Somalia, Sheikh Sharif, Sheikh Aweys, Eritrea, Abyssinia, and the US

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
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[ Posted On: 2008-06-12 ]

News coming from various Eastern African capitals and reports published in two leading Somali portals, namely Qaranimo and Mareeg, make state of an explosive situation in the aftermath of the signature of the Djibouti agreement between the Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia.

According to converging information, Zakariya Mahmud, ARS deputy chairman, has revealed that the ARS will hold a meeting next week to make a decision to dismiss ARS chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad from his post and appoint a replacement to him. Even worse, president Isias Afeworki has reportedly phoned to Sheikh Sharif in Djibouti, warning him from taking part the peace but Sharif rebuffed to accept. Sources reveal that Isias Afawerki has threatened to Sharif of premeditated killing against him. The situation risks fueling much wider discord and troubles than the recently signed agreement. We will publish both reports, but before that we will express some thoughts for all parts engulfed in the Red Sea maelstrom.

Somalia

As all the aforementioned recent developments concern mainly the efforts of reconciliation, reunification, re-pacification and rehabilitation of Somalia, we have to start with Somalia. After many years of discord, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed took a groundbreaking and very brave decision to work under the UN auspices with TFG so that an agreement be reached and free elections be held.

What all ARS members must bear in mind is that, by doing so, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed does not help in anything TFG but Somalia first, and ARS second; if peace prevails now, and trust starts being built among Somalis of all tribes from the border of Djibouti to the Kenyan borderline, only Somalia will win. Under the terms of the agreement, the principal, the main, the historical enemy of Somalia, the Abyssinian army will move out of the Somali South, and this is the main TFG preoccupation, as much as ARS task is to terminate the hostilities against TFG authorities, soldiers, police and representatives.

All ARS members must realize that if everything goes ok, and elections are held next year in the liberated and reunified Somalia, TFG and pro-Western Somalis (mainly emanating from the Diaspora) will have meager chances to win the elections. So, the winner is Somalia first, and ARS second.

The Formation of an Inner Opposition in the ARS: a Solution for All

Of course, those who disagree with this option must express their opinion and make it known. They should even shape an opposition wing within ARS, thus helping all, namely Somalia, ARS, and themselves. Why the formation of an inner opposition will help Somalia?

This is simple; with the agreement implemented, the Abyssinian soldiers will be out, a Conference for the rehabilitation of the country will pump money, and elections will offer the Somalis the possibility to choose those they find as better representatives and more competent for the rehabilitation project that will certainly take 10 years.

Through the formation of an inner opposition in the ARS, Somalis – and more particularly the Somali Islamists - will show to the entire world that they are not terrorists, and that today's Somalia reflects a long tradition of democratic, equalitarian and rightful political culture of Somali character.

At the same time, the formation of an inner opposition in the ARS will help Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed portray himself as a modern, tolerant, democratic an courageous leader of the Somali Center, a leader who can be trusted by global institutions and world governments.

Drawing a modern Somali portrait is essential in convincing the world that the National Somali Resistance against the rapacious, revengeful and malignant Abyssinian Anti-Somali elite has nothing to do with Islamic Terrorism and Al Qaeda.

Either they agree with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed or not, either they believe he will mark a success in bringing peace and unity to Somalia or not, all those opposing the Djibouti agreement must understand that for their sake they have to ceaselessly portray Meles Zenawi as the step brother of Ossama Bin Laden.

They must not think that everything is irreversibly decided upon and ultimately shaped or that nobody can change his/her mind. All change, and there is nothing permanent but God and the Virtues He projected among human beings, mainly by sending Prophets to reveal these Virtues to all of us.

After some months, America may have a totally different administration; America (under the most loathed mask of Jendayi Frazer) was an enemy; America with the smile of Obama Barack may be a friend.

Why creating enemies without reason, just out of an erroneous and naïve perception of the world?

Demonizing America is Evil, Freemasonic, and Anti-Islamic.

The thought that America is genuinely evil is not only wrong and anti-Islamic; it is viciously inhuman. It only helps third world anti-Islamic tyrants create a false dualism that helps them survive to the prejudice of their peoples and even more so to the detriment of Islam.

In fact that thought is evil and freemasonic; produced in and exported from France and the Apostate Freemasonic lodge, it made the round of the world. If our world is sinful according to the Islamic Virtues and Values, it is also sinful for irrationally and intentionally demonizing a country.

The thought that God will destroy America because America is an unjust, arrogant and patronizing country is Anglo-French Freemasonic compilation projected among ignorant and uneducated sheikhs as pseudo-divine inspiration.

The humanly and islamically correct thought in this regard would be to understand that, since God is as powerful and omnipotent as believed to be by all true believers, even if today's America "is an unjust, arrogant and patronizing country", God certainly has the power to turn this country to a just, modest and sensible country. God does not need to destroy in order to rectify, and in many cases there was no destruction but peaceful rectification in a country or part of the world.

Only Nuance will Save Somalia

Consequently, all those among ARS who currently disagree with Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and all those who have doubts about his ability to mark a success must demarcate themselves from him, but at the same time they must give him the necessary space of time so that he brings forth the expected results.

Instead of breaking down ARS – which will have no impact on Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and no effect on the TFG – ARS agreement – and instead of further isolating themselves from the pacification process that started already, the guys around Zakariya Mahmud, ARS deputy chairman, and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, must shape an opposition formation within ARS, signal their opposition, and – clearly understanding the need of nuance in politics – stop short of offering Jendayi Fraser and Meles Zenawi an unexpected success.

As they stay in Asmara, they are exposed to various suggestions and influences; this is only normal. But it would also be normal that they move from Asmara and settle in Cairo, Sanaa, Muscat or Daressalam. Under any circumstances, people like Zakariya Mahmud must first think as Muslims and as Somalis; they must not make the same mistake that other Somalis made, trusting the filthy lies of the Abyssinians, and ended up in fratricidal war against other Somalis.

Whom does a Muslim and a Somali have to trust first?

One could ask these guys a very simple question:

• - How you, Zakariya Mahmud and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, as Muslims trust first president Afeowrki, a Christian, and not Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a Muslim?

• - How you, Zakariya Mahmud and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, as Muslims trust first president Afeowrki, an Eritrean, and not Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a Somali?

For any Somali, it is not possible to trust an Eritrean (assumingly of good intentions) more than a Somali; the truth is allover the world the same.

To what extent have the guys around Zakariya Mahmud and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys speculated about the possible reasons for the suggestions they may hear in Asmara against the Djibouti agreement?

What if the nucleus of these suggestions is good for another country (namely Eritrea) and bad for Somalia? Or are they so hopeless, penniless and jobless that they just repeat words that ensure their salaries?

And if you work, even without knowing it, for a plan that is good for another country and bad for your own nation, does it truly matter whether the other country is Abyssinia, Eritrea or the US? Are you or are you not a traitor in this regard – even without knowing it?

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys – in the path of Riyaale?

And to just hypothesize, what if president Afeworki puts them all on a boat, drops them with some food and some weapons to a harbour (does it make sense whether it is Ras Hafun or Kismayu?), and helps them control a sizeable territory where they succeed to establish an Islamic Republic of Somalia that becomes another reason for further Somali split?

Is this relevant of fantasy? Not at all! Even Meles Zenawi would prefer a further splitting of Somalia (he would only try to contain that Eritrean puppet state - this would be enough) than the Djibouti agreement.

What then?

Is it just personal and Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys wants to become the president of Somali state spanning over – let's say – 10% of Somalia's national territory? But this is not difficult at all; this is precisely what the Abyssinians would like, and president Afeworki can deliver. But....

Then, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys would be a late, bad, and degraded picture of president Riyaale (not Rayaale) of.Somaliland, whom Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys considers as a traitor.

But if two people do harm to their country, acting in the same way, why the first is and the second is not a traitor?

Eritrea

Eritrea has created a great number of hopes about a new style of African countries; still the record is poor. The ongoing strife with Abyssinia did not help much. To counterbalance the aggressive totalitarian neighbor, Eritrea helped many liberation fronts from lands occupied by Abyssinia, notably Oromia and Ogaden. More recently, Eritrea helped bring together various Somalia formations, and thus became the birthplace of ARS. So far so good!

But further interference is not the trait of a young African nation's diplomacy and/or presidency; it is the mark of a NATO general screaming and ordering directives to a subordinate country's frightened colonels (Greece was treated like that in the period 1967 – 74, and was not alone in experiencing such behaviours that are reminiscent of Cold War times).

Perhaps, the advanced relations between Eritrea and Libya backfired to some extent. Libya is not an example, particularly for African countries. The extraordinary oppression of the native Berbers by the Pan-Arabist regime of Qadhafi can only be an omen ominous for Eritrea.

Eritrea cannot possibly have a say in the Somali affairs; and none else except the Somalis can. If Eritrea can help, as it did in 2007, this is perfect and it will bring fruits; anything more will immediately backfire, and there is nothing to prove that Eritrea will be among the winners. The Anti-US rhetoric must stop, because America can and will change – soon!

Except, the professional anti-Americanism can help us identify the possible supporters of president Afeworki, namely the Apostate Anglo-French Freemasonic lodge that controls colonial England and France. If this proves correct, it will irreparably destroy the fame of the otherwise anti-colonial president of Eritrea.

There is simpler: if Eritrean interference creates problems to the Somalis, who can say that American interference is necessarily worse? And if some Somalis can freely speak to Eritrean officials, who dares say that other Somalis have no right to speak to American officials?

I would rather suggest to all Eritrean authorities to better assess their internal affairs, implement a multipartite, democratic system, open some universities, help as much as they can opposition parties and liberation fronts in other countries, and stop short of interfering in them.

Puppets are untrustworthy allover the world; either supported by Washington or backed by Asmara.

The world needs moral standards not filthy politics; anyone involved in the latter will lose; either he controls Washington or he is in charge of Asmara.

Opposition Alliance to Meet Next Week to Dismiss Sheikh Sharif

Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - In a fresh escalation of differences within the Somali opposition Alliance [for the Re-liberation of Somalia, ARS], which has its headquarters in the Eritrean capital Asmara, Zakariya Mahmud, ARS deputy chairman, has revealed that the ARS will hold a meeting next week to make a decision to dismiss ARS chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad from his post and appoint a replacement to him.

In a statement by telephone from Asmara, Mahmud said that "the ARS Central Committee will meet next week to put an end to Sheikh Sharif's betrayal of the ARS principles, cancel the unilateral decisions he has made, and reject the stances he has taken, which are opposed to the ARS policy.

"This is the first time a prominent official of the ARS has publicly confirmed the intention to dismiss Sharif from his post. It is to be recalled that Shaykh Hasan Tahir Oweys, a leading figure in the ARS and former leader of the Islamic Courts, told Al-Sharq al-Awsat recently that there is an intention within the ARS to sever Sharif's link to the ARS. Sharif has not held any meeting with the ARS members for the past three months.

He also leveled sharp accusations at Eritrean President Isaias Afworki of attempting to control the ARS and to use it to serve his country's interests in the Horn of Africa. Shaykh Sharif and Sharif Hasan Adam, the dissident [former] speaker of the Somalia parliament, are leading the ARS delegation to Djibouti, currently hosting indirect negotiations between the ARS and the Somali authorities under the auspices of Ahmad Ould-Abdallah, the UN special envoy to Somalia. Zakariya Mahmud, the ARS deputy chairman, pointed out that Shaykh Sharif has ignored demands that he return to Asmara to resolve differences and explain the stand he has taken.

He noted that Sharif, who is leading the ARS delegation to the Djibouti negotiations under the auspices of the UN between the ARS and the interim Somali government, led by Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf, is no longer the ARS chairman due to his betrayal of the trust of the ARS members and because he held talks with the enemies of Somalia under US auspices. He added:

"The ARS will not recognize any agreement signed by Sharif with the Somali authorities because he has, in effect, lost both his post and the trust of the ARS members, and so he no longer represents them. We do not recognize him as the ARS chairman any more and we will overthrow him, because he has betrayed the trust and has failed to honour our constants of rejecting any peace talks with the Somali interim government or any Ethiopian official before the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces from Somalia." The Ethiopian forces invaded Somali towards the end of 2006 to enable the Somali authorities to overthrow the Islamic Courts, which then were in control of several areas in Somali, including Mogadishu, for six months.

"Zakariya Mahmud pointed out that the US ambassador to Nairobi played a key role in arranging the current Somali reconciliation meetings in Djibouti after unpublicized contacts with Sheikh Sharif without the knowledge of the ARS

He disclosed that, according to unofficial information that the ARS received from the Ethiopian ambassador to Djibouti, Sharif and some members of the ARS to the Djibouti negotiations met in secret [with the Ethiopian ambassador to Djibouti].

He said this represents "an unforgivable betrayal and an attempt to establish suspicious relations with representatives of the Ethiopian regime.

"It is to be recalled that the ARS delegation had walked out of the Djibouti negotiations because the Ethiopian ambassador was present at the venue of the negotiations, something that Zakariya described as "an exposed theatrical ploy to cover up the suspicious contacts between the two sides."

He added: "As far as we are concerned, we will not contact or meet with collaborators (in reference to the Somali authorities), or the occupiers (in reference to the Ethiopian forces) before Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has withdrawn his military forces from Somalia."

Arab and Western sources concerned with the Somali issue expect that the overthrow of Sheikh Sharif from his post as chairman of the ARS would impact the efforts being exerted by Ahmad Ould-Abdullahi, the Mauritian diplomat and the UN special envoy to Somalia, to bring about direct negotiations between the ARS and the Somali interim government.

According to the Asmara Alliance Charter, which was established last year and which comprises of Somali Islamists, secularists, parliamentarians, and dissidents, the deputy chairman of the ARS will temporarily assume the ARS chairmanship if Sheikh Sharif is actually toppled and dismissed from his post.

Sharif, the former chairman of the Executive Council of the Islamic Courts, is viewed as a moderate among the hawks of the Islamic Courts, though in the past year he held controversial talks with representatives of US President George Bush's administration in the capital Nairobi under the auspices of the Kenyan authorities.

Somalia: Afawerki intrigues to kill Sharif-Report

Intelligence reports from Eritrea say that President Isias Afawerki has got angry over the departure of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to Djibouti to join in Djibouti peace talks sources in Eritrea said.

Sources say that Isias Afwerki has phoned to Sheikh Sharif in Djibouti warning him from taking part the peace but Sharif rebuffed to accept.

The sources say that Isias Afawerki has threatened to Sharif of premeditated killing against him.

Some intelligence officers close to Eritrean president say that he warned the rest of the ARS members in Eritrea from taking part the talks.

Its yet unknown how/why Isias Afawerki is doing this act.

"He is in assassination plan against Sharif "sources close to Eritrean president told Mareeg online by phone"

Sharif has rubbished Afawerki's remarks.

Sources say that if the peace agreed to withdraw Ethiopian troops from Somalia subsequently they would invade Eritrea that might be the foremost concern of Eritrea putting in pressure on Sheikh Sharif because no attack against Eritrea could take place if the Ethiopian troops are busy with the fighting of Somalia islamists leave from Somalia.

Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and ARS chief Sheikh Sharif Ahmed signed the accord late Monday at the second of talks organised and mediated by the UN special envoy for Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah.

While some Islamist leaders and influential clan leaders joined the talks, Aweys and other Islamists stayed away, saying they would not take part unless Ethiopian troops backing government forces pulled out of Somalia.

According to the accord, Ethiopian troops would withdraw after the United Nations deployed peacekeepers from countries friendly to Somalia -- excluding neighbouring states -- within 120 days after the armistice takes effect.

It said the government would meanwhile "act in accordance with the decision that has already been taken by the Ethiopian government to withdraw its troops from Somalia after the deployment of a sufficient number of UN forces."

On May 15, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution opening the way to a gradual return of UN staff to Somalia and possibly resulting in the deployment of peacekeepers there, but did not set a timetable.

But Aweys said the new truce did not set a deadline for the pullout of Ethiopian troops, who deployed at the end of 2006 and ousted Islamists from south and central Somalia.

"The agreement does not offer a timetable of the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces. It is not clear when they will leave," Aweys added.

The Islamists have waged a guerrilla war since then, which according to international rights groups and aid agencies has left at least 6,000 civilians dead and displaced hundreds of thousands mainly from the flashpoint capital Mogadishu.

The rivals also agreed to facilitate unhindered passage of humanitarian supplies to around 2.6 million Somalis in need of urgent food aid even though similar pledge on May 16 went unheeded.

The figure is expected to reach 3.5 million by the year-end because of a prolonged drought and fast rising inflation.

But the United Nations and aid groups have scaled down operations owing to increased insecurity.

The country has been plagued by an uninterrupted civil war since the 1991 overthrow of president Mohamed Siad Barre. A string of previous peace initiatives and truce deals have failed.

The African Union has deployed some 2,600 peacekeepers deployed in Somalia -- short of the pledged 8,000 troops -- but have failed to stem the rising tide of insurgency in the nation of 10 million.

This also comes as the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia alliance based in Eritrea will hold meeting next week to dismiss Sheikh Sharif.

Zakariya Mahmud, ARS deputy chairman, has revealed that the ARS will hold a meeting next week to make a decision to dismiss ARS chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad from his post and appoint a replacement to him.
...............................................................

Mareeg News Desk
news@mareeg.com

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 51, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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