No Foreign Troop Deployment in Somalia
I have been in a lonely campaign for months arguing for the deployment of foreign troops into Somalia. Needless to say, the objective of bringing African military personnel into Somalia was to eject the warlords that kept the Somali capital and its people hostage for the last fifteen years and thus give the TFG a chance to assert its legitimate authority over the country. However, the political and security landscape have drastically changed over the past few weeks. Mogadishu is now more peaceful than it has ever been. Therefore, I do not see any convincing argument that could support the call for foreign troops into Somalia at the moment.
The new situation that has emerged in Somalia after the popular Somali Islamic Revolution needs political solutions through dialogue. The fact is that a foreign soldier with a gun will most probably receive a hostile reception in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country. Indeed, the presence of foreign army in Somalia will exacerbate the political conflict in the country thus worsen the security on the ground. The TFG must adopt a cautious approach to this issue and it must consult with all the parties concerned including the Islamic Courts before it invites foreign armies into the country. We must remember that those who courted with foreign powers were removed from power with popular force. I think there is a lesson for the TFG.