I hail from your next door neighbor to the north, Somalia. And as a survivor of Africa’s second biggest genocide, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Government of Kenya and its people.
We owe a huge debt to Kenya for its kindness in helping us resettle its country as refugees. Many of us have since left Kenya for other destinations while millions still live in Kenyan refugee camps and cities.
As a result of Kenyan help in the past two decades, there is a groundswell of support for the Kenyan Government and its people over the current standoff between the so-called Somali Government that is in power in Mogadishu now and the Government of Kenya on the Jubbaland issue.
In the past several years, Kenyan’s important tourist industry was negatively affected by attacks from the terrorist al-Shabaab group.
Tourism is a highly fragile industry, and the Kenyan Government, along with its Somali tribal allies on the border between the two countries, was forced to take part in the fighting against al-Shabaab. Since the new Somali Constitution is based on federalism, the tribes on the three regions of Gedo and the two Jubbas have decided to meet and establish a regional administration.
Kenya and other IGAD member states did play only a supportive role. However, the new government in Mogadishu, whose leader was a member of the genocidal USC terror group that caused such massive destruction in Somalia in the early 1990s, has decided to oppose the meeting from the get go because of tribal hostility.
Mr. Culusow and his government have recruited the al-Shabaab in the area along with other spoilers who were sent from Mogadishu to attack the city. There were several clashes since then in which several hundred people either lost their lives or received severe injuries. Meanwhile, when the al-Shabaab-Culusow alliance have failed to take over the city from the combined Kenyan forces and their tribal allies (Kenya did not participate in this fighting, but since al-Shabaab, which has been recruited by the Somali Government, was involved in the fighting, the Kenyan Government was bound to honor its commitment in driving al-Shabaab out of the Jubbaland regions and hence should not have allowed the city to fall to its enemies, however, the new Jubbaland administration forces have singlehandedly prevailed and expelled the attackers from the city).
Since then, we have the discredited so-called Somali Government complaining to the African Union that Kenya has participated in the fighting. They now want to replace Kenyan forces with forces that are friendlier to them such as Djibouti and Uganda.
However, I would like to advice to the Kenyan Government to not allow that important region to fall to the hands of its enemies: Culusow Government-al-Shabaab alliance. To do that, would be detrimental to Kenya’s interest. In addition, to strengthening its local allies in the region, Kenya can also take the following steps:
1. Impose travel restrictions to Mr. Culusow and members of his government.
2. Freeze the assets of current Somali Government leaders. Most of them have sizable wealth in Kenya, and some have even wives and children there.
3. Restrict the freedom of movement and association of Somali Embassy staff in Nairobi. Kenya should treat them as it would a hostile nation. These folks are abusing Kenya’s hospitality by engaging in anti-Kenyan activities on Kenyan soil.
4. Monitor the movement of Somali officials who visit Kenya. Recently, there was a group of spoiler MPs who came to Nairobi to mislead the international community about the developments in Jubbaland.
I would like to assure my Kenyan friends that as a survivor of Somalia’s genocide, we (The survivors) hold Kenya and its leaders dearly. In addition, your allies-Jubbaland residents-are exercising their constitutional rights and deserve your unflinching support.
Mohamed Ismail
Published : Puntlandpost.com