The trouble with Somalia

Real problem is that leaders in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation have been surrogates of the superpowers

The trouble with Somalia- the violence-wracked Horn of Africa nation, basically revolves around the raging leadership wrangle.

It is both pathetic and unfortunate that for more than two decades, leaders in Somalia, in a vicious cycle of events, have been surrogates of the Western powers.

The surrogate and successive Somali leadership has continually been imposed on the citizenry by the superpowers, a situation that has not only been counter-productive, and to the detriment of the people, but which has failed miserably to yield positive results, and create lasting peace.

The chief executives of Somalia who have been imposed on the frustrated, disillusioned and helpless citizens have always found it prudent to dance to the whims of the big powers in the West, (and with unswerving loyalty!), for their own survival, lest they get stripped of their royalty, and made to tumble down from the pinnacle of their oval offices in a split second of a minute fraction.

Which is why all the leaders in this chaotic and troubled state have, much to the disappointment of its citizens and many in the world, failed to find a panacea to the Somalia crisis.

THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES

The crisis has continued unabated, and, like The Sword of Damocles, suspicion, hostility, mistrust, uncertainty and fear has, for ages, hung over the heads of the people of Somalia.

Why would the superpowers be against the necessity of pacifying Somalia?

The view that has consistently gained currency amongst enlightened Somali politicians and scholars is that, the superpowers have wished for a chaotic Somalia for self-aggrandizement in order to perpetuate dumping of toxic waste, as the country burns.

Whether this is true or not is matter of denial or acceptance by the powers that stand accused, but the truth of the matter is that the accusations have been flown by veteran Somali leaders.

Most leaders in Somalia have distrusted the West, and particularly the Americans, to offer protection and provide lasting peace in the troubled Somali nation.

They tend to see the superpowers as insincere in their actions as the powers have allowed war and bloodshed to persist in Somalia for far too long, thus eroding the confidence of the people.

Sadly, the superpowers are viewed as offering no genuine salvation from the raging crisis.

It is for this reason that they have been squarely on the spot, vilified for constantly imposing leaders on the people of Somalia.

MARIO PUZO

It was the renown Italian American novelist and screenwriter Mario Puzo, famed for his acclaimed and fast-paced book, "The God Father", who said:

“I don't trust society to protect us, I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them.”

Peace has been as elusive in Somalia as the scattered stars in the skies.

IDEAL LEADER

How can an ideal leader be found in Somalia?

First and foremost, Somalia needs a visionary and strategy-filled leader who strictly adheres to the cardinal tenets of transparency, accountability, patriotism, good governance and one with the creativity of conceiving great, fresh and noble ideas geared towards transforming Somalia into an ideal nation.

Above all, the international community should give the people of Somalia and its leaders a hearing without dictation.

And the Horn of Africa nation should produce a leader with the capability of convincing the western world that solutions for the myriad of problems in Somalia, should be born and bred by the indigenous Somalis themselves!

If anything, the role of the international community should only be that of facilitating the progress and/or success of Somalia’s goals.

How can the ideal leader be identified in the face of the fact that majority of Somalis are scattered, disenfranchised and out of touch with the naked realities of their motherland?

INTELLECTUALS

Somalia’s intellectuals, elders and all its various professionals in diverse fields, should come together at a round-table conference, and offer guidance and direction to where the ideal leader for Somalia should come from.

And one thing should be crystal clear!

The intellectuals, professionals and elders should shun egocentricity and the common insatiable lust for power which, for ages, has been Somalia’s undoing.

They should not be driven by selfish interests to grab positions in government, but they should serve only as a catalyst or linchpin behind the selection of the ideal leader.

The group should consist of individuals of high integrity and patriotism, and should be above tribal, nepotistic and sectarian interests.

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

They should establish the structure of the government, legally and administratively, without unfairly and unrealistically propelling any individual at the helm, for selfish interests.

The group should be independent-minded and financially independent too, and, at the same time, should avoid succumbing to the interests or wishes of the international community.

But that is not to say that it should be against financial assistance or support of any nature from the West.

Nay, far from it! It should accept genuine donations but not financial aid that comes with strings attached.

It is public knowledge that donations from the Western world are often tied with conditions.

But the way I see it is that a considerably huge chunk of the donations should emanate from well-to-do Somali’s in the Diaspora and elsewhere, and who are in business, or other lucrative trade, or profession.

This way, an admirable spirit of camaraderie and patriotism will reign in the Horn of Africa nation and enhance oneness.

Before bringing any structure into force, the group of professionals has to work towards the establishment of a strong security apparatus to make the government function effectively.

The forces, drawn from the military and the police, should be appropriately and heavily equipped with all logistical requirements.

With a strong force in place, the opinion sharpers should embark on the process of having upright Members of Parliament, the President, the Prime Minister and subsequently the cabinet.

PERFECTION

Even though perfection is an ideal, one fact is crucial and significant.

The Mps, the President, the Prime Minister and officials in the cabinet should be performers per excellence and sticklers for method, procedure and the rule of law.

They should not be people with dubious credentials. They should be people with impressive credentials.

They should not be people whose standards are wanting in any way. They should be people to measure up to expectations.

They should not be people with questionable track records. They should be people with impressive records, people who can deliver the goods effectively and people who can fulfill and shape the country’s agenda, vision and aspirations to the mark, and who cannot betray Somalia and her people.

The appointment of the Members of Parliament, the President, the Prime Minister and the cabinet officials should not be effected in an unorthodox fashion. It should be strictly on merit. That is as it should be.

Before the appointments are made in future, the Judicial system, the Supreme Court and all the administrative institutions should be put in place to ensure transparency, accountability, sound governance, respect for human rights, strengthening of the democratic culture and restoration of the rule of law.

SCIENTIST

The opinion sharpers should place the mechanism of governance under microscopic scrutiny; thoroughly, closely, surely and with an eye for detail, the way a serious scientist studies a specimen.

It is of paramount importance that there should always be proper scrutiny of the mechanism of establishing Parliament, the institutions of the Presidency and the Prime Minister, the cabinet, as well as the laws and by-laws.

At this juncture, no individual will be at the helm of leadership yet, but the professionals group should start introducing the structure to the Somalis and the international community, which, will later set the atmosphere of good governance into motion.

Even though the international community will have a crucial role to play in the establishment of the structure of governance, the real beneficiaries and owners of the structure should be the indigenous Somali’s and the group of opinion sharpers.

The current incumbent President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, who has been ruling the chaotic country since September 16, 2012, is yet to be seen as the ideal leader of Somalia.

He should first bolster unity amongst the various factions that have been warring in the past and stamp out all cases of Kleptocracy that dented the government in the past, particularly during the Sharif's regime which earned itself the notoriety of inefficiency, corruption and gross mismanagement of public affairs.

The serious situation of Somalia has been highlighted globally, regionally and locally.

Sadly, Somalia became a threat to the security of all nations, owing to instability, terrorism, sea piracy and the dumping of toxic waste into its territorial waters by the superpowers.

FAILED

The international community seems to have failed to lead by example by not taking an effective role of tackling these crucial factors which have been detrimental to international trade, peace and stability both in the region, and the rest of the world.

Former President Sharif and his government glaringly lacked the expertise and know-how of administering and salvaging their failed state.

Sharif and his political establishment became a laughing stock and an eloquent case of maladministration.

Sharif did nothing to address the ills bedeviling his country. He regarded the nagging question of Somali refugees apathetically.

Somali refugees are noticed in nearly over 30 countries in the world.

The refugees who have fled the ugly civil strife at home, are now undergoing suffering in the Central and Southern America, in the detention Centers of Panama and Ecuador, while some of them look like stateless people in Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela, Salvador, Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala and etcetera.

The current situation of Somalia calls for a global collective address of finding a solution to the crisis that will facilitate understanding throughout the region of East Africa, and later on Africa, and even to Northern America.

After the collapse of the Somalia government way back in 1991, the Horn of Africa nation entered a civil war cycle that culminated in the loss of hundreds of lives and internal displacement of millions and exodus of refugees to neighboring nations, Europe and North America.

THE RED SEA

Countless Somali’s have been dying in the high Seas of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and deserts in the Middle East.

The situation should not be allowed to get out of hand for the sake of peace in Africa and the world at large.

For how long will the crying shame in Somalia rear its ugly head?