NAIROBI (SP) — Somali Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fowzia Yusuf Haji Adan has met in the Kenyan capital with her Kenyan counterpart Sam Ongeri.
Enhancing existing bilateral relations and boosting security cooperation were some of the core issues discussed during a meeting held behind closed doors according to Hiiraan Online.
Mrs. Adan, who arrived on Monday afternoon, has requested Kenya’s assistance in rebuilding the Somali National Army (SNA) in an effort to boost security and stabilise the war-ravaged nation. Prof. Ongeri has agreed to establishing cooperation mechanisms in the field of military training. Nairobi, whose armed forces are part of the African Union peacekeeping effort in Somalia, agreed to but not yet finalised to capacity building for Somalia’s armed forces and civil servants.
A team of technical experts appointed by the two east African nations in 2006 will resume dialogue and explore ways to advance ties.
Somalia reestablishes its embassy in DjiboutiFowzia similarly met with the Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and sides exchanged views on bilateral ties, issues of common concern and the latest developments in the country in an active atmosphere.
During a press conference, She said Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud is due to visit Kenya during which he will be holding talks with President Mwai Kibaki. The two are set to discuss wide range of issues including controversial topics such as the formation of Jubbaland administration. Mr. Mohamud is currently on an official state visit to the Republic of Djibouti. While there he inaugurated a new Somali embassy that will be headed by Ambassador Abdulrahman Abdi Hussein (Guulwade).
Kenya, with the support of regional body IGAD and African Union, is lobbying for the establishment of an unofficial buffer-zone inside Somalia’s three southern regions of Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo. The issue has placed Somalia’s new government at odd with Kenya and the US has secretly expressed concern saying it would add to the country’s current instability.
Mrs. Fowzia was appointed by Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon and is part of a small cabinet of ten ministers that includes a second woman in an important position. She made history by becoming the first Somali woman to be appointed for Somalia’s most powerful and only independent ministry.
This is her second foreign trip following her trip to Djibouti almost two weeks ago to attend the 39th meeting of the foreign ministers of countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
EU committed to Somalia
In a separate development, Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has received a European delegation led by EU’s special envoy to Somalia, Michele Cervone d’Urso on Tuesday at the Presidential villa.
Ambassador D’Urso said the EU was offering Somalia economic aid of up to 158 million euros ($200 million) to support education, judiciary system, reconstruction and security.
The PM praised the donation and said he was pleased to receive the EU team in Mogadishu, where security continues to improve.
Puntland region presidential hopeful Abdirahman Mohamed Hassan has accused the sitting president Abdirahman Farole of carrying out massacre in Gardo.
Speaking from the Egyptian capital, Mr. Hassan has voiced concern about the recent clashes between protesters and security forces in the pirate-infested semi-autonomous region.
A flare-up of violence hit the third largest town in Bari province of Gardo on Friday after a Presidential convey led by Farole visited the region with heavy military.
The demonstrators challenged Farole’s plans to postponed the regional elections slotted for the 9th of January 2013. The protesters waved signs reading “No Farole. No #5 years”, “We don’t want Farole.”
Prior to his entry of the town, the convey were held outside for more than two hours by locals who blocked the roads with stones and burning tyres.
At least one lady, named as Fatima Ayah, was killed and more than four injured when Farole’s security forces opened fire on the protesters.
The presidential candidate offered his condolences to the family and friends of Fatima and the injured. He warned Farole of destabilizing the relatively peaceful region.
He described the incident as an atrocity similar to the ones committed by Saddam Hussein, Muammar al-Gaddafi and president al Assad.
He said the people will not tolerate such aggression and cold killings and called for calm.
On Friday, the political battle in Puntland turned violent when demonstrates clashed with Presidential guards in Gardo, the provincial capital of Karkaar region.
The demonstrators gathered in the Town center and the main roads, setting fire to tyres while chanting “No More Farole – No 5 years..”. The riots began just hours before the arrival of Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole.
For weeks, President Farole was delaying his visit to the region, due to heavy opposition on his plans to postpone the presidential elections on 9th of January 2013.
Hundreds of protesters chanting slogans and carrying boards with different messages streamed into the town bringing business to a stand still and Shops remained closed.
The Presidential guards and local police have opened fire on unarmed demonstrators and journalists, when the demonstrators refused to clear the main roads.
According to sources in Gardo, at least one person was killed and four others were wounded in the shooting, but doctors at Gardo General Hospital who spoke to Horseed Media say, four people were shot including one in critical condition.
The delegation led by President Farole, including some cabinet ministers and journalists from Garowe, were hold up on the outskirts of the town for more than two hours, while gunshots were heard in the town center.
The journalists accompanying the president’s delegation were not allowed to cover the riots in the town center. Later the President’s convoy were escorted into the city by heavily armed military equipped with technicals. Farole’s visit to Gardo turns violent after he postponed regional elections upsetting opposition tribes
This is the second demonstration that takes place during the President’s visit to Gardo, the last time he visited Karkaar region in March 2012, hundreds of Gardo residents gathered in front of his hotel, while chanting slogans against his government.
This is also the second largest demonstration in Puntland for the past two months.
In September, similar demonstration took place, but no one was hurt during those protests, it all began when Puntland Electoral Commission (PEC) visited the region. People have rejected the Electoral commission members who are selected by President Farole. “No Faroole” donkeys arrested and thrown in prison
President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole took office in January 2009 and his term of four years in office will end on 8th of January 2013.
This month, President Farole has announced his own political party (Horsed), which is now the only official political party in Puntland, the President’s party includes all the cabinet ministers, MP’s, regional governors and Mayors. Many people call this one party rule system. While President Farole says he will postpone the elections for another year.
The clan elders and the intellectuals of Puntland in the regions of; Bari, Sanag, Karkaar, Nugal and Mudug, have called on the government not to postpone the elections in 2013, they also rejected the governments plans to hold the first multi party elections in only just 21 districts instead of the 37 districts of Puntland state of Somalia.
Puntland State of Somalia an autonomous region, has been relatively peaceful but in the recent past, residents have expressed fear of escalating insecurity.
Turkish Navy warship TCG Gemlik, the flagship of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) has successfully interdicted a suspected piracy skiff 400 nautical miles East of Somalia.
The skiff was first detected by a EUNAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) in the early hours of 21 November 2012. It was monitored throughout the night and at daybreak TCG Gemlik was tasked to begin a search with their embedded S-70B Sea Hawk ‘Cheetah’.
“Taking into consideration the speed and location of the skiff and our direction of passage, we knew we were in the best position to get ‘eyes on’ the skiff. Our helo detected a vessel matching the description and with Cheetah continuing to monitor, we proceeded towards the skiff. When the skiff began to alter course and speed in an apparent attempt to evade, we hailed it via VHF without response. Within an hour the skiff finally stopped and our helo remained on scene as our boarding team approached the skiff.”
Following the successful boarding, TCG Gemlik handed over the skiff and 9 suspected pirates were transferred to EUNAVFOR Romanian warship ROS Regele Ferdinand.
Commander CTF 151, Rear Admiral Oğuz Karaman said:
“The highly trained and efficient efforts by the Ship’s company of TCG Gemlik were commendable.
Keeping the sea lanes free from piracy and therefore maintaining maritime safety is the reason we are here. The big winners are the legitimate fishermen and merchant vessels of the area. Today, CTF 151 and EUNAVFOR have demonstrated an effective operation to detect and interdict a group of suspected pirates.”
The combined effort of CMF and EUNAVFOR working in counter-piracy operations continues to result in significant increases in successful disruptions. Commodore Simon Ancona Royal Navy, Deputy Commander CMF said:
“Through the combined efforts of multiple nations and Task Forces we have ensured the safety of the maritime environment. We will continue to patrol these waters and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability.”
The capture of Kismayo by Kenyan and Ogaden militants last month was received with mixed reactions. The international community led the US welcomed the defeat of Al-Shabab, which became an obstacle to Somalia peace process for so long.
But on the other hand a major concern after the fall of the city is emerging with possibility of a new cycle of regional conflict. Kenyan ministers, being so inexperienced on Somalia affairs, gave inciting interviews to the international media, in which they justified their move of siding with one clan, among the clans struggling for the control of Jubba regions.
Somali government stance
Somali newly elected president; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also welcomed the victory of Kenyan forces in Jubba regions, since they are part of AMISOM. But Kenyan government seems to be distancing its forces from the African Union Mission, since being under the peacekeepers will jeopardize Ogaden clan agendas orchestrated by Kenyan state minister for defence Mohamed Yusuf Haji, his son, Nuradin Yusuf a senior intelligence officer assigned and other government officials from Ogaden clan. President Hassan also opposed the so called IGAD move to form regional administration in Jubba without the permission of his government. The Ethiopian born warlord Ahmed Madobe from Ogaden clan, who led the Kenyan forces to Kismayo, accused the Somali president of meddling Jubbaland affairs, as if the area was not part of Somalia. Another Ethiopian born warmonger Mohammed Abdi Gandi, who also hails from Ogaden clan visited Mogadishu to convince his close friend President Hassan to approve the Ogaden clan project, but in vain.
Somali president denied claims that he had hidden agenda against Ogaden clan, allegations made by Ogadeni clan members in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. He said the people of Jubbaland are fed up with bitter civil war that claimed lives of thousands and made others to flee their homes. He admitted that the people of Jubbaland are peaceful people and that all the wars that took place in the past 22 years were exported from other regions within Somalia or abroad. The comment of President Hassan is clear evidence that clans from north eastern region of Somalia (self-proclaimed regional state of Puntland), Ogaden clans from Ethiopia’s Zone Five and Kenya’s North East Province were responsible of Jubba atrocities, with the aim of capturing land that does not belong to them. The president was hailed my many peace lovers people in Jubbaland on his comment.
Kenya’s ill-advised policy on Jubbaland
After the fall of Kismayo, while praising Kenyan forces, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said his country had over the years invested immense diplomatic energy and financial resources in the search for a stable and secure Somalia. But his deputy Mudavadi and other ministers spoke as if Somalia was part of Kenya, without evaluating and even thinking about the risk that can befall on Kenyan citizens. Corrupt Kenyan government does not satisfy the needs of its forces, and this explains why Kenyan soldiers will not accept to leave behind their families, knowing that no one will even take care of their beloved children. Its obvious that no single Kenyan minister can explain what is going on in Somalia, specially in Kismayo, leave alone making peace.
Plans of war by Ogaden clan in Jubbaland
The Ogadeni armed refugees who started to arrive in Somalia since 1974 failed to maintain their take-over of Somaliland and Hiran region, despite huge support from Siyad Barre’s government. The fall of Barre’s regime was the end of their dream in those regions, but taking advantage of Somalia’s clan politics; they remained in Jubba regions with the support of other Darod clan invaders. Bearing in mind that the local people of Jubbaland will resist as those of Somaliland and Hiran region, the Ogadenis have come up with military plan that involves Ogadeni men in Kenyan army and Ogadenis in Ethiopian army to join forces in Jubbaland and eliminate all the indigenous clans in the region.
The key figures in this plan include Mohamed Yusuf Haji, Kenya’s defence minister, Farah Moalim Kenya’s Deputy Speaker, Nuradin Yusuf Haji, Mahbub Moalim (Secretary General of IGAD), high ranking officials from Ethiopia’s Zone Five region, Ogadeni MPs in Somali parliament and many others.
Members of Wagosha community from US and Somalia who posed as delegates of the shoddy IGAD meeting in Karen, Nairobi gathered crucial information about the Ogaden conspiracy. One of these members told Wagoshanews that Nuradin Yusuf Haji makes frequent visits to Mogadishu to meet Ogadeni and other Darod elders at Mogadishu airport to brief them on the military plan. The source added that Nuradin disguises himself as a member of Shiqal clan to hide his real identity.
In UK, the Ogadeni clan members from Ethiopia hold meetings in North London (at a restaurant near Finsbury Park and at Finsbury Park Mosque). Where they donate money for war and incite war against all clans opposing the settlement of Ogadeni members from Ethiopia in Jubbaland. A man called Abdirashid is the organizer of these events. He always appears in UK Somali TV stations, with abusive language against some Somali clans and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Similar meetings take place weekly in Europe, North America, and Africa.
The Wagosha members who were at IGAD meeting also noted that Nuradin Yusuf Haji coordinates settlement of thousands of Ogadeni clan members from Ethiopia and Kenya, who are taking over lands in Jubbaland , so that they can claim being the majority clan of the region.
He is also responsible of moving ONLF forces and Ogadeni militants from North East Kenya to Somalia to fight for, what the Ogadenis call the liberation of the golden land.
The leader of Majerten region, Abdirahman Farole also showed his willingness to join Ogaden forces in Jubbaland invasion. He claimed that thousands of Majerten people who fled from Jubbaland will be settled soon to Kismayo,since they currently live in Puntland region as refugees, as he put it. His conspiracy includes sending thousands of Majerten militants to Kismayo. It has to be noted that Farole had in the past admitted presence of Ogadeni refugees in Somalia, who should go back to their country.
Local people in Jubbaland, according to the international laws of their civil rights will have no any other option than defending any aggression against their land, human rights and properties. Already many clans in the region have mobilized their men for expected war against the invaders.
Human rights violation in Kismayo
History repeats its self, as Ogadeni militants in Kismayo continues atrocities against civilians. With the help of Kenyan forces, the Ogadeni militants’ torture, kill loot and rape civilians by labelling them as Al Shabab sympathizers. This acts which violate universal human rights laws, will also incite animosity in the region that witnessed genocide and all sorts of atrocities in the last 50 years.
The international community has to be cautious about inexperienced Kenyan leaders, who will simply put the Horn of Africa under fire, if they do not stop their blind move of favouring one clan against the others.
The Kenyan forces in Kismayo have to be fully under AMISOM commander, and not under Nuradin Yusuf Haji, who is the real man in control, rather than General Karanja, whom some Somali clans call him as the yes man of Yusuf Haji family.
As little-known politician Fauzia Yusuf Haji Adan was sworn in as Somalia’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister on Monday Nov. 19, the stateswoman who hails from the unrecognised, self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland is tipped to become the country’s “Iron Lady”.
This is according to Adan´s political ally Mohamed Daahir Omar, who used to work closely with her in local Somaliland politics, in which he is currently active.
“We know Fauzia as a person with strong determination and as an approachable individual who likes to form consensus. But when she has to make a decision, she just goes for it and works to convince others of her way. She was mostly successful, and for that she can be considered Somalia’s Iron Lady,” Omar told IPS from Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, referring to Adan’s strong will.
Adan, who returned from her first state visit to neighbouring Djibouti on Nov. 18 and missed the official swearing-in ceremony of the cabinet on Nov. 15, takes on the mantle of leadership in a country with a number of tough foreign policy challenges.
While details of Adan and her background are sketchy, and she has been reluctant to grant interviews to the press, Omar said that because of her skill as a consensus-builder, the new foreign minister could play a role in bridging the divide between this Horn of Africa nation and Somaliland.
One of her first tasks will be to advance tentative and delicate talks between the Somali government and politicians in the northern state. Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from the rest of Somalia following the collapse of the country’s government in 1991.
“The talks between Somalia and Somaliland will be an acid test for Adan because as a northerner she will have to show her people that she does not want to force them into a union (with Somalia) that they don’t want.
“But at the same time as a key minister in the federal government she has to represent the views of the government – the sanctity of national unity and sovereignty,” Garaad Jama, an analyst from the Centre for Peace and Democracy, a think tank in Somalia, told IPS.
Adan, who is only one of two women in the 10-member cabinet appointed by Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, will also have to deal with the growing friction between Kenya and Somalia over the formation of local administration areas in southern Somalia.
The Kenyan military captured the Al-Shabaab-controlled southern Somali port city of Kismayo in late September. The port was one of the key strongholds of the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist radical group.
But Kenya has reportedly been pushing for the region in southern Somalia known as Azania or Jubaland – where Kismayo is the main city – to be given the status of an autonomous state, to serve as a buffer zone between Kenya and the chaos in Somalia.
The Somali government has repeatedly voiced its opposition to the creation of such a state, which it fears would become a Kenyan satellite rather than a local administration that would fall under its control.
Although Kenya vehemently denied the charges, its soldiers in control of Kismayo’s airport prevented a Somali government delegation from entering the city on Nov. 7, after a local militia leader objected to their arrival.
“The signs are already not good, with deteriorating relations between Kenya and the new Somali government and other tough and pressing challenges,” Maryan Muumin, a women’s rights activist from the Somalia National Women’s Organisation (SNWO) in Mogadishu, told IPS.
“It seems that the daunting task for the new foreign minister is clear cut and it’s for Adan to deal with the challenges facing her, not only as Somalia’s foreign minister, but as the first woman to hold that post,” she said.
Adan will also have to deal with Al-Shabaab, which still poses a threat to the government in many parts of southern and central Somalia.
Al-Shabaab, which is opposed to women taking up roles outside the home and has imposed strict Sharia law in parts of the country that it controls, has threatened to target Somalia’s United Nations-backed government leaders. The militant group led a failed attempt to assassinate the country’s new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sep. 12, his second day in office.
“Although Al-Shabaab is now on the back foot, the group is the greatest threat to any government in Somalia,” Jama said “How this new government deals with the militant group, which has assassinated several ministers and other top government officials, will be a major test for the ministers, including the first female foreign minister.”
Adan described her appointment as a precedent that will open doors for Somali women.
“This is a historic day not only for Somali women but for all Somalia,” Adan said after the announcement of her appointment on Nov. 4.
Haliam Elmi from SNWO told IPS that Adan’s appointment was “a gift not only for Somali women but also for Africa and the world at large because women’s situations are similar in many parts of the world.”
She said she hoped that it would result in the acceptance of women’s participation in politics in this conservative Muslim country.
“This is a step in the right direction and we hope that society will finally accept women’s ascent on the political ladder,” she told IPS.
But Adan will have a tough road ahead of her. Not everyone has welcomed her appointment. Somalia’s Islamic clergy, for example, said that Adan’s appointment was against the teachings of Islam.
“In Muslim society women are given the highest role a human being can take, which is rearing children and being head of a Muslim home. What we hear from the government is in contradiction to our way of life as a Muslim society, and nothing but calamity will come from giving such political leadership roles to Fauzia, not only for her, but for her family and society in general,” said Sheikh Ali Mohamoud, a Muslim cleric in Mogadishu.
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (R) and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi pose for photographs before addressing a joint news conference in Mogadishu November 14, 2012.
REUTERS/Omar Faruk
Iran said it would set up an embassy in Mogadishu and Turkey promised to rebuild Somalia’s parliament building, as the two neighbors, at odds over Syria, vied for influence in the Horn of Africa country.
Somalia has been mired in violence, Islamist militancy and grinding poverty since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, leaving the country with no effective central government for two decades.
But security has improved in the last 18 months with al Qaeda-linked militants losing more territory under their control under pressure from African Union and Somali forces.
The country is looking to foreign donors to help rebuild its ravaged economy after decades of conflict.
Tehran’s move to open an embassy followed Turkey’s decision to set up its embassy in Mogadishu last year.
The two states are at odds over the conflict in Syria, and it was not immediately clear if the two foreign ministers had met on the sidelines in Mogadishu. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (R) and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attend a joint news conference in Mogadishu November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Omar Faruk
Sunni Muslim Turkey backs the largely Sunni rebels who are mired in a civil war against President Bashar al Assad’s forces, who are mostly Alawite, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, the dominant religion in Iran.
Shi’ite Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said his country was keen to stand by the Somali people, but Tehran is also seeking to counter the influence of Western countries and its Sunni neighbors by extending its reach to parts of majority Muslim African countries.
Salehi told reporters after meeting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that apart from the embassy, his country would also open a new clinic.
“(Iran) will do its best so that Somalia will make up for the past 20 years of crisis that it has gone through,” he said.
It was not immediately clear when the embassy would open.
Previously, Somalia had only five functioning embassies operating in the country: Djibouti, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Ethiopia. Most other countries tend to handle Somali operations from neighboring Nairobi.
While security has improved in Mogadishu, the militants have been launching guerrilla-style attacks.
The four-year insurgency waged by al Shabaab left Mogadishu in ruins. Turkey has taken a leading role in the redevelopment of the city, as it seeks to boost its profile in Africa and promote itself as a model Muslim democracy.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said his country would rebuild the parliament building after which, he said, “We shall construct streets in Mogadishu and other government buildings.”
Turkish Airlines has operated regular flights to Mogadishu since March.
(Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by James Macharia and Michael Roddy)
Veteran Somali politician Mohamed Osman Jawari looks on August 26, 2012 in Mogadishu during his candidacy, before being elected as the speaker of Somalia’s new parliament.
Somalia’s new parliament endorsed on Tuesday all 10 ministers appointed by the prime minister, approving one of the smallest ever cabinets for the war-ravaged nation.
Two women are among the 10, including Somalia’s first female foreign minister, Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Adan, who hails from the self-declared independent state of Somaliland.
“Lawmakers have endorsed the new cabinet with a majority vote, 219 members out of the 225 who attended the session gave the ‘yes’ vote to the new cabinet,” said parliament speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari.
Three others rejected the cabinet, and three abstained.
“The lawmakers have endorsed the new cabinet, and now they have to face the difficult tasks ahead,” lawmaker Aweys Al-Qarni told AFP.
The new government faces tough challenges as it seeks to install order in a country racked by decades of war, and with al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents vowing to overthrow the Western-backed administration.
Somalia has been in political chaos and deprived of an effective central government since the fall of President Siad Barre in 1991.
The new administration led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud – who took office in September – ended eight years of transitional rule by the corruption-riddled government.
Mogadishu international port is returning to life, as Somalia emerges from decades of civil war that brought this once thriving port to its knees. Today, business has picked up with trucks arriving to offload tons of cargo from ships that are lining up at its harbor. African union peacekeepers recently took control of various Al Shabaab strongholds paving way for entrepreneurs to launch their ventures once more.
Imagine this: you are trapped in Mogadishu, a ruined ghost capital, the most dangerous zone on earth, your safe sister or brother, Hussien Arab Isse, ex-defense minister who much like Robert Gate of the US deserved to be retained for another four years , for instance, came to your rescue but so called unionists yelled at them out of ethnic hostility and prejudice, and you found out that they were with you in theory but allied with your enem in practice, the same applies to opponents of Ms Fozia. In fact, her envy opponents have very little influence on political realities back home as they chat in distant places. They are incredibly marginalized to extent where they have no say in who will be their next town mayor like Kismayo; they are simply entertaining the past dreams. They don’t know a Man can be castrated in more than one way. There is no physical presence of such people.
At the least 6 days, before Fozia’s nomination as foreign minister and deputy premier was speculated by the Somali press once she disappeared from Hargiesa. Nomination, however, came as shock to many prejudiced writers including Yabarag and his ilk who wants to harm Somalis in proper Somalia though he belongs to Wardheer village, Ethiopia, and nothing to do with Mogadishu or Hargiesa. The recognition of Somaliland will result in the permanent loss of land by certain clans and people of the same family divided on different territories, bitter reality hardly to accept but that was not what intended to achieve.
Her nomination marks big leap in women’s rights as Somalia’s Taboo Breaker First Woman Foreign Minister by Bashir Goth’s analysis reveals “History is writing itself…despite the inherent dangers of…, she stated in her inaugural speech, gala affair in Mogadishu. “ If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wisely stated. Her father, Adan Qabile, educator and co-founder of Somalia’s modern education with Mohamoud Ahmed Ali, Somalia’s Father of Education; her father’s passion to enlighten youth along with her life’s experience and insight inspired her to establish Hargiesa University which benefited many generations who were not lucky enough to have access to higher education. She is Benazir Bhutto of Somalia next to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Africa in terms of power. “there are too few women in the top jobs around the world…,” EU’ Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton stated, so Fozia Yusuf will be the third most powerful figure in the government; she will remake her country much as Ellen from the ground up. And she is very optimistic.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins and American University in Paris; she worked with Somalia’s foreign ministry in various professional capacities as career diplomat. She was diplomat, too, in Berlin, Germany before Somalia’s central government’s collapse.
Immediately, after her return from UK, she involved in Somaliland politics and formed what she called Independent Party alongside the three national parties, but the late president Ibrahim Egal’s administration refused to recognize her newly formed party referring constitutional law. But she insisted to stay the course and unsuccessfully formed again National Democratic Party (NDP), but when her application was unfairly turned down twice, but she soon broke away disenchanted.
Somali women in Abudwaq, a village in Southern Somalia, and many other places including overseas held a big rally in support of her nomination as deputy premier and foreign minister of the country. Having worked as key diplomat in many western countries, she has a reputation for dutifulness and finesse and thus she will change notorious embassies which sell medical and engineering scholarships for illiterate aged woman who wants to aimlessly travel to EU or North America.
Despite the fact Somaliland has peace-building knowledge, the new Somali president recognized her that she can contribute her wide range experiences to the government but her nomination won’t has any impact on Somaliland independence, nonetheless; one thing is quite worrying: Somaliland is losing cream of its people including Fozia and Ismail Buba, Abdilahi Omaar , Hussien Arab Isse to rival country, Somalia. But politically, she is not much different from the governor of Djibouti’s Central Bank who was originally came from Somaliland. If talks between Somaliland and Somalia resumes, Fozia’s role as foreign minister of Somalia will be the most uncomfortable political realities facing the little minister of Somaliland who is ill-equipped and poorly-spirited because she know his cheap argumentative skills in advance.
Many Somalis who lobbied for certain individuals to get good positions in the current government but utterly failed are asking themselves: how did Ms Fosia get the post? Maybe “money” “ethnicity” or “unique skill and experience”, not gender balance as the president can get a woman from Mogadishu or elsewhere, but the latter most people agreed on. The inclusion of Fozia into Somalia’s cabinet minister and the repetition of Somalia’s unity is not compulsory by the new president to create a scenario whereby tribal activist sites in disguise of dead cause of unity hits a brick wall is enormous concession and a step in the right direction. But will Somaliland take avail of the opportunity instead of talking about Somalia building its own house? I doubt it. Creating unnecessary tensions between Hargiesa and Mogadishu is huge gift to for those want to keep Somalia at the violence.
Her opponents are basically saying “ Fozia is automatically unqualified for her position by regional association, her home region no matter whether she believes in Somaliland’s right for independence ” next decades, we should know people born in Nebraska will be ministers , nonetheless; that cannot be a rational reason to lose her job as General Perves Musharraf born in Delhi on August 11, 1943 in Delhi and became president of Pakistan, so birthplaces do not affect loyalties. Adan Gabyow, Kenyan-born, was Somalia’s defense minister and finally his decomposed body was found in Kenyan hotel last but not least, Somalia’s current ambassador to Cairo is from Jigjiga of Ethiopia and he represents Somalia’s mission.
Fozia has being working hard behind the scene to better the lives of Somalis for the sake of God for so long in and out of the country, and her efforts was somehow appreciated by the new government but this coincided when she realized Somaliland democracy is about to fail because of multiple bureaucracies from Parties Registration Committee to bypass the National Election Commission (NEC) and to approve certain individuals’ interest by continuous ad hoc tasks of change-resistant which only designed to marginalize the functioning institutions in Somaliland , therefore; injustice has compelled her to build her future on her own.
Dirye is Somaliland Activist and Volunteer. mrdirye@gmail.com
