Somalia: Eritrea's Negative Role is Unacceptable

18 October 2009

Often, the Ethiopian government is blamed for its military interventions in parts of Somalia. Rightfully so, since Ethiopian troops occupied Mogadishu in a period (2007-2008) marked by some of the worst violence witnessed during the ongoing Somali civil war. The Ethiopian government has a genuine stake in Somali affairs, given that flames from a neighbor's burning house affects the overall political stability of the Horn of Africa region.

For Eritrea, a tiny country with 3.5 million people, the motivations for interventionism in Somalia are different and so are the tactics. That Horn of Africa rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea are fighting a "proxy war" inside Somali borders - and thereby contributing to the misery of the Somali people - is an undeniable fact. While Ethiopia supports the "secular" Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, the Eritrean government has actively armed, trained and financed Somali insurgent factions claiming to fight for an "Islamist" cause.

The recent history of Somali Islamists has been tarnished by political sub-divisions, diverse interpretation of Islamic teachings, and an overall bloodthirsty attitude that radically transformed them from the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) heroes of 2006 to today's homicidal maniacs who exact extreme punishments for small crimes and fight over land and resources, just like the clan militias of yesteryear.

When the TFG changed and new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed came to power in Jan. 2009, Ethiopia changed its strategic support for the TFG in Mogadishu and has resumed tacit support for independent militias, most notably the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a militia faction that has emerged as a military power in central Somalia, particularly Galgadud region. Ethiopia is threatened by the outward expansion of Islamist hardliners, especially Al Shabaab guerrillas, and support for groups such as Ahlu Sunnah is a way of neutralizing Al Shabaab.

But Eritrea has not changed its strategy and continues to regard the TFG as a Western plot, with Ethiopian endorsement, to take charge of Somalia and to install a pro-West regime. For Eritrea, supporting the Somali insurgents to keep its Ethiopian enemy on edge is part of a wider war with Ethiopia over control of a small border town. Publicly, the Eritrean government's message of aiming to "liberate" Somalia resonate well with most Somalis, who are disappointed with the catastrophic failures of the TFG leadership in Mogadishu. But realistically, Eritrea is playing a negative role to keep Somalia embroiled in a devastating war - which is a shame really, since the Somali government helped Eritrean rebels during their 30-year liberation war against Ethiopia.

The international community should send a strong signal to Eritrea, that fomenting wars in Somalia and supporting anti-government elements is unacceptable, since Eritrea's negative role is contrary to international efforts to help restore national order in Somalia.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200910191626.html.