The situation in Somalia is getting worse by days threatening the already fragile political landscape in the Horn of Africa and opening up a Pandora box with multiple local, regional and global ramifications of security issues.
Being at loggerheads with the Ethiopian Government on the nation’s legitimate quest for access to the sea and ports, Somalia is sinking into a full scale crisis being unable to ascertain the safety and security of her citizens and the larger Horn of Africa and the Red Sea route. While attempting to engage in blame shifting on Ethiopia with utterly shameless propaganda by her officials who continued to discredit and Ethiopia’s contribution to the resurgence of the Somali State, they are attempting to militarize the entire country only to facilitate the transfer of Egyptian old military hardware to end up in the hands of Al-Shabab and co.
Self-defeating diplomatic moves of the Somali President in rallying Ethiopia’s neighboring countries against the country is already backfiring as the triple alliance organized by Egypt failed to take off. The regional governments of Somalia and the opposition parties have continued to mesmerize the already bleak situation putting the country at the brink of political collapse. Besides, the entire Somali population is losing confidence in the government marred with divisive politics and dictatorial leadership.
A report issued by the UNDP IN August 2024 states that Somalia has faced decades of armed conflict, social and political instability, and the negative impacts of climate change. There is a consensus between the federal government and development partners that if it wants to catch up with the rest of the world, there cannot be business as usual. There is a need to break away from protracted crises and fragility and a reliance on humanitarian assistance that provides relief but does not address the root causes of problems. We need to invest in resilient communities, systems, and institutions that thrive without partners’ inputs or resources. An approach that promotes Somali-owned, Somali-led, integrated interventions is essential.
The conflict is one factor that shapes Somalia’s specific development needs. The government has launched a military offensive liberating a number of areas from Al-Shabaab control. This has created the need to ramp up stabilization efforts and to strengthen government presence in newly liberated areas to consolidate the social contract, deliver services and support people’s livelihoods.
At the same time the effects of climate change have been very disruptive for millions. The country has been affected by severe droughts, most recently in 2022. In December 2023, the country faced the worst flooding of the past 100 years. Some communities have not been able to recover from one crisis to another. Climate change is also exacerbating conflicts, violence and displacement. Somalia has about 3.8 million internally displaced people that are mostly congregating around major cities and towns, making it one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world.
Addressing these issues is even more complex because the state building process in Somalia is still ongoing. There is not yet an accepted model that reflects a national agreement on power and resource sharing between the federal government and states, which have their own political dynamics, challenges and constraints.
Ethiopia and Somalia cannot afford to go to war but both countries can benefit from the dividends of peaceful cooperation and development that is cemented by thousands of years of cultural bond and transboundary relations. Somalia has abundant resource and port facilities that can be used for meeting the economic needs of the population.
Ethiopia is generously sharing its water resources from two rivers Dawa and Shebele but the Somalia media is falsely accusing Ethiopia for flooding the country, an accusation that no person with reasonable set of thinking can swallow.
The leadership of the country is working on organizing a regional war on Ethiopia without realizing that the first victims would be the people of Somalia. Somalia is busy burning her own house and national sovereignty by inviting foreign powers with the hope that they can stop Ethiopia from her quest for ports and yet the government is accusing Ethiopia for violating her sovereignty.
Somalia has turned into a banana republic that is being combed by terrorists and sea pirates. The author wishes to expound on the current state of Somalia’s economy as a proof that it cannot afford to go to war with any country.
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024
