Building Somalia’s Statehood Is a Nightmarish Process
By Mohamed Bakayr
Mach 04 , 2009

It is a nightmarish process to put pieces together and bring Somalia back to normalcy, but President Sheikh Shariif Sheikh Ahmed seems to have the capacity and patience that can enable him to initiate a dialogue with Somali opposition groups, irrespective of their ideologies and aspirations; but right up until Somalis reconcile among themselves and mend their differences, they--regardless of their locations-- will continue to suffer.

Seldom in the history of nations had lawlessness and anarchy taken such a prolonged period of time as they have taken the Somali people, and one thing that blows you away is how the  Somali people don’t  seem to  loathe the misery in which they have been through for the past two decades! Lawlessness and endless bloodshed have taken a tall on the Somali people, and spilling civilians’ blood has become a multibillion-dollar industry in Somalia.  

Ever since Somalia disintegrated and went to war with itself, there have been many reconciliation conferences held for the purpose of rebuilding Somalia and bringing its people together; but none of them had been fruitful.  And when you try to chronicle the reconciliation conferences and meetings aimed at bringing Somalia back to normalcy, you will find more than a dozen conferences and meetings held here and there.

Now that Ethiopia is out of Somalia and that a civilian President is in the country’s power, you may hope that Somalia will experience a durable peace followed by a rebuilding process. However, President Sheikh Shariif’s task remains a daunting one; but he must not leave any stone unturned until he convinces every opposition group to resolve disputed matters through dialogue and a peaceful manner, thereby preventing anymore innocents’ blood from shedding.  Let us hope that Somali opposition groups don’t make life miserable for the Somali people, and that President Sheikh Shariif becomes the first Somalia’s President of the post civil war era whose hands make Somalia return to normalcy. Undeniably, life has been miserable for many Somalis because they have abandoned their homes due to fear and instability; and unless the opposition groups strike a deal with President Shariif’s government and consider the lamentable situation of their people, the Somali people will increase in suffering and humiliation.

Based on President Shariif’s numerous statements, he is in a position to negotiate with all the country’s stakeholders in order to reach a lasting solution that benefits the beleaguered population of the country. Therefore, you may see a ray of hope on the horizon and pray to God to bring about a permanent peace for the Somali people and their war torn country followed by a rebuilding process.  Somalia’s rebuilding process will take and require a multitude of resources, some of which may be borrowed from external areas and avenues; nonetheless, the Somali people can take up the biggest share of the rebuilding process if they get together and come up with determination and dedicated efforts.

Somalia deserves to rise above the ashes of tribalism and anarchy; tribal ideologies are toxic to the nation and its reconciliation and rebuilding process. So if Somalia is to return to a normal condition, the level of tribalism and nepotism ought to be minimized.

The Somali people are not devoid of resources and wisdom which can make them understand each other, but they need to get their sanity back and buckle down in order to salvage their displaced population and its disappearing map. And every Somali must be given the chance to contribute to the peace process and the betterment of the country; through collective efforts, Somalia is likely to stand on its feet again. However, the will and desire to salvage the country is to come from the Somali people themselves.

If President Sheikh Shariif’s peaceful deal is fully supported by all Somalis, particularly the opposition groups, Somalia can start coming out of its current, tragic situation; but if the armed groups defy the peace process and keep loading their guns to inflict more harm to the already disabled nation, then Somalia may become a history narrated to people’s pastime (once upon a time, there was a country called Somalia----.) Here I mean, if every attempt aimed at building Somalia’s statehood fails, what will be the final end of the country?

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