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C. Bryson Hull of the Reuters news agency writes:

Anarchic Somalia has confounded U.S. foreign policy once again, leaving Washington struggling to find a coherent approach to a state whose internal turmoil threatens to destabilise the Horn of Africa. The Bush administration appears to have realised that its “one-size-fits-all” approach to countering global terrorist threats failed in Somalia. But it is groping for an appropriate response to the new situation, diplomats and analysts say. Though overshadowed by the Middle East and Iraq, anarchic Somalia has long worried Washington because of fears its coastline — Africa’s longest — and proximity to the Arabian Peninsula could be exploited by militants posing a threat to U.S. interests and looking for a gateway into east Africa. A covert counter-terrorism initiative in which the United States threw its support behind secular warlords fighting Islamists in Mogadishu backfired spectacularly in June. The U.S. involvement actually worked to strengthen the Islamists’ hand and helped them conquer the capital, analysts say. Now with an internationally recognised interim government’s hopes of survival flagging in the face of a well-armed and organised Islamist movement, Washington’s only play so far has been to promote talks to bring the Islamists into the administration.

As I have argued here, here, and elsewhere in this blog, the Bush Administration’s foreign policy towards Somalia is at best, counter-productive and at worst destructive!

Click here to view the full article on Reuters.

The Reuters news agency reports:

Talks aimed at reconciling Somalia’s fledgling transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), were continuing on Monday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, under the mediation of the League of Arab States. At the same time Kenya announced that President Mwai Kibaki would on Tuesday chair a special summit of the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which will discuss the Somali crisis. IGAD, which comprises Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Somalia, mediated the reconciliation talks that culminated in the formation of the transitional government in Kenya in October 2004.

Click here to view the full report.

Foreign interference and the presence of foreign forces on Somali soil, some of whom are already there, is a recipe for another civil war, instead of the pursuit of reconciliation and reconstruction.

Ibrahim Hussein Addow,
Leader of Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union Delegation
Khartoum, Sudan.

I agree!

The International Heard Tribune reports:

Sudan Negotiators for Somalia’s transitional government and its Islamist rivals met face to face behind closed doors Sunday for key talks in the Sudanese capital on political, security and economic issues. The talks — aimed at steering Somalia away from anarchic violence and toward peace and stability — revolve around a June agreement to discuss political, security, social and economic issues as well as reconstruction, according to a copy of the agenda obtained by The Associated Press. Somali parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden was seen leading delegates from the U.N.-backed Somali government into the talks with Islamic courts representatives led by Ibrahim Hassan Adow, the group’s foreign affairs chief.
Negotiators have said they hope to discuss Cabinet positions for the Islamists and seats in Parliament as well as the transitional charter in talks that are expected to last several days.

The paper went on by saying:

Aden and Adow made no statements Sunday before going into the meeting but reaffirmed Saturday that they are committed to peace. Adow warned, however, that foreign interference in Somalia would be “a recipe for the renewal of civil war,” alluding to reports that Ethiopian troops had taken up position in three Somali towns.

As I have argued endless times in the past, I do not really understand the point of wasting time talking with the failed TFG and its Ethiopian Viceroy; Col. Cabdullahi Yuusuf Axmed! Now, what will Col. Cabdullahi Yuusuf offer to the ICU or to the Somali people in return for allowing him to continuing as a head of state? The answer to the question is simply NOTHING! Yes, I am aware of the fact that the Colonel has threatened to help full Ethiopian invasion of Somalia if he is asked to leave power and go home to Addis Abba. However, I do not think that there is anyone in Somalia today who is taking that threat very seriously other than the Colonel himself!

Having said that, I think, it is wise of the ICU leaders to show that they mean peace and that they are willing to talk to anyone in order to end the tragic political conflict in our beloved country. Nonetheless, no one should be under any illusion about the outcome of the inane talks in Sudan. It is just a farce!

Click here to view the full report on the IHT.

Rupert Murdoch’s FOX News reports:

Top African military officials are studying a proposal to send a 3,500-strong peace force by October to Somalia, where an internationally recognized government appears increasingly weak in comparison to and its fundamentalist Islamic rivals. Officials said Thursday that four battalions, made up of Ugandan and Sudanese troops, will be trained in Kenya before being deployed in an initial phase to the conflict-ridden country, African military experts told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media.

I think it is a huge political mistake to bring unwelcome African foreign troops into Somalia. Indeed, it will do more harm than good. Col. Cabdullaahi Yuusuf and the TFG cannot and should not be forced into the throats of the Somali people. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of the Somalia people refused to accept the legitimacy of the failed TFG.

Many people including myself have argued endlessly in the past that the TFG could function as a transitional government that could potentially pave the way for a more permanent political settlement for Somalia. Well, we were wrong and as it turned out the people of Somalia knew what is good for them better than any one else!

Now, let me tell you why I believe the deployment of foreign troops into Somalia is very bad idea. First, neither Kenya nor Ethiopia is an honest peace broker that cares about the well being of the Somali people and Somalia. On the contrary, the fact is that neither Kenya nor Ethiopia want emergence of strong and united Somalia. They want fragmented, weak, and disintegrated Somalia surrounded by strong Christian countries with Western political, economic and military support. The reason is that both countries annexed Somali regions illegally and they are afraid that strong future Somali government will revive Somali Nationalism and the noble idea of Greater Somalia including NFD and Western Somalia (Ogaden). I do believe that one of the reasons why the Somali peace process has failed thus far is the fact that both Kenya and Ethiopian were on the driver’s seat. In my opinion, the Somali political conflict need more honest peace brokers, preferably from the Arab and Islamic countries!

Second, the TFG is no more as it collapsed under its weight with cabinet ministers and federal MP’s deserting everyday by their dozens. The question is why would any body care to protect disgraced bunch of warlords, murderers and tribal chiefs with myopic political agenda that are doing nothing other than continuing endless political bickering among themselves? Democracy dictates the supremacy of the political will of the people. And the political will of the Somali people seems to be somewhere else at the moment!

Third, the Somali people will not like Ethiopian or Kenyan troops patrolling their towns and villages imposing illegitimate rulers that are protecting foreign interests that are detrimental to the well being of Somali Nation as a whole. Needless to say, any troops from those countries will most likely aggravate current political conflict in Somalia. As result, the security situation in the country will worsen!

Why put more gasoline on flaming fire?

Bottom-line: there is no rational argument for deploying foreign troops from Africa into Somalia!

Click here to view the full dispatch on FOX News.

The Irin News reported yesterday that:

After initially refusing to take part in peace negotiations, Somalia’s transitional government and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which controls the capital Mogadishu, have agreed to resume talks in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, officials said. “We have decided to participate in the talks in the interest of the people,” Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the UIC chairman, said on Tuesday. The two sides announced their participation after meeting a Kenyan delegation to the country, led by Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula, on Monday.

Personally, I do not understand what difference a “talk” between the collapsed TFG and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) will make? I mean, the ICU control the most strategic parts of the country including Mogadishu and they seem to be advancing politically and militarily with an amazing speed. Meanwhile, the powerless TFG is disintegrating everyday with a serious and widening political gap between Cali Geedi and Col. Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed. More importantly, neither Cali Geedi nor Col. Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed has done anything tangible for the Somali people since they came to power almost two years ago. The fact is that Col. Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed was busy building tribal government of his own appointing former taxi drivers and waiters as ministers while Cali Geedi was unable to understand what his role as a prime Minister was really all about!

In this scenario, there is no political incentive for the ICU to even contemplate talking with the failed TFG. Without a doubt, they are the victorious party in this political and military chess game. Hence, they do not need the TFG at all. However, some have argued that the “Western” powers could isolate them if they succeed to take over the entire country and as a result incapacitate any future government by ICU. Therefore, the ICU should try to talk to the TFG in order to reach power sharing agreement that could potentially pave the way for a coalition government.

I do not believe that this is an argument worth any consideration at all. There are several reasons for my out right rejection of this line of argument. First, neither Cali Geedi nor Col. Cabdullaahi Yuusuf is popular with the West. Second, as I argued before, The ICU made several important political signals indicating that they were willing to address U.S. security concerns in Somalia. Indeed, the initial U.S. policy regarding the ICU did not seem hostile at all. However, the fact that Sheikh Dahir Aways is appointed to very prominent and politically powerful position complicates the matter somewhat. Third, the overwhelming majority of the Somali people are at the moment with the ICU politically and militarily if need be.

In short, the ICU is increasing looking like the legitimate power in Somalia while the TFG is seen by the fast majority of the Somali people as bunch of murderers, warlords and tribal chiefs bickering endlessly among themselves with NO one around to listen them.

Can any sane person tell me why the ICU would waste time talking with those folks? They must push on and liberate the rest of the country including the northern and eastern regions!

Click here to view the full dispatch on Irin News.

The Reuters news agencies reports:

Islamist fighters in Somalia have seized two coastal towns and vowed to rid the area of piracy that has made the country’s Indian Ocean waters some of the most dangerous in the world, residents said on Sunday. The militiamen met little resistance and there were no immediate reports of casualties as they moved into Harardheere, a town 400km (250 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu on Saturday, before advancing north to take Eldher a day later. “We have to secure the town and its surroundings,” one Islamist commander, who did not give his name, told a crowd of residents in Harardheere. “Piracy is a crime.” Fighters loyal to the country’s Islamic courts movement seized Mogadishu and a strategic swathe of southern Somalia in June. They oppose the interim government, based in the provincial town of Baidoa, and threaten its limited authority. Many on the coast applauded the Islamists’ arrival. “Now we will be free fishermen,” said Abdi Warsame, a fisherman in Harardheere. Piracy is a lucrative offshoot of a trade in smuggled drugs, weapons and people by Somalia’s powerful warlords.

Well, Somali pirates did indeed commit serious violation against the international maritime laws and regulations. However, they help to thwart international criminals that looted marine resources from the Somali coast. In short, their crimes help protect the Somali coast and that’s is not a bad thing for the Somali people!

Click here to view the dispatch on the AlertNet.

Mike Clough writes an opinion article on the Los Angeles Times and says:

(…) Somalia is on the brink of becoming the fourth front in the U.S. war on terror. As in Afghanistan, Iraq and in Lebanon, the U.S. is allied in some way against radical Islamic fundamentalists. The Islamic Courts Union, a growing alliance of Islamic militants, recently routed U.S.-backed warlords and took over Mogadishu. It seeks to oust a transitional federal government, which is supported by the African Union but controls only the town of Baidoa. On the sidelines is the U.S.-backed regime in Ethiopia that is eager to lead the battle against the Islamists, who may have ties to Al Qaeda. (…) In many ways, this latest front in the war on terror is the culmination of nearly 30 years of alternating Washington policy blunders and neglect in the Horn of Africa. That history has left the U.S. with few good options in a worsening situation. U.S. missteps in the region date to 1977, when policymakers tacitly — and foolishly — encouraged Somalia to take advantage of political instability in the Ethiopian capital and grab control of Ethiopia’s Somali-inhabited Ogaden region. The move backfired when Soviet and Cuban troops rushed in to defend the Marxist regime in Addis Ababa, turning Ethiopia into Moscow’s staunchest ally in Africa. In response, Washington armed Mohamed Siad Barre’s thugocracy in Somalia.

Mike Clough concluded by saying:

With a growing likelihood of war in the Horn of Africa, Bush has little maneuvering room. He could accept the emergence of an anti-American Islamist Somalia. He could back Ethiopian intervention on the side of the transition government in Baidoa, which would lead to a bloody war. Or he could try to persuade another African government to militarily support the transitional government. None of these are particularly appealing, even when practical. This time, Somalia doesn’t seem to be going away.

I do not believe that more U.S involvement, the kind of political and military involvement Mike Clough seems to favor would have made any difference at all. The fact is that, the “Right Wing” bullish U.S foreign policy advocated by Mike Clough and his like-minded folks is at best counter-productive and at worse destructive as the catastrophic military adventure in Iraq proves beyond any doubt. Indeed, the failed U.S. clandestine military involvement made things more complicated in Somalia by helping popular political upraising that propelled the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) to higher political ground.

I believe strategic U.S. interests can best be achieved by talking to the leaders of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia. The ICU made several important political signals indicating that they want to address U.S. security concerns in Somalia. The U.S. should not blindly refuse to engage Somalia’s new rulers exclusively on unrealistic ideological grounds that is based on dogma rather reason and realpolitik!

I do not believe that ICU is hiding “terrorists” in their camps as some “Right Wing” political commentators (propagandists) would like us to believe!

Click here to view the full article on the LA Times.

C. Bryson Hull of the Reuters News Agency writes:

Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, a veterinarian thrust into office two years ago, finds himself clinging to power in the Horn of Africa nation. But whether he stays or goes, many believe he is the pivotal figure in deciding the fate of his fragile administration — the 14th attempt to restore central rule since Somalia fell into anarchy in 1991 after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted. After narrowly surviving a no-confidence vote on July 30, Gedi must name a streamlined cabinet by Monday and deliver on a plan of action to be reviewed in three months under a deal brokered with President Abdullahi Yusuf on Sunday. “Whether he stays is not important. It is whether he creates a competent cabinet,” legislator Abdullahi Haji said in Baidoa, the government’s temporary capital and only stronghold at home.

Interesting perspective… worth reading!

Click here to view the full analysis on the AlertNet.

Eben Kaplan, Assistant Editor, Council on Foreign Relations writes:

Courts imposing sharia (traditional Islamic law) have been active in Somalia since the mid-to-late 1990s. In a nation that has been largely anarchic for the last decade and a half, these courts became increasingly popular because they demonstrated their ability to provide some semblance of order. By early 2005, eleven of these tribunals had joined the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), a network aimed at expanding their influence within the country. Somali business leaders, many of whom fund their own private militias, began providing financial and military backing to the ICU in hopes that the Islamists could bring wider stability. With this support, the ICU’s area of control spread from the central region of Somalia south toward Mogadishu, the capital. On June 5, 2006, the ICU claimed control of Mogadishu from a coalition of warlords calling themselves the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT). Though sporadic fighting continued for several weeks, by July 15, the ICU had secured control of the entire capital.

Interesting perspective but the authors lacks deeper knowledge on Somali politics and culture. More importantly, as a Jewish, the author shows hostile attitude towards Islam.

Click here to view the full article on the Council of Foreign Relations website.

The Reuters News Agency reports:

Somalia’s interim cabinet has been dissolved and a new one will be appointed within a week, President Abdullahi Yusuf said on Monday. “The bloated cabinet of (Prime Minister) Ali Mohamed Gedi’s government did not do anything during its tenure,”Yusuf told parliament. “From today onwards, the government has been dissolved, only the prime minister will remain”

Well, this should not surprise anyone at all. The TFG collapsed long time ago and Col. Cabdullahi Yuusuf has been trying hard to resuscitate a lifeless government that nobody really cares about. He has also been trying hard to distance himself from Cali Geedi and the rest of failed cabinet in a futile attempt to save himself from eminent political onslaught from the Somali Islamic Courts’ Union. I do not believe that Col. Cabdullahi Yuusuf will be able to fool anyone other than himself!

Cabdullaahi Yuusuf had amble opportunities to find lasting political solutions to Somalia’s tragic civil war. The fact is that he failed and he failed miserably on everyone’s eyes! Hence, he is part of Somalia’s biggest problems not part of the solution as he mistakenly believes to be. Therefore, Somalia will be better of if he goes to where he really belongs; Addis Abba! His biggest political aspiration seems to have been to be an Ethiopian Viceroy in Somalia and he did indeed succeed doing that to some extend even though it may not have been long enough for him.

As I have written many times on this page, there is no viable alternative to the rule of the Islamic Courts Union! They must be given a chance to show what they are capable of doing! They succeeded to clean Mogadishu from the tyrany of warlordism. I am sure they will be able to clean the rest of the country including the northern and easter regions!

Click here to view the full dispatch on Reuters.

The Eritrea Daily Newspaper (Online Edition) reports:

Twelve more ministers walked away from the Western-backed weak interim government of Somalia Tuesday, raising fears of imminent collapse of the government, said reports from the area. Minister of Minerals and Water Mohamud Salad Nur and three other assistant ministers announced their resignation less than a week after 18 senior officials also quit, dealing a blow to the fragile interim government. Eight more ministers and assistant ministers later resigned after Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi called for peace talks with rival Islamists, scheduled for this week, to be postponed. “We had no option but to resign because we believe if the talks are postponed again it will affect the reconciliation efforts,” Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Hassan Abshir Farah told Reuters. “Gedi’s government is unpopular among most members of parliament and its work plans will not be accepted by the national assembly,” Water and Mineral Resources Minister Muhamoud Salat Nur told reporters Tuesday.

Let’s face it; there is no viable alternative to the Islamic Courts Union. Hence, they must be allowed to take over the executive branch of the government. The Federal parliament should stay for the time being as a transitional body while the ICU consolidates the control of the country including the northern and eastern regions. Col. Cabdullaahi Yuusuf should go where he belongs; Adis Ababa! Cali Geedi can be allowed to stay in the country and work on animal “behinds”.

However, both of them should stand trial for treason once peace is restored through out our beloved country! Anyone who dares to betray the Somali Nation should not go unpunished! Period!

Click here to view the full report on Eritrea Daily.

Dr. Jendayi Frazer; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs was quoted as saying:

Very clearly the transitional federal institutions are considered the legitimate entities for government and they need to have some type of defense.

Dr. Fraser went on by saying:

We as a matter of urgency need to consider the request for some type of force to come in and train up those transitional federal institutions. That’s the best way to keep out these more immediate neighbours.

I agree with Dr. Frazer that federal institutions have some limited political legitimacy. I also agree with her that in order to keep the Ethiopians out, Somalia must build strong defense force. However, I do believe that the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) should be given the benefit of the doubt and should be allowed to proceed with their relentless campaign to eliminate the tyranny of warlordism once and for all from our beloved country! They have succeeded to weed out the tyrannical warlords from the Mogadishu. As a result, life in Mogadishu is clearly getting back to normal with both the Airport and Seaport open for business. It is worth noting that neither the TFG nor the United States could ever manage to achieve what the ICU achieved with such amazing speed and less bloodshed!

It is true that the ICU did not spell out their true political agenda thus far. Understandably, this makes lots of people included my self nerves. However, I do believe that Sheekh Shariif Axmed is an honest man who has the best interest of the Somali people in his heart. Unlike the more belligerent and hard-line Sheekh Daahir Caways, Sheekh Shariif Axmed looks like a true Muslim; humble, kind, gentle and soft spoken with no ill-will to anyone.

My hope is that Sheekh Daahir Caways will step down from power for the good of the country! I also hope that the ICU will be able to put screeching halt to the secessionist madness in northern Somalia soon by uniting the country peacefully.

Click here to view the full dispatch by the AlertNet.

Speaking to reporters in London, Lord David Triesman; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of the British Foreign Office was quoted as saying:

I think it would be profoundly damaging to the interests of the people of Somalia … were he to be a leading member of government….. It would be unacceptable … for people to seize by force the government of Somalia.

Lord David Triesman went on by saying:

It would be deeply disturbing … if a force led by people who we have good reason to believe were involved with the bombing of embassies in East Africa were the leaders of that government.

I do not think that Lord David Triesman is in a moral position to preach Somalis about their political problems. The question many Somalis are asking is: were was Lord Triesman for past last fifteen years when the Somali people were butchered everyday by the warlords? He is talking like someone who just woke up from a long hibernation! If the truth is to be told, the British government and Lord Triesman were looking the Somali conflict with a blind eye. Indeed, I have sent countless number of emails to Lord Triesman and his office asking him what the British government wanted to do about the tragic Somali civil war. For the record, I never got more than a short reply saying “we are looking into the issue”!

Lord Triesman has never been a friend of the Somali people and I believe he will never be for obvious reasons! Therefore, he should leave Somalia to its people and to those others who care about their plight!

Click here to view the full dispatch on the AlertNet. You may also like to click here for more Lord Triesman and Somalia.

Mohamed Olad Hassan of the Associated Press reports:

Somalia’s virtually powerless government was unravelling as a fifth of its cabinet resigned in disgust and the administration’s Islamic rivals took over the presidential palace in the capital of Mogadishu. Eighteen key ministers in the 102-member cabinet said on Thursday their government had failed to bring peace to this chaotic African nation as it emerged from 15 years of anarchy. The leadership had no power outside its base in Baidoa, 250km from the capital. According to a letter of resignation issued by the MPs: “We have seen that the government can’t carry out national reconciliation and development.” The MPs included the ministers for domestic co-operation and for planning and international relations.

The MPs has a good point! The TFG has failed. It must disband ASAP! The warlords must be ejected from the transitional parliament.

Click here to view the full dispatch on the South African News 24.

According to the South African Mail & Guardian newspaper, Cali Geedi; the failed Somali Prime Minister was quoted as saying:

Egypt, Libya and Iran, whom we thought were friends, are engaged in fuelling the conflict in Somalia by supporting the terrorists.

Cali Geedi went on by saying:

We call for the international community to put pressure on these countries who want the problems in Somalia to continue.

This is nothing but foolish and a desperate attempt by Cali Geedi to smear friendly Arab countries that cares deeply about the plight of the Somali people. The fact is that Cali Geedi has failed as a prime minister. Hence, the current Somali political conflict will continue as long as he is still the head of the failed TFG.

He ordered the invasion of his country by a hostile force! Yet, he is saying that those who oppose his treachery against the Somali people are “terrorists”. This man must be sleeping walking in the dark!

He must resign as soon as possible. If he refused to do so he must be forced to leave. Working on animals “behind” is his chosen profession and he must go back to that! I am sure everyone will better once he does that!

Enough is enough… he gotta go period!

Click here to view the full article on the Mail & Guardian.

In an opinion piece published on today’s Kenya “Daily Nation” newspaper, Ambrose Murunga urges the Kenya government to use force in order to stop the Somali Islamic Courts to complete their quest to free the Somali people from the tyranny of warlordism.

Ambrose Murunga writes:

Kenyan intelligence agencies should be advising the political leadership against allowing the collapse of Somalia’s transitional government. The BBC reports that 20 Cabinet ministers handed tendered in their resignations yesterday.

She concluded by saying:

The Islamic Courts Union is poised to take over, and a radical, theocratic government in our neighborhood is a definite ‘No Way’. It is in the interests of our national security to prevent any such development, by force, if need be.

I think this is at best a sick joke! And at worst it is a dangerous idea from a mind hallucinating with ignorance about the geo-politics and ethnic tensions in that part of the world. Ambrose Murunga and other Kenyans must know that one third of what is now called “Kenya” is a Somali territory under illegal Bantu (Kenyan) occupation. Hence, it is a very dangerous political gamesmanship to advocate ideas that could destabilize in an already volatile region. I understand that Kenyans are very afraid that Somali people under Kenyan occupation will rebel. However preaching hatred is not will fuel more hostilities towards the Kenyans.

Somalis under Kenyan occupation must be allowed to decide their political destiny!

Following is the full piece! (more…)

Alisha Ryu of the Voice of America sent a dispatch from Mogadishu and said:

Nineteen Cabinet ministers in Somalia’s fragile secular interim government in Baidoa resigned Thursday, possibly in an attempt to facilitate a power-sharing deal with rival Islamists. Meanwhile, the Islamists strengthened their grip on power, accepting the peaceful surrender of its last rival secular militia in Mogadishu. The list of those who resigned from Somalia’s U.N.-backed but powerless Transitional Federal Government includes seven ministers, seven assistant ministers, and four state ministers. In a joint letter, the ministers complained that the government lacked transparency and accountability and its leaders had failed to work toward national reconciliation and development since the interim body was formed 19 months ago.

If true this is a courageous act of patriotism. As I wrote before, no self respecting Somali parliamentarian should operation under Ethiopian colonial rule. The TFG must disband as soon as possible so that a care taker government can be installed.

Click here to view the full dispatch by the VOA.

Kuwaiti Times reports:

A mystery cargo plane that landed in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu yesterday has triggered accusations from the interim government that it was carrying weapons from Eritrea to support rival Islamists. In only the second arrival of a plane to Mogadishu’s old international airport since Islamists re-opened it days ago, residents reported seeing a medium-sized aircraft with no recognizable identity land and unload large boxes. “Eritrea has brought to Mogadishu by airplane weapons to support the Islamists,” Somalia’s deputy information minister Salad Ali Jelle told reporters from Baidoa, the provincial base of the fragile transitional government. Islamists blocked the area near the airport to stop residents from finding out about the plane, believed to be carrying guns and explosives, the official said, citing residents’ accounts as his evidence.

The last thing Somalia needs is more arms. We have enough of them!

Click here to view the full report.

David Gollust of VOA writes:

The Bush administration is again urging the main parties in the Somalia conflict to commit to dialogue for a unity government, and it is calling on Somalia’s neighbors to avoid any actions that might complicate those efforts. The U.S. appeal followed reports Wednesday that a Kazakh cargo plane carrying arms from Eritrea for Islamic militants had arrived in the Somali capital Mogadishu, and news accounts last week that Ethiopia had sent troops to shore up the country’s transitional government based in Baidoa. Both Eritrea and Ethiopia have denied intervening in the long-running Somali conflict and officials here say they cannot verify the news reports. However, the State Department is taking the accounts seriously. At a news briefing, State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said it is important that Somalia’s neighbors avoid any actions that would make the political reconciliation process in Somalia more difficult than it already is.

To me the Bush Administrations foreign policy regarding the Somali conflict is at best incoherent and it lacks strategic focus.

Click here to view the full dispatch on the VOA.

Mohamed Sheikh Nor of the Associated Press writes:

A mysterious Russian-built cargo plane believed to be loaded with weapons landed in this capital Wednesday, setting off a fresh round of allegations that Somalia has become a proxy battleground for its neighbors Eritrea and Ethiopia. The United States and other Western powers have cautioned outsiders against meddling in Somalia, which has no single ruling authority and can be manipulated by anyone with money and guns. But there’s little sign the warning has been heeded. Somalia’s virtually powerless government charged on Wednesday that the Ilyushin-76, only the second flight to land at Mogadishu International Airport in a decade was packed with land mines, bombs and guns. It said the shipment had come from Eritrea, which supports the Islamic militia that has seized the capital along with most of southern Somalia.

It looks that, detrimental to the Somali people, that history is repeating it self. Somalia was a battle ground for ideologically based proxy wars during the Cold War era! And now what have we got? Somalia as a new frontline on the “War on Terror” and Ethiopian/Eritrean proxy wars? Can a country be so unlucky like Somalia?

Click here to view the full dispatch on the Houston Chronicle.

Following are extracts from the U.S. State Department’s daily briefing.

July 26th 2006. 12:55 p.m. DTE

TRANSCRIPT:
MR. CASEY: Okay. Afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the State Department. Don’t have any statements or announcements to start you out with, so let’s go right to your questions.

QUESTION: Let’s try something that isn’t Iraq or Lebanon. The Somalia Government, which is pretty much, quite weak, is reporting the cargo plane landing with weapons that suspect it’ll be for Islamic militants. That situation doesn’t seem to be calming down; it’s getting more precarious. Does the State Department have a view? Is this a new battleground for Islamic militants? (more…)

The Foreign Policy in Focus Magazine says:

Somalia today is very much like Afghanistan was in 1996. In the wake of years of civil war, chaotic rule by warlords, and the death and displacement of countless Muslims, a ragtag Islamic militia has moved in to take control of much of Somalia.

(more…)

The Pan-Arab Al Jazeera Television Network reports:

The leader of Somalia’s Islamist movement has rejected peace talks just hours after the country’s interim government agreed to meet in Sudan. Shaikh Hassan Dahir Aweys said the presence of Ethiopian troops sent to reinforce Somalia’s government had ruined any chance for peace. Aweys said: “Until Ethiopian troops leave Somali soil, we will never negotiate with the government.” Earlier on Tuesday, the government had agreed to attend unconditional peace talks in Khartoum.

This is a very dangerous move!

After this, the TFG becomes completely irrelevant unless of course Cabdullaahi Yuusuf asks the Ethiopians to complete their invasion through out the entire country. An impossible task if you ask me.

It is so sad to see the demise of the TFG so soon. So much time and resources were invested on its creation. However, both Cabdullaahi Yuusuf and Cali Geedi have no vision to lead the country as they could not see beyond myopic tribalist interests!

Shariif Xasan should dissolve the federal parliament as soon as possible and tell them to go home for now! A self respecting Somali parliamentarian cannot and should operate under Ethiopian occupation! Alternatively, the parliament could negotiate a peace deal the with Somali Union of Islamic Courts with the involvement of the TFG and then open the old parliament building in Mogadishu as an operational base. I am this could work well for Somalia and its people.

Bottom-line is that the TFG has failed. Hence, we must find an alternative way to govern the country!

Click here to view the full dispatch on Al Jazeera.

The leader of the Somali Union of Islamic Courts was quoted as saying:

We do not negotiate with a Government which is being helped by the enemy of Somalia.

I do not believe this is a wise move!

There should always be an open channel for a political talk between the opposing factions of the Somali bloody conflict. After all, the lives of millions of Somalis are on the line. Indeed, the future of the entire Somali Nation is at stake. Hence, we must look beyond personal difference and work for the common good of our people. Sheekh Sharif Axmed looked like a cool-headed and reasonable man and he must maintain that image by ordering his troops to move out of Bay region. He must also ask his delegates in Khartoum to resume talks with their TFG counterparts.

It goes without saying that the TFG must ask foreign invaders to leave Somali territories they captured and leave Somalia for Somalis! President Cabdullaahi Yuusuf must know that legitimate political power is something that must be earned through the collective will of the Somali people. He must stop acting like an Ethiopian viceroy! He is the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia including Western Somalia (Ogaden) which is under Ethiopian occupation!

Paul Harris of the Observer newspaper in London writes:

Somalia was edging closer to full-scale war last night as Ethiopian troops moved into a second Somali town, potentially bringing them into conflict with an Islamic militia that has taken over the capital, Mogadishu, and is seeking to spread its influence over the rest of the country. Eyewitnesses in Waajid said that about 200 Ethiopian troops had taken over the airstrip in the town yesterday morning. That follows moves last Thursday which saw Ethiopian troops take up positions in the town of Baidoa to back up Somalia’s beleaguered interim government, which is based there.

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The Reuters news agency reports:

Arab League diplomats trying to reconcile Somalia’s transitional government with the Islamic leaders who control Mogadishu met representives from both sides in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Thursday, but face-to-face discussions between the two parties were yet to take place, a member of one of the delegations said. Shaykh Bashir Adow, a member of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) delegation, told IRIN that both groups were also scheduled to meet Sudan’s President Umar el-Bashir later on Thursday. “We have had no a face-to-face meeting the TFG (Transitional Federal Government] delegation, but I expect that will happen soon,” he said. Somalia’s interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was leading the TFG delegation, which also included Prime Minister Ali Muhammad Gedi and speaker of the transitional parliament Sharif Hassan Shaykh Aden.

The Arab League and all Arab countries as well as Organization of Islamic States must intervene. They must, first and foremost condemn Ethiopian aggression on Somalia and its people. In short, Somalia must not be left alone for the Ethiopian wolves to feed!

Click here to view the full dispatch by Reuters.

The Ugandese New Vision newspaper says in an editorial:

Ethiopian troops are reported to have entered the Somali town of Baidoa as tensions continue to rise in the Horn of Africa. Though the Addis Ababa government has denied it, various reports indicate that they crossed the border into the city where the Transitional Government is based. The interim Prime Minister has, in the meantime, accused another neighbour, Eritrea, of arming the local forces. Somalia is in chaos again after a new force, the Council of Islamic Courts, took control of the capital Mogadishu, flushing out the warlords who had partitioned the country out among themselves since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

The paper went on by saying:

Now the equation has changed, with the new forces gaining ground all the time and the Ethiopians intervening. The African Union must act expeditiously to defuse a potentially disastrous powder keg. The AU must take a position on Ethiopia’s role; it must work towards reconciling the various local forces. It would be shameful for Somalia to lurch from one form of instability to another as Africa just watches.

Good talk! However, the problem is the fact that the AU is a dysfunctional organization run by depots and dictators!

Click here to view the full editorial column on New Vision.

The Reuters’News Agency reports:

Somalia’s Islamists refused talks with the government on Saturday, as witnesses said Ethiopia deployed more troops over the border to defend the government’s provincial base against an Islamist advance. A second round of talks had been scheduled to take place in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in a bid to stop an increasingly belligerent standoff between the two sides from spiraling into war. “We do not negotiate with a government which is being helped by the enemy of Somalia.” senior Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed said in a letter to Islamist delegates to the talks.

Sheekh Sharif Axmed and his group must not walkout from the negotiation scheduled to take place in Khartoum. Somalia does not need another bloody civil war that could take innocent civilian lives! Everyone must do everything they can to avert war. More importantly, the TFG must realize that it cannot achieve political legitimacy by allowing foreign invasion into the country. Indeed, if President Cabdullaahi Yuusuf and his government allows Ethiopian takeover of Somalia. They will be seen as traitors and rightly so! Hence, they must tell their Ethiopians allies to stay out of Somali territory.

Click here to view the full dispatch.