Somalia since the guns of August

Aug 07, 2013

On August 6, 2011, Somali national security forces with the support of AMISOM finally routed the Al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab terror group from fixed bases.

By Amb. Mahamat Saleh Annadif

August 6, 2011 was a momentous day for the history of peace efforts in Somalia. On this date, Somali national security forces with the support of AMISOM finally routed the Al Qaeda-affiliated al Shabaab terror group from fixed bases within Mogadishu, inaugurating the longest period of sustained relative peace that the capital had experienced in over two decades.


It was a significant strategic victory in favour of peace and a crushing blow for the extremists. For years, they had laboured to impose an alien and adulterated version of Islam on the people of Somalia.

They had rejected the peace process which sought to generate representative institutions which would give the citizenry a say in how the country was governed. They had sought to use Somalia as a base for launching international terror attacks.

But their defeat in Mogadishu was a clear demonstration that the Somali people had rejected this vision of anarchy and brutality. With the help of the international community, they took a stand for peace and against the thugs who would deny it to them. In the process, they set an inspiring example for the rest of the continent and the world.

The victory created room for political progress, with the roadmap which led to the end of transition to permanent government, being signed within a month.

Today, for the first time since the start of the civil war, Somalia has a permanent and legitimate government, has a provisional constitution and has set an example for the continent by having a peaceful handover of power following a representative election.

Mogadishu is today a city transformed. The shatter of gunfire has been replaced by the sound of reconstruction. The local economy is booming. Where the extremists had once banned music and sport, the historic National Theatre has been reopened and the people can today celebrate their unique cultural heritage and express their artistic gifts.

Sports stadia have been refurbished and the city has a competitive soccer league as well as basketball tournaments. In fact, their national team recently beat those of Kenya and Burundi in a regional basketball tournament!

And the effects are far from confined to Mogadishu. Securing the capital allowed AMISOM to move into the second phase of its original concept of operations, deploying across the country and expanding the authority of the state. The pattern seen in Mogadishu has been reflected elsewhere.

As AMISOM has helped the Somali forces have advanced, the extremists have retreated and the improved security situation has given the local population the opportunity to begin to establish accountable local governance institutions that can begin to deliver services as well as rebuild the local economy and create linkages to the national economy and government.

AMISOM has been helping in this endeavour, offering advice and training via the civilian component.

Though the al Shabaab’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded to the extent that they no longer posed a real threat to the establishment of the state, they, however, still retain a significant capacity to menace the population as shown by the terror attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere which have killed and maimed many innocent Somalis.

AMISOM is helping the government address this tactical threat by building up the capacity of Somali security institutions to protect the people and enforce the rule of law. Our police component is deploying across the country to train and mentor the Somali Police Force, as they have been doing in Mogadishu.

The credit for all that has been achieved since that historic day two years ago must go to the long-suffering people of Somalia. Their resilience and courage will continue to inspire long after these events have been forgotten.

We in AMISOM are proud of the part we have played in helping give them their best chance for a durable peace in a generation. We pay tribute to the commitment, bravery and sacrifice of our fellow Africans from across the continent who have rallied to the aid of a sister country as well as to the support we have received from the global family of nations community.

In the coming days, we will again seek to draw upon this goodwill as we look to expand and consolidate the gains we have made.

The writer is the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia
 

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