By Deeq Suleyman Yusuf
Sunday May 22, 2022
His
Excellency President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s resounding, landslide victory in
the recently concluded historic elections was received nationally and across
the global Somali diaspora with utter jubilation, relief, hope and optimism.
After five tumultuous years under a rogue
regime that brought the country to the brink, Somalia appears to be turning a
new page after federal parliamentarians sent home Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo,
whose 2017-2022 reign was marked by state violence, despotism, corruption,
nepotism and extra-constitutional measures that threatened to tear the
country’s social fabric apart. Only the resilience of the Somali people,
coupled with a determined political opposition and civil society working in
tandem with a section of Somalia’s patriotic armed forces kept tyranny at bay
saving the county from the precipice, halting in the process, the descend to a
full-blown civil war, lawlessness, chaos, and mayhem.
H.E
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has earned the honour and distinction of being the first
leader in Somalia’s history to secure a second term in office. He also has the
distinction of being the first to lead Somalia into full-fledged federalism and
earning the country international recognition since 1991 following his 2012-2017
stint in power. Somalis can now count on him to rebuild federal institutions,
restore peace and order, unite and reconcile the people, complete the
constitutional review process, kickstart and revamp the economy, mend
federal-state relations, forge better relations with neighbours and work
collaboratively with the international community on key issues of concern to
Somalia.
A
Vision Anchored on Peace
In
his acceptance speech, H.E President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud struck a
conciliatory tone saying he wants to build a new Somalia “at peace with
itself and at peace with the world.” His overall vision is driven by his long-held
principle to secure domestic peace within Somali borders as well as pursuing
peaceful relations with its neighbours and the global community at large. In
saving the country from a near abyss, President Hassan Sheikh understands that
only a nation at peace with itself, can guarantee security, stability, and
prosperity for its people, and in turn, successfully navigate the international
system, contribute to global peace and democracy while taking its rightful
place among the community of nations.
More
importantly, Hassan Sheikh demonstrated true statesmanship, extending
forgiveness to members of the fallen regime making it clear he would not be
driven by revenge or settling of scores with the despotic leadership that
subjected a besieged citizenry to a collective trauma stemming from widespread
state-orchestrated violence targeting civilians, gross human rights violations,
detention, mistreatment and state-sanctioned murder of journalists and human
rights activists as well as the brutal crackdown on opposition politicians some
of whom narrowly escaped several assassinations attempts. Hassan Sheikh’s
vision is to build a peaceful, viable and prosperous, fully democratic federal
Somalia.
Domestic
Peace
President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mantra “Somalia at peace with itself and at peace with
the world” is conceptually premised on both the peacebuilding theory (domestic
peace) and the democratic peace theory (international peace). In the context of
a post-conflict state like Somalia, the peacebuilding theory is the most
applicable conceptual analysis on the dynamics of domestic peace.
It
is important to note that “our understanding of peace building is largely
shaped by our understanding of meaning of peace. Hence, it is essential to
understand the meaning of peace before proceeding to peace building”
According to a widely accepted view, “Peace is generally conceived of as
absence of war or more specifically the absence of manifested violence.”
Peacebuilding
theorists have fronted two distinct strands of the concept: negative peace and
positive peace. Negative peace is predicated on “the absence of manifest
violence such as war, which could be realised through negotiation or mediation
rather than resorting to physical force. It recommends the use of non-violent means,
total disarmament, and social and economic interdependence to avoid physical violence
and discourage the use of force in conflict situation.”
The concept of positive peace, based on broad
understanding of social conditions, refers to the removal of structural
violence beyond merely the absence of direct violence. According to John
Galtung, “positive peace would not be obtained without the development of just and
equitable conditions associated with the elimination of inegalitarian social
structures. Equality is an essential element for peace because its absence
perpetuates tension of all types.”
Simply put the elimination of repression and poverty
is an essential element of peace. President Hassan’s Sheikh’s pursuit of
domestic peace is decidedly anchored on the peacebuilding theory while his
quest for a just, equitable Somalia free from despotism and structural violence
are rooted in his pragmatic and substantive approach to building a durable,
lasting peace, in a free and independent, democratic Somalia.
International Relations
At the international
level, the democratic peace theory posits that democracies rarely go to war
with each other. This theory was first articulated by German philosopher
Immanuel Kant in his 1795 essay entitled “Perpetual Peace” in which he argued
nations with constitutional republic governments are less likely to go to war
because doing so requires the consent of the people.
The
democratic peace proposition challenges the validity of other political systems
(i.e., fascism, communism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism) etc. Without
public and legislative approval, a democracy cannot go to war at the whim of
its leaders. Most recently, the undemocratic old regime was drawn into the
Tigray conflict in Ethiopia through the covert deployment of hastily trained
young Somali forces that drew widespread public outrage. By building a
democratic culture, President Hassan Sheikh is determined to make sure such
unilateral interventions into neighbouring countries’ conflicts does not happen
again in the future.
In
his quest to build democracy at home through peacebuilding, human rights,
justice and equality and national reconciliation, H.E Hassan Sheikh is looking
to secure domestic peace, restore law and order, and the rule of law. In
consolidating Somalia’s peace and democracy, Hassan Sheikh can rebuild the
country’s reputation at the regional and international levels by maintaining
peace with its neighbours and pursuing peaceful relations across international
borders through a clear foreign policy influenced by democratic norms, mutual
respect, and multilateralism. Such a policy will put to an end the bellicose
undiplomatic belligerent behavior characteristic of the old regime. Earning the
respect of its neighbours and international partners, a new Somalia under the
visionary leadership of Hassan Sheikh will project a new positive image on the
global stage that is in line with acceptable international norms and behaviour.
Tackling
Somalia’s Recurrent Droughts
Hailed
as Somalia’s saviour, the experienced, reformist Hassan Sheikh inherits a
litany of problems, key among them the country’s worst drought in 40 years. The
UN estimates, 6 million Somalis, especially children are at serious risk of
starvation if no drastic action is taken to tackle the deadly effects of the
drought. Adam Abdelmoula, the UN Humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia has said
that a worsening drought, COVID-19, and the impacts from the war between Russia
and Ukraine are creating an increasingly dire situation in Somalia and warned
that inaction could cost thousands of lives if the situation is not brought
under control.
Experts
believe that “proactive responses such as early warning systems, investing in
the development of water resources or growing drought-resistant crops are more
cost-effective and efficient” while more
action is needed, such as access to alternative sources of water through
seawater desalination or deployment of innovative agricultural technologies
such as greenhouse farming.
With his proven mobilizational capacity, Hassan Sheikh can be relied upon to
effectively tackle the short and long-term effects of Somalia’s recurrent
droughts by finding a lasting solution to such crises.
Security
Security sector
reform should be another key priority for Hassan Sheikh. The President retakes
the reins of power at Villa Somalia at a time the country is still reeling from
the devastating effects of an internal strife triggered by a rogue leadership
that turned on its own citizens
illegally
deploying security forces to terrorise and eliminate regime opponents across a
number of Federal Member States. Rather than fight Al-Shabab, the previous
regime was busy fighting to install complaint regional state leaders in bid to
centralize power in the hands of undemocratic, self-serving demagogic elites.
As
previously noted by renowned Somalia analyst, Matt Bryden, resources that
should have been devoted to take the fight to Al- Shabaab were diverted by the last
government’s internal squabbles and efforts to assert its authority over
regional administrations adding that much of the army and the security
establishment was deployed to impose control on allied governments within
Somalia, and not deployed to fight al Al-Shabaab, said Bryden.
Luckily
for Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh has stellar national security credentials
having successfully degraded and pushed back Al-Shabab during his previous
term. By the time he left office in February 2017, Al-Shabab was on the run and
on its last legs only for the country to suffer security lapses owing to the
conflicting priorities of the successor regime. By re-focusing security operations
in the fight and ultimate defeat of the insurgents, President Hassan Sheikh is
poised to secure lasting peace for Somalia as the country readies itself to
take over security duties from ATMIS at the end of 2024. More importantly,
Hassan Sheikh is expected to build, a well-equipped, well-trained professional
army not mired in clannish conflicts and free from political machinations.
Federalism
While
speaking to the media, President Hassan Sheikh stated he wants to build genuine
democratic federalism by ridding the country of the centralized system of
governance that had long bedevilled Somalia’s fragile federal system. After
handing over power in 2017, Hassan Sheikh left behind a government operating at
full capacity while the political aspect of the federalism process was
completed by the creation of four federal member states. However, the federal system came under threat
over the last five years due to unilateral actions by the powers be at Villa
Somalia, as military force was used to manipulate elections in a number of
federal member states while two leading federal member states periodically
suspended cooperation with the central government. Under his new mandate,
Hassan Sheikh has promised to restore federal-state relations centred on
policies that enhance constitutionalism, devolution of powers and cooperation.
Economic
Sovereignty
President Tayyip
Recep Erdogan, Somalia’s closest and most dependable ally has been hailed by
his adoring compatriots as the country’s saviour. Since coming to power 19
years ago, first as a prime minster and later as a president, Erdogan pulled a
demoralized and much derided Turkey from state of indignity and decades-old over
reliance on manipulative Western European largesse to
an economically self-reliant regional powerhouse that is today a dominant,
political, diplomatic, and military power on the global stage.
Erdogan
introduced and built a strong democratic system in Turkey that integrated
Islamic values and principles into the country’s governing system gradually reversing
the old Kemalist order that was fraught with military coups, authoritarianism,
and economic ruin. By directing billions of dollars into development projects,
Erdogan has rekindled Turkey’s Ottoman heritage ending subordination to Europe
and transforming Turkey into one of the largest economies of the world. Unlike
the past when Turkey was reliant on European handouts, the country today is not
only an economic giant, but a donor nation that has come to the rescue of many
countries and territories that experienced humanitarian crises in recent years,
including Somalia, Pakistan, Gaza etc.
Somali’s
look to President Hassan Sheikh, who shares similar leadership characteristics
and values as the Turkish leader to deliver the country from its political quagmire,
economic doldrums, and chronic dependence on foreign aid. Driven by his vision
for self-directed development, Hassan Sheikh believes Somalia should rely on
its vast rich natural resources including oil and gas, minerals, fisheries,
livestock, and agriculture as well its ever-growing human capital to build a
resilient economy.
As
donor fatigue is setting in, Somalia cannot afford to perpetually rely on weary
foreign benefactors. By bringing his development vision to the core, President
Hassan Sheikh can tap into Somalia’s great potential and build a thriving
economy that will spur growth, end foreign dependence and user in an era of
sustained prosperity for all Somalis.
Brighter
Future
With
H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the helm, an era of renewal and hope will descend
on Somalia as his leadership is set to end the country’s protracted conflict,
advance democratic governance, and lay a solid foundation for viable
nation-building and constitution-building processes. His peace and
development-oriented vision will set in motion a progressive agenda leading to
the emergence of a new stable, united, and prosperous Somalia and a federal
order free from despotism, corruption, factionalism, and clannism. A new
Somalia at peace with itself and at peace with the world would be a dream come
true for all Somalis. Long Live President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud! Long Live
Somalia!
Deeq Suleyman Yusuf
[email protected]