People who think carpet bombing is a good idea, let me ask you are you gonna bomb the whole south then? Because let me tell you AS aren’t just situated in Jilib. They’re undercover in Xamar, control whole towns in both Shabelles, control large lands in Bay and Bakool, can be found from in Jubba Dhexe outside Kismayo to the border areas of Gedo and Ceel Cadde, are present in Hiraan, and Galmudug, tax people in Bosaaso. Furthermore they are undercover in the current gov in Xamar, in the secret services, military, police, port, airport, and government institutions. They tax businesses, hotels, real estate, imports etc.
I don’t get these people who think carpet bombing is the solution. What you’re fighting isn’t a conventional army, it’s a parallel government which uses guerrilla warfare + an ideology that is more powerful than the 4.5 gov. You bomb jilib today, the ideology and movement doesn’t die. They will just regroup and form new fronts or change their tactics.
Instead of thinking of short term gains what needs to be discussed is long term feasible plans. And who is that required from? The Gov! Somali politicians need to start thinking for themselves and not be dictated to by foreigners. They need to start thinking about the future and not short term monetary gains.
First
1)Build a strong SNA who can not only just take over towns, but hold onto them and secure them for the foreseeable future. The issue for the last twenty years is that when towns are taken over from AS, a short while after they would be vacated and return to AS hands. Shows a lack of long term planning. And also puts the locals in a difficult spot since they can never put all their apples in one basket. Why would you side with the gov, when tomorrow you can be ruled by AS?
2) Disarm all clans/miltias and cut the illegal arms trafficking in Somalia. You blew up jilib, but your borders aren’t secure and the supply of weapons keep coming in. Does that make sense? The gov needs to secure the coast, borders with Ethiopia and Kenya, and whatever enters from the North through Bosaaso.
3) Win the minds and hearts of the people. If AS are using ideology than the gov has to have a counter ideology
- Remove Amisom gaalo forces which AS use as a recruiting tool that we are under occupation/invasion. And for the gov to also understand Amisom mercenaries I.e who want to just continue making money in Somalia alongside Ethiopia/Kenya are only prolonging this conflict, because it isn’t in their best interests to see a strong Somali state emerge in the Horn of Africa capable of securing its own affairs.
- Provide justice and law and order. Making everyone feel they are protected by the state regardless of tribe, wealth or position of power. Which currently the gov has failed to do!
- Fight corruption and build public institutions/infrastructure. Show the public that the state is for them and is improving their lives. Which again the government has failed to do! The Somalia people see the gov as a corrupt diaspora mafia only enriching itself and doing nothing for them!
- Get rid of 4.5 and Qabiil politics. Start acting like an all inclusive Somali State representing all Somalis.
- Put an end to this dastuur nonsense and stop trying to copy foreign western systems. Bring together the best Somali scholars, and build an Islamic shariah compliant system so AS can no longer use terms such as ‘Dowlada Murtudka’ as a reason for their cause.
- After all this inshallah promote nationalism, statehood, unity and Islamic brotherhood.
If the gov does all the above then they would have united the nationalists+ the islamists. Who would stand against them? AS would be left in the dust and be a relic of the past.
However, for people to think that AS will disappear pfff like that due to carpet bombings have their head in the sand. AS is an ideology, an ideology that has been formed and fermented in Somalia from the 80s until now under the itixaad ideology. The ideology of Political Islam and the pursuit of Shariah law and Islamic governance. This pursuit is something that won’t end in Somalia for the foreseeable future. Why keep fighting against an ideology that has not just gripped Somalia but many Muslim nations?
Somalida wixi dhehaan “daad inteenu ku imaanin waa la iska moosa”. It’s better to fight them with their own ideology or else this conflict will only inevitably end in a failure or the current status quo will exist for another ten years!
