to engage, then you should calmly respect that decision. The other way to learn about this persons attitude toward Al Shabaab is to have a look at his/hers posts or tweets relating to Somali politics. It is not unusual to find Somalis that express anger with the Somali government for having such a lax attitude regarding corruption, security and other issues. 

This in itself is not indicative of someone supporting Al Shabaab. However if that same person believes that only Al Shabaab is a credible alternative to the government, then you are obviously dealing with a Sympathiser.

                                                               "It's AMISOM"

Perhaps one of the most common arguments used by sympathisers is that the AMISOM deployment to Somalia is the reason Al shabaab wrecks havoc in the country. This argument is false and should be confronted head on. Every Somali person that is not currently suffering Alzheimer's knows that the stated reason for AMISOM entering Somalia was because of the threat Al Shabaab posed to nearby countries. The bombings and kidnappings occurring in Kenya before the deployment of their forces is one such example. 

                                         Take action against the sympathisers

 Once you have confirmed that this person is a sympathiser for Al Shabaab, you should take the following actions.

• Shame the sympathisers and make them fully aware that you don't tolerate their views.
• Discredit the sympathisers petty arguments, and counter them with the truth.
• Inform the sympathisers own Somali followers that this account supports terrorism against Somalis.

I hope this has helped you understand how to keep your fellow Somalis safe from enemy propaganda. Help mentally liberate your fellow Somalis on social media.

Federalism in Somalia :State sponsored tribalism

Government's come in all ideologues and stripes,Communism, Capitalism, Libertarianism, Socialism and many other ideologues can be the state ideology that government's derive their laws from. However all government's in the world do have at least one basic rule that will stay the same no matter what ideology the state chooses to represent. That one rule is to keep the people the government is tasked to preside over united and in peace with each other at all costs. This is important because a divided people means a divided country, and of course a divided country is a weak country.

Where does Somalia fit into this context? It does not. Somalia is wrecked by war and tribalism as well as religious extremism. Self interest and blatant corruption in the part of politicians at the local, regional & state level is rampant. The government's duty which was to implement measures that can unite the country and its people beyond clan rhetoric has not been achieved. Remarkably they are doing very well with implementing the opposite.

Today Mogadishu is not pursuing unity through common citizenship. But division through "one rule for me and another for you". It is indeed odd that a government is pursuing the division of its people, which brings nothing but hate and disunity. Somali residents in Baidoa and Kismayo as well as other parts of the country are being told by Mogadishu that they dont have any government and that they should create one.

But it is not just Mogadishu that is pursuing the federalism disaster. It is indeed being pushed by discredited local politicians/criminals and diaspora cretins who unfortunately lack critical understanding of what division achieves. The popular argument that proponents of federalism use is that everything being "centralized in Mogadishu" is not beneficial for them.

First lets dispel the inaccuracy in stating that a unitary state centralizes wealth, it does not, it only centralizes governmental power. Secondly the very same argument they are pushing can only be said true of towns such as Hargeisa and Garowe. I urge every truth seeking person to visit any other area in the north that is developed at all. The beautiful red sea town of Berbera for example, has all its old plants including the famous cement plant rotting and decaying.

Because in 22 years the secessionists have not cared at all for development or creation of jobs.The port in Berbera for example is only efficient because of the modernization under Siad Barre, and to this day it provides income to secessionist politicians who hate the "faqash".

My argument is that these "regional" tribal government's dont spread any wealth or distribute anything other than the enclaves their "government" reside in. Thus it makes a mockery of their argument that they want to develop "their lands". It all comes down to power and power hungry politicians do not aid the masses in Somalia.

Mogadishu's acceptance of  tribal federalism is only going to hurt Somalia's future. The future problems might include restrictions on migration within the country, with additional rules and regulations. A somali woman from Bosaso might not be able to visit Hargeisa without first having a visa issued 30  days prior. This and many other nightmare scenarios might be the consequences of state enforced federalism. 

Somalia and the secessionists, why we are losing.

Whenever the country Somalia is discussed, it inevitably always leads to a political discussion about which direction the country is taking, could have taken, took and of course should not take. There you have a myriad of different opinions, some masquerading as facts from opinionated Somalis who believe they have a stake in the direction the country takes.

Now i believe there is nothing wrong with discussing with your political opposites. There is nothing wrong with a secular accepting to debate someone who wants sharia as a source of legislation, or a Nationalist discussing the role of tribal elders with a confessed tribalist. No, that is healthy and maybe even an advantageous step to take. However there must be limits to what you can debate and discuss for the sake of maintaining the integrity of the banner you hold.

Today, Somalia's federal government is not abiding to this rule, indeed they are discussing the partition of Somalia with secessionist provocateurs. To grant your enemies a platform and your own valuable time is to grant them legitimacy. That is the keyword here, legitimacy, because the secessionist administration that is currently seated in Hargeisa is severely lacking it. The foreign countries and indeed Somalia's enemies have had to concede to the fact that only the Somali federal government has the right to decide who secedes and what is taken from Somalia. Granted having a bunch of foxes guarding a hen house is not the most assuring picture for any of us.

However even Mogadishu must know that giving power away does not lead to increase in power, it decreases. Hassan Sheiks and the government he presides over have blatantly and shamefully disregarded the nationalists in the northern town Buhoodle and beyond who have waved the flag and the banner that says anything but secession. However our leaders in Mogadishu, our competent twitter savvy leaders, have not come to the aid to our brothers and sisters in rhetoric or physical assistance in their time of need.

The past meetings between Somalia & the secessionist provocateurs in Istanbul was a cruel joke. There were wild claims being made by the secessionist so called "officials" that their theft of land was being considered legitimate by Mogadishu and that the "separation" was imminent. These were obvious lies, but that did not matter as they already generated much circulated propaganda thanks to the tribal somali media and the largely silent government. The damage was done.

Despite Mogadishu being in favor of the talks, they never once publicly explained what their aim was. Yes there was the repetitive slogan "We will bring them back to unity", but no specific demands nor requirements were put to the secessionists by Mogadishu. In other words, the republic's delegation were not prepared for anything other than sitting like good school boys and listening to the demands of the secessionists.

Even worse we rewarded their despicable behavior with announcing the air space of Somalia being handed over to these thieves. Thankfully the parliament intervened and invalidated such deals, and for good reason.

There are fundamental question (s) we must ask ourselves, is there an enemy from within that detests the Somali republic so much that they willingly and deliberately sabotaging our chances to reclaim the north?, Does the president believe that strength come through concession's with no returns? Will we see more of this in the next meeting in Istanbul?