Issa+Shivji,+Somalia+next+Afghanistan+plus+Iraq

A Letter to the Editor from Professor Issa Shivji
=Somalia: The Next Afghanistan + Iraq?=

While we are basking in the lime-light of Dr Migiro’s appointment, BBC reported this (Tuesday) morning that an American Air-Force AC-130 bombarded a site in Somalia near the Kenyan border. The excuse was the usual one – to destroy alleged Al-Qaida who, the Americans have constantly propagandized, are part of the Union of Islamic Courts. The planes flew from an American air base in another African country, Djibuoti.

This is a very, very ominous turn of events. Africans in their senses have constantly warned of the American military design on the Eastern seaboard. Yet, our “leaders” have thoughtlessly been currying favours with this vicious military power. In the horn, the heavily militarized Ethiopia has become their on the scene agent to do the dirty work of the war monger.

First, the Americans pushed through a Security Council resolution to send an African peace-keeping force to Somalia. This was only a cover; any one could have seen it. The most important part of that resolution was not so much the peace-keeping force but the lifting of UN embargo on arms to Somalia. The resolution provided some legitimacy – albeit fig-leaf- to Ethiopian military presence in that war torn country. Unilaterally, with of course green light from the US, Ethiopia invaded Somalia ostensibly in support of the so-called Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

The TFG is a cruel joke. It is made up of former warlords who have kept the murderous killings alive in Somalia for the past 15 years. These warlords are supported by the US and the Ethiopians. It has simply no base in Somalia. No government in Somalia with even little roots could have ever allied with Ethiopia, which is essentially an occupying force.

Regrettably, Tanzania co-sponsored the Security Council Resolution. Worse, Tanzania is the only African country which is a member of the American sponsored International Contact Group. Others are the US, UK, Norway, Sweden, Italy and the EU. AU, the Arab League and Kenya attend as observers. The contact group ploy was clearly meant to by-pass IGAD. No wonder Kenya was angered when Tanzania, without proper prior consultations with Kenya, agreed to be part of the Contact Group.

Ethiopia broke ranks with IGAD when it invaded Somalia. The US broke ranks with the Contact Group when it struck Somalia; so much for regional and international collective peace-keeping.

Who authorized the US to strike deep in Africa’s heartland? Let us not be taken in by the so-called Al-Qaida presence. This is not the first time Americans would be telling a blatant lie. They did it in August 1998 when Clinton ordered his cruise missiles to attack the al-Shifa Pharmaceutical plant in Sudan. The Americans said it was producing VX gas. In reality, it was producing drugs. Clinton knew it but human lives, except American, matter for little to US presidents. Again Bush told a lie that Saddam was hiding weapons of mass destruction. He told another lie that Saddam was connected with terrorists. We have seen the results.

If we keep quiet about American military planes flying over African skies, they will paint our lands red with blood. Within less than a decade, the Americans have razed two countries to the ground, allegedly in search of terrorists. This air-strike is a curtain raiser to expand the Middle East War theatre to Africa. We forget only at our peril. This ‘war against terrorism’ is worse than the proxy-hot wars that the US instigated on the continent during the Cold War era. Now, it is fomenting and instigating civil wars in which Africans will fight Africans, not only across borders but within borders – Muslims against Christians, moderates against extremists, radicals against liberals. It does not matter to them. During the Iran-Iraq war Kissinger quipped: Let both houses burn! And when asked about the death of half a million Iraqi children due to sanctions, Madeline Albright shamelessly intoned: It is worth the price.

US has just announced the formation of an African command within its military to “train African troops” to hunt down terrorists (meaning our own people). The truth is, and the American spokesmen and women say it openly – it is to protect oil resources; 25 per cent of US oil needs come from Africa.

Somalia today has all the ingredients of becoming the next Afghanistan or Iraq. God forbid! The people of Africa must rise up to condemn the American strike without reservations. The youth of Africa must understand that the MacDonalisation of the world is accompanied by MacDonnelisation [MacDonnel Douglas is an American firm supplying defense needs.]. Don’t be mesmerized by globalization.

Globalization is the most militarized phase of imperialism just as it is the beastly face of capitalism.

9/01/2007
 * Issa Shivji** (Prof.)

797 words