It has always been welcome and acceptable both Nationally and Internationally to applaud and encourage any initiative of reconciliation whether it is on a broader National scale or even among family group within same Clan. In fact supporting such negotiations and agreements between the same groups of one family Clan could promote ability of every Clan speaking in one voice, a practice which was so far to the contrary. Logic lead us perceive that such phenomenon of uniting each Clan to negotiate as a constituent body, if executed by the entire Somali adversaries, viable quicker National agreement could be achieved in a short time than the pursuance of the long standard system of fragmented groups of same Clan with domineering leaders coming to the negotiating table.  Major obstacle has always prompted from controversial shredded Clan groups lead by self imperious leaders.

Since the collapse of the constitutional government, various Somali clans started to multiply and split their ranks with the aim to gain as much advantage as possible over the others. As such every Clan split into as many shredded political groups which in fact always impeded any constructive solution.  Until Somalis perceive the importance of constituent political grouping and have the courage to side track Clan allegiances, the drums for never ending reconciliation meetings will be heard beaten. The International Communities on its part accommodating every one who nocks at their door with few armed individuals and deceptively presents himself as imperious leader certainly thwarts the conclusion of the Somali political fiasco any time soon. Firm stand by the International Community to persuade those imperious individuals to negotiate within their major Clan and come as a united constituent would have been a better constructive encouragement to reach a solution and rap up the conundrum, crowning the political mess with a degree of viable success.   

It is amazing that divinely every nation is created with a culture incompatible with the other which makes it unique in its sphere of creativity, making it often hard to strangers, understand the way to approach or perceiving the essence of conflicts in that Nation. In such a scenario foreign opportunists known as Expert Profiteers, present themselves as political analysts or problem shooters and avail their services without having the least notion of the character of dispute or the culture of that Nation except for what they gather from reading text books, the media or hear say. Their aim is mainly based on gaining fame if they by luck strike successful results or else succeed in financial profiteer. So in both instances they are the beneficiaries. Since its collapse Somalia had five or six experts who all failed to produce any significant achievement. While each was claiming, given the task he knew how to tackle the problem and would soon endow peace and prosperity on Somalia.  

Some of these experts have no ethic that constrains them nor do they have any sympathy of human feelings to the excruciating occurrences of the ruins and daily death toll to the country they ironical committed to assist. To them holding unfruitful meetings with sensationalized publicity, meant to beguile the generous cash contributed by good will Nations, and amalgamating persons who have no National support, but most probably with sub sub clan buttress, is enough to serve their purpose. The damage these kinds of employed experts caused since the collapse of Somalia, super cedes any known success achieved to bring Somalis closer to one another. The more meetings they hold the more displacement and death of innocent people occurs and the less it contributes to the direly needed peace and stability in Somalia. The basic reason being the fundamental source of the conflict is not precisely known to them.   

Apparently it is time, the chip in Super and Affluent Nations re-examine the deeds of those officials for the last twenty years and compare their achievements with the failure and damages that occurred due to the miscalculation of events they made. Somalia is a living example to support such argument. To verify such contentions let those countries that generously chipped in Funds on the Somali Reconciliation conflict, reopen their ledger books and see the colossal amount of money spent, where it went and the result we have to day. It is a simple equation of 1 + 1 = 2. But if it reveals no tangible results have been realized, then there must be some thing wrong some where that has to be corrected. Continuously spending Funds without achieving the meant objectives is a sin by itself.   
  
Selecting life saving experts in war zones areas, like in Somalia, should be scrutinized and people with great diligence like a surgeon who is operating on a body struggling with his best ability to make that person survive should be awarded such task. Experts with open mind and concrete commitment who would study the problem thoroughly and listen to indigenous people with knowledge from all walks of life who are able to differentiate who is who in sincerity, and are ready to spend time to swot the various compositions of the Clans and are careful not to become victims of being easily conned.

Somalia’s tragedy is now over twenty years where more than a million might have lost their lives or maimed and an equal number is displaced. In no way am I putting the whole
castigation on foreign experts or their supporters, because the major part of the catastrophe, destructions and Political mess has been created and carried out by Somalis. However it is apparent that after more than two decades all the good will assistance from abroad has so far failed to realize its objectives and as a consequence is without any tangible results due to either the insincerity of the assigned task officials or their lackadaisical attitude to try to understand and have the will to swot the culture and the causes of the issues that has to be handled. With all sincerity total re-evaluation to approach the Somalia issue and find viable solution, is mandatory requirement if Somalis are meant to survive and have a country.

My take on this is that the International Community’s support and assistance has its limitations regardless of all the good will and intentions. It is high time that Somalis become sensible enough to empower themselves and take the responsibility to settle their differences by putting the past behind them and forge their country forward or else perish from the world map totally as a Nation. The true fact is that if we go on at the present rate of daily death tall and the exodus of the population from Somalia, without doubt the land will soon be semi-empty.           

Dr. Yusuf O. Al-Azhari
Email:geeska23@23yahoo.com

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 The writer is veteran civil servant and career diplomat.

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