Where there is war, there are inevitably refugees seeking a safe haven in neighbouring countries. This is currently the case in Somalia as well, though the major fighting seems to have ended for now with the apparent defeat by Ethiopia of the Union of Islamic Courts militiamen. Nevertheless, there are still people fleeing the country. One such destination is Kenya. Kenya, however, borders the south of Somalia, which happens to be the part of the country where the Islamists have been pushed back to.
This has created the tricky situation where both genuine refugees and guerilla fighters are attempting to cross the same border. While shutting down the border is perhaps not the most humane action, it seems to be the most logical and effective option when keeping in mind the long term. Somali President Abdillahi Yusuf was thinking exactly that when he recently held talks with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki at State House, Mombasa, urging Kibaki to prevent fleeing militia from leaving the country.
The two agreed not only to seriously tighten border security, but also to ensure no foreigner is allowed to enter Kenya from Somalia. This was decided after it was found that there are hundreds of foreign fighters near the border, among which an Ethiopian national with a Canadian passport who was the commander of the Ogaden National Liberation Front forces sympathetic to the Islamists. Many Eritreans and some Kenyans are also fighting on behalf of the Islamists, but even militiamen from as far away as Egypt, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been signaled. US marines operating in Lamu have pledged to help the Kenyans guard the border.
By shutting down the Kenyan border, the pursuing Ethiopian forces will find the last remaining UIC fighters all batched up in one area. Due to the superior military power of the Ethiopian forces and the disorientation of the militia, it should be a relatively simple task to round them all up and effectively end any hope they had of staging a counteroffensive. As for the Islamic forces that are already in Kenyan villages, they should be dealt with locally in Kenya and not allowed to re-enter Somalia.
There are two problems left to solve in the Somali conflict: 1. defeating the UIC, 2. building a stable Somalia with an effective central government. By dealing a final blow to the Islamists around Somalia's border with Kenya, one of the two problems will be solved, allowing for complete attention to be on solving the second problem.
This has created the tricky situation where both genuine refugees and guerilla fighters are attempting to cross the same border. While shutting down the border is perhaps not the most humane action, it seems to be the most logical and effective option when keeping in mind the long term. Somali President Abdillahi Yusuf was thinking exactly that when he recently held talks with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki at State House, Mombasa, urging Kibaki to prevent fleeing militia from leaving the country.
The two agreed not only to seriously tighten border security, but also to ensure no foreigner is allowed to enter Kenya from Somalia. This was decided after it was found that there are hundreds of foreign fighters near the border, among which an Ethiopian national with a Canadian passport who was the commander of the Ogaden National Liberation Front forces sympathetic to the Islamists. Many Eritreans and some Kenyans are also fighting on behalf of the Islamists, but even militiamen from as far away as Egypt, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been signaled. US marines operating in Lamu have pledged to help the Kenyans guard the border.
By shutting down the Kenyan border, the pursuing Ethiopian forces will find the last remaining UIC fighters all batched up in one area. Due to the superior military power of the Ethiopian forces and the disorientation of the militia, it should be a relatively simple task to round them all up and effectively end any hope they had of staging a counteroffensive. As for the Islamic forces that are already in Kenyan villages, they should be dealt with locally in Kenya and not allowed to re-enter Somalia.
There are two problems left to solve in the Somali conflict: 1. defeating the UIC, 2. building a stable Somalia with an effective central government. By dealing a final blow to the Islamists around Somalia's border with Kenya, one of the two problems will be solved, allowing for complete attention to be on solving the second problem.
2 comments:
You don't seem to have any understanding at all of the politics of the region. It has almost nothing to do with religion, although of course it's sold that way. Go find out about the Ogaden and report back. Cheers now.
So you are able to deduce that I have no understanding AT ALL about the politics of this region based on an article which supports the closing of the Kenyan border in order to increase the chances of longterm stability...interesting.
Ogaden, yes, historically the cause of the hatred and the immediate trigger for was between Somalia and Ethiopia. Indeed this has little to do with religion, but things change. The struggle between Christianity and Islam is best seen in Africa (though I must say the same continent also provides a handful of the world's more peaceful religiously mixed areas). Today it is undeniable that predominantly Christian Ethiopia has found itsef surrounded by an ever increasing number of Islamic nations that are harboring some very unfriendly types (Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, and if the border would be open, then also Kenya). Whether government supports these types or not, fact remains they are in the area and very willing to challenge those Ethiopian infidels.
Thus, for the sake of stability, I wish for extremism to disappear from the region, so that moderate Muslems, Christians, Animists, etc, can live in peace together. The fact that Ogaden has switched Ethiopian, Italian, British and Somali hands is not the main issue here, and certainly not a reason for making such a presumptuous statement.
All the best,
Post a Comment