THE
EU and US policy dilemma In Somalia
Abdirahman Abdilahi Warsame (Somalilaland)
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Somalia is a
product of intense negotiations in 2004 and involving the Somali
warlords under the mediation efforts of Kenya as well as support
from the European Union, the United Nations and the United
States. The negotiations lasted two years. The TFG moved to
Somalia in 2005.
But the formative years of the TFG saw the emergence of two
factions within the TFG. President Abdilahi Yusuf and Prime
Minister Ali Geedi were pitted against the speaker Sharif
Hassan. As a result the EU found itself financially supporting
one faction. In the process the faction led by Hassan felt
alienated.
The EU's strategy for dealing with Somalia, deepened divisions
within the TFG at that time. The TFG itself was weakened and
ineffective in dealing with the issues it was expected to
resolve. The weak TFG created a power vacuum into which stepped
the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). The UIC managed to bring for
the first time in 15 years some stability to southern Somalia
but at what other analysts saw as a heavy cost to basic human
freedoms.
In
December last year the TFG forces, backed by Ethiopian forces,
overthrew the UIC. It soon seemed that the security situation of
the capital was deteriorating.
As
the TFG leaders went to Mogadishu, an anti-TFG war led by the
Hawiye clan broke out and left more than 1000 people dead and
1700 injured.
The EU, UN and US policy of supporting the TFG faces a dilemma
in a region where the warring factions are supported by
different countries.
During the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea Somalia became a
battle ground. And last year saw Ethiopia supporting the TFG
while Eritrea supported the UIC.