President Abdullahi
Yusuf's Government:
Allot of Challenges and
Extraordinary
Opportunities
By Mahdi Haile
Somalia on Monday
January 8, 2007the
Presdent of Somali
Transitional Government
of Mr Abduallhi Yusuf
began the process of
regaining the government
historical Seat the
Villa Somali former Sida
Bare residency. As the
first elected Warlord
president in Somalia,
President Abduallhi
Yusuf made history for
himself, for the first
in 40 years in coming
back to Mogadishu.
However, the President
must now contend with
major challenges. The
president also has an
incredible opportunity
to change Somalia for
the better. I briefly
discuss these daunting
challenges and
extraordinary
opportunities.
Daunting challenges in
Somalia
The challenges facing
President Yusuf is
without any doubt,
daunting.
First, there is an
unbelievable high
expectation that more
than 16 years of civil
war and rot, political
instability, war and
destruction will be
overcome quickly.
Expectations are so high
that it is difficult for
the new government to
have the support and
trust t with peple in
Mogadishu.
Second, Somalis's basic
infrastructure, for all
intents and purposes, is
destroyed. Water,
sanitary services,
electricity and roads
have borne the brunt of
more than 16 years of
brutal wars and bad
governance.
Third, reconciliation
and rehabilitation
efforts in Somalia have
at best being tentative
and largely infective in
the last two years.
Thousands of Moryaan,
children, soldiers are
yet to begin schooling
or become integrated
into the society.
Demobilization of battle
hardened former
government and rebel
fighters have at best,
being spurious. Somali
are still scattered
outside of the country..
Fourth, the hydra-headed
monsters of corruption,
according to published
reports, remain alive
and well in Somalia,
even during the TFG
government. This is
against a backdrop of a
country that had
witnessed extraordinary
suffering of its
citizens and the
complete collapse of its
infrastructure.
Fifth, a generation of
Somali children have
grown up and become
young adults without an
extended period of
peace, extended period
of schooling and
extended period of
socialization within
familial and community
surroundings. All that
these children but now
young adults have known
are the horrors of war.
A country with a history
of Nomad life and
Stewardship and good
education in 70s and
eights may now have a
generation that never
experienced normal
family upbringing and
age-appropriate
education. A non
socialized and non
educated generation may
cause irreparable damage
to the future political,
economic, social and
cultural stability of a
country.
Sixth, poisonous
Clanisam now a way of
life in Somalia.
Experiences from the
civil war in the last
Sixteen years show that
ethnicisam and tribalism
remains an intractable
foe of cohesive,
national development and
renaissance.
Seventh, Somalia will
have to create a modern,
apolitical national army
and police force. A
major issue is the role
of combatants active
during the war years.
Another concern will be
ethnic and criminal
militias who have
perfected the techniques
for guerrilla warfare
and can resurrect an
insurgency at moments
notice.
Eight, President
Abdulaahi Yusuf's
government will have to
share power with its
rivals , moderates and
civil society through
good Governance. Sooner
rather than later,
differences of opinion
will arise regarding
project priorities,
feasibility, cost
efficiency and cost
effectiveness.
Ninth, HIV/AIDS Could be
increasingly become a
major threat to Somalia
with Arrival of peace
keepers from African
countries who may be
infected HIV infections,
and will likely fuel a
rise in the incidence of
HIV transmission. Other
diseases such as TB and
Malaria will remain
major problems as the
nation begins its long
recovery and citizens
begin to regain control
of their lives.
Despite these
challenges, the
president and PM Gedi
have incredible
opportunities in his
favor to change the
fortunes of Somalis.
What are these
opportunities?
Incredible Opportunities
to Change Somalia.
A) the atmosphere and
the Situation favors a
dynamic president Prime
Minster and his cabinet.
Somalia with 15 million
people and a relatively
small country is not a
"huge" country like
Sudan or Ethiopia, but a
hardworking government,
relentlessly focused on
the welfare of its
citizens should be in a
striking position to
meet the needs of its
people.
B) Now the government
has only A non-renewable
tenure of two more
years. is long enough to
lay solid foundation for
governance in Somalia
and make life much
easier for Somalis. this
non-renewable tenure
must minimize the
influence of
professional sycophants
that often reach the
heights of their powers
during periods of
political instability
and wars. These
sycophants have made
their living in many
African countries by
knowing how to stroke
the omnipotent fantasies
of sit-tight leaders. As
long as this government
maintains its stand on a
non-renewable term of
her 2 more yeras, it
would free itself up to
concentrate on the
urgent task of
rebuilding Somalia and
rehabilitating Somalis.
C) The government can
end government
corruption by
steadfastly implementing
a policy that makes the
public sector
"non-lucrative" for its
leaders and staff. As
long the government
remains the dominant
sector and the most
"lucrative" segment of
the economy, corruption
and misappropriation of
national resources will
flourish. The government
has the opportunity to
make government
operations completely
transparent in Somalia
by providing regular
information on
operational revenues and
expenditures; publicly
publishing the assets
and liabilities of
senior public officers,
and, updating this
information on a regular
basis; setting up
verifiable performance
benchmarks for
government operations
and making this
information available to
all stakeholders;
providing opposition
parties with timely
information so that they
can discharge their
function as watchdogs of
the government;
empowering civil society
organizations to closely
monitor government
operations; encouraging
freedom of the press,
including investigative
journalism; appointing
independent anti-fraud
units and auditors for
government operations,
and, publicizing their
findings; and, ensuring
that local or
parliamentary elections
after two years of
Manifestation of free
and fair Elections.
A streamlined, focused
and reliable public
sector can assist
political leaders meet
their mandate regarding
peace and security and
the rehabilitation of
refugees and former
combatants. A reliable
civil service will also
be a critical player in
encouraging local and
external private sector
entrepreneurs and
investors to stay for
the long haul.
Government's oversight
of critical extractive
industries will also
depend on reliable civil
service.
D) The government should
focus relentlessly on
two issues (1) restoring
or creating basic
infrastructure and (2)
creating optimal
regulatory environment
during its tenure.
Somalis for the next six
years will benefit
maximally from a
government laser-beam
focus on restoring
electricity supply,
providing pipe-borne
water to all parts of
the country, and,
building and maintaining
urban and rural roads.
The government should
also focus on restoring
public safety services,
rebuilding or
constructing new primary
and secondary schools,
restoring the University
of Gahayr to its
hitherto enviable status
and revamping or
constructing health
centers and hospitals.
This focus on
construction activities
will also allow the new
government to meet one
of its cherished goals:
creating jobs for able
bodied men and women so
that they can support
their families and
restore civility to
their communities.
In addition, a crucial
role of the government
in the next few years is
to create enabling
policy and legal
environments for public
and private sector
activities. The
government should create
enabling legal
environment of
streamlined laws and
work on avenues for
ensuring equal access to
justice; create an
efficient and honest
civil service; encourage
private enterprise,
small, medium and large;
empower opposition
parties to function
without harassment so
that they can fulfill
their role as checks and
balances on the
government in power;
and, mobilize civil
society organizations
and community-based
organizations to become
critical stakeholders in
national development.
E) Somalis in the
Diaspora should become
strategic partners in
Government's individual
and private sector
initiative to accelerate
development. As one of
the most distinguished
Somali immigrants in the
West in the last two
decades, the president
knows a thing or two
about the strengths of
his compatriots in the
Diaspora. Creating
opportunities for
Somalis in the Diaspora
to complete individual
projects, safeguard
personal investments in
the country, create
private sector
generating jobs and
bring major corporations
to Somalia to set up
factories and service
delivery facilities
should be an important
focus of the government.
The key is to create
conducive environments
for Somalis in the
Diaspora to maximize
their potential in the
urgent task of nation
building.
F) Create a modern
national army and police
force that is well
educated, representative
of various tribal groups
in the country and
completely untainted
from the past era of
impunity. This is a
critical opportunity for
the government to create
an apolitical, loyal and
honest security
apparatus that will
respect the
constitution, enforce
laws and obey legitimate
orders. This is an
once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to create a
modern army and police
force that could be the
model for many African
countries.
G) The government can
rebuild the healthcare
system in Somalia to a
world class standard.
The healthcare system in
Somalia is almost
completely destroyed.
The government has the
opportunity to develop
and implement a new
health system from the
ground-up that is
anchored on (1) strong
public health system (2)
effective clinical care
system, and (3)
community
mobilization/outreach
system. The new
healthcare system will
reflect the felt (not
perceived) needs of
Somalis and should
include health personnel
conversant with the
health needs of Somalis.
The new health system
should also aim to meet
quality standards
associated with best
systems around the
world. The outcome a
strong and effective
health system is that
Somalis will be better
prepared to deal with
menace of HIV/AIDS, TB,
Malaria and other
infectious diseases;
meet the obstetrics
needs of Somali women;
meet the infant and
child health needs of
the youngest
Conclusion
Somalia faces a long
road ahead. The journey
to a stable, secure and
effective state is not
going to be easy. The
President must recognize
and respect the will of
the people and he needs
to tell the people to
make Ethiopian troops
leave Somalia soon. The
honeymoon is going to be
short as long suffering
Somalis look for
verifiable dividends of
their hard fought battle
for peace. The
government at this time
has international
support to return
Somalia to its glory
years. All Somalis
should join hands and
work together to enable
the proud nation regains
its natural position as
a trail blazer in East
Africa.
Contact: Mahdi Haile
Executive Director
Center For Somali
Solutions & Unity
Phone: 612-871-6411
E-mail-
Somalisolutions@gmailo.com
Afeef:
Aragtida qoraalkan waxaa leh qiraaga ju
saxiiixan


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