JEDDAH, 24 August — The local Somali community expressed yesterday their mixed views on what Somalia’s Transitional National Government has achieved since swearing in President Abdi Qassim Salad Hassan in August last year.
Some of the top community members working in the Kingdom suggested various steps for their country’s new regime to overcome the crisis still created by the warlords in and around the capital and to establish rule of law and lasting peace.
“After one year, the provisional government has filled Somalia’s seats in the international gatherings. Most of the Somalis are happy to see that their flag is eventually back to the air after being away for ten years,” said Abdulrahman Hariri. He said that it is good to see the Somali government trying to restore the security of the capital Mogadishu. “Uniformed police have begun to patrol the city’s dusty streets for the first time in almost a decade, and young militias have turned their guns in order to join the police force. Therefore, majority of Somali people decided to support the government instead of the foreign-backed warlords. These warmongers opposing the government have lost their influence over the nation,” said Hariri.
Bashir A. Hashi, another Somali commentator has a different view on the issue. “Somali transitional government has so far failed to accomplish its promise of resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue with the political faction leaders that rejected it. The government must reach political agreement with those opposing it in parts of the country,” he said and criticized the government saying that it has not yet carried out any plans about security and disarmament in the capital city, and has not given any attention how to open the city’s harbor and airport.
Hashi said, “The transitional administration has not issued any statement or has not taken a single step to end the recent fightings in southern port city of Kismanyo and in normally peaceful region of northeastern Puntland. Some 37 MPs have recently forwarded to the parliament a motion suggesting that the government should ask for foreign troops from friendly countries. Unfortunately, President Salad immediately concluded the meeting without justification.”
A.M. Jimale believes that foreign military intervention is Somalia’s best hope. “As it is now, the transitional government is not in a position to disarm the teeming militias. The opposition groups are not strong enough to overthrow the provisional administration. This raises the need for a foreign troops to disarm the country and prepare for a future elections,” he said.
