07/18/2005
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“He was a man that could sit in the eye of a hurricane and make you laugh.” This
is how a European who had worked with Abdulkadir Yahya Ali for years described
him, the most famous Somalian activist involved in the peace process of a country
that for 14 years has been torn apart by civil war. On Monday, at 2am, he was
brutally assassinated in his home on the outskirts of Mogadishu by an armed group
that had first immobilised five body guards, and then killed him in front of his
wife. His non-governmental organisation, Centre for Research and Dialogue was the best known outside of Somalia and the most well known amongst international
aid workers. According to Muslim tradition his body was buried on Monday, but
on Saturday a funeral ceremony has been organised, more than anything it will
be a commemoration. His popularity is such that the Somalia capital has declared
a week of mourning and events dedicated to him. Again, Somalia is the centre of
international attention, as it was in February, after the death of the BBC reporter
Kate Peyton, 39 years old, shot in the back by machine gun fire.
“The Base” casts its’ shadow. The way in which this murder was carried out makes you believe that it was done
by a well organised group, such as the jihadists, who in the last two years have
made this country a witness to the Islamic battle of Al Qaeda. A report published
on Monday by the NGO, “ICG”, noted the presence in the capital Mogadishu of a
new group affiliated to the “Base” a group founded by Osama Bin Laden. They are
suspected of killing four international aid workers between October 2003 and April
2004, in the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland in the north west of the country.
The report underlines the chaos that followed the hunt of the dictator Siad Barre
in 1991, and which was followed by the installation of “el Ittihad el Islam” who
wanted to have a dictator in the Horn of Africa. This organisation is officially
registered as a Muslim charity, but has been identified on a US government list
as one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations. 14 years of instability
have created a favourable environment as a “refuge for a terrorist community after
the Afghanistani and Iraqi campaigns, Ethiopian spies and Western anti-terrorist
experts,” as stated in the report. A new group, which is affiliated to al Qaeda,
and led by a certain Aden Haslim Ayro, could have dozens of members; who have
survived after the killing or capture of dozens of their comrades by the Western
services in the Puntland and Somaliland regions. “What makes me less worried about
them-says Bryden- is that at the moment it seems that they are getting little
help, also they seem to have been rejected by the Somalian community.”
Brakes put on peace. “Now the peace process has come to a sudden halt –Matt Bryden says- it’s almost
impossible to find for each group a negotiator who is a s credible ass him, and
who at the same times enjoys the trust of all the parties involved.” Yahya was
independent of movements and received funds to run his humanitarian projects from
the UN organisation in Nairobi, Kenya –for example the UN development Fund (UNDP)-
but also from Islamic clerics. “He was able to have contact with every side in
whatever moment –continues Bryden- this is what makes you wonder about his assassins:
nobody knows who his enemies were, even if he was a man who wasn’t frightened
and said what he thought. Maybe it’s this that could have attracted so much hatred.
But a murder like this is without precedence.” “A man like him who is able to
connect with every armed faction -says an aid worker from Nairobi who wants to
remain anonymous – it’s an immense loss, above all now the government is divided
on whether it returns to Mogadishu or not. He was able to motivate Somalian civilian
society: before he appeared on the scene everyone was frightened to face up to
arms, he succeeded in involving the most eminent personalities and showed everyone
that simple citizens have power in their hands by demonstrating. A courageous
man that knew the risks attached to staying in Mogadishu, but he didn’t want to
abandon his country for Europe. In fact he continued to create initiatives, such
as recently with a group of activists on the edge of civilian society, that could
be used as a pressure group for the peace process. You can’t believe how huge
the loss is for Somalia.”
Uproar in Nairobi. Whist Yahya was being killed, the group “men of war” decided together to form
a government of transition in Nairobi; they are still discussing the conditions
that will create a new Somali executive in their capital. Meanwhile the President
of the parliament Sharif Hasar Shaikh Adan and the other men of war from that
area have nominated ministers, as Mogadishu will be the capital of parliament.
The President Abdullahi Yusuf has decided to move from his northern region towards
the south, recruiting as many militias as possible on the way. However, it’s a
dream which is always further and further away; today President Yusuf has called
to the United Nation’s Security Council to lift the arms embargo which has been
vigorously applied to his country for 13 years, in order, “to allow our national
forces and regional peace forces to stabilise the situation for the re-entry of
Government.”
printsend
Abdulkadir Yahya Ali was the only man who could get fighting factions to talk
Written for PeaceReporter
by Gianluca Ursini
“He was a man that could sit in the eye of a hurricane and make you laugh.” This
is how a European who had worked with Abdulkadir Yahya Ali for years described
him, the most famous Somalian activist involved in the peace process of a country
that for 14 years has been torn apart by civil war. On Monday, at 2am, he was
brutally assassinated in his home on the outskirts of Mogadishu by an armed group
that had first immobilised five body guards, and then killed him in front of his
wife. His non-governmental organisation, Centre for Research and Dialogue was the best known outside of Somalia and the most well known amongst international
aid workers. According to Muslim tradition his body was buried on Monday, but
on Saturday a funeral ceremony has been organised, more than anything it will
be a commemoration. His popularity is such that the Somalia capital has declared
a week of mourning and events dedicated to him. Again, Somalia is the centre of
international attention, as it was in February, after the death of the BBC reporter
Kate Peyton, 39 years old, shot in the back by machine gun fire.Irredeemable Loss. “Yahya was very involved as a mentor for peace and reconciliation, he never lost
his optimism, - declared the UN representative for Somalia Maxwell Gaylard-, this
is a great loss for Mogadishu and the country, it’s exactly at this moment in
time that his tenacity and courage would have helped so much.”
“I knew Yahya for more than 15 years -Matt Bryden of the US NGO “International
Crisis Group” (ICG) told PeaceReporter on the ‘phone- to give you a run down
of all of his activities is really difficult: for sure he had dozens of projects
underway, among which was one about training and education of children that had
been child soldiers, even if it meant demobilising and re-integrating a whole
group of armed militia into civilian society and providing them with professional
training. Through his mediation there a number of open forums were held with leaders
of diverse factions and at which a number of points were overcome which then enabled
an open talks. Thanks to him there was the possibility of dialogue between factions
that otherwise would have never have taken place. We must thank Yahya if the groups
that are arguing over Mogadishu agree to take down the road blocks and open the
streets of the capital, this would be the first step towards establishing a transitional
government for the country.”
“Among the international community the news has brought a lot of uneasiness,
whilst Somalians are really shocked,” says an aid worker that spoke to PeaceReporter,
who wishes to remain anonymous, adding that: “He knew how to get a smile out of
anyone, he was able to get the best out of anybody: a man with a unique charisma.”
“The Base” casts its’ shadow. The way in which this murder was carried out makes you believe that it was done
by a well organised group, such as the jihadists, who in the last two years have
made this country a witness to the Islamic battle of Al Qaeda. A report published
on Monday by the NGO, “ICG”, noted the presence in the capital Mogadishu of a
new group affiliated to the “Base” a group founded by Osama Bin Laden. They are
suspected of killing four international aid workers between October 2003 and April
2004, in the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland in the north west of the country.
The report underlines the chaos that followed the hunt of the dictator Siad Barre
in 1991, and which was followed by the installation of “el Ittihad el Islam” who
wanted to have a dictator in the Horn of Africa. This organisation is officially
registered as a Muslim charity, but has been identified on a US government list
as one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations. 14 years of instability
have created a favourable environment as a “refuge for a terrorist community after
the Afghanistani and Iraqi campaigns, Ethiopian spies and Western anti-terrorist
experts,” as stated in the report. A new group, which is affiliated to al Qaeda,
and led by a certain Aden Haslim Ayro, could have dozens of members; who have
survived after the killing or capture of dozens of their comrades by the Western
services in the Puntland and Somaliland regions. “What makes me less worried about
them-says Bryden- is that at the moment it seems that they are getting little
help, also they seem to have been rejected by the Somalian community.”Brakes put on peace. “Now the peace process has come to a sudden halt –Matt Bryden says- it’s almost
impossible to find for each group a negotiator who is a s credible ass him, and
who at the same times enjoys the trust of all the parties involved.” Yahya was
independent of movements and received funds to run his humanitarian projects from
the UN organisation in Nairobi, Kenya –for example the UN development Fund (UNDP)-
but also from Islamic clerics. “He was able to have contact with every side in
whatever moment –continues Bryden- this is what makes you wonder about his assassins:
nobody knows who his enemies were, even if he was a man who wasn’t frightened
and said what he thought. Maybe it’s this that could have attracted so much hatred.
But a murder like this is without precedence.” “A man like him who is able to
connect with every armed faction -says an aid worker from Nairobi who wants to
remain anonymous – it’s an immense loss, above all now the government is divided
on whether it returns to Mogadishu or not. He was able to motivate Somalian civilian
society: before he appeared on the scene everyone was frightened to face up to
arms, he succeeded in involving the most eminent personalities and showed everyone
that simple citizens have power in their hands by demonstrating. A courageous
man that knew the risks attached to staying in Mogadishu, but he didn’t want to
abandon his country for Europe. In fact he continued to create initiatives, such
as recently with a group of activists on the edge of civilian society, that could
be used as a pressure group for the peace process. You can’t believe how huge
the loss is for Somalia.”Uproar in Nairobi. Whist Yahya was being killed, the group “men of war” decided together to form
a government of transition in Nairobi; they are still discussing the conditions
that will create a new Somali executive in their capital. Meanwhile the President
of the parliament Sharif Hasar Shaikh Adan and the other men of war from that
area have nominated ministers, as Mogadishu will be the capital of parliament.
The President Abdullahi Yusuf has decided to move from his northern region towards
the south, recruiting as many militias as possible on the way. However, it’s a
dream which is always further and further away; today President Yusuf has called
to the United Nation’s Security Council to lift the arms embargo which has been
vigorously applied to his country for 13 years, in order, “to allow our national
forces and regional peace forces to stabilise the situation for the re-entry of
Government.” Somalia will feel the loss of Abdulkadir Yahya Ali for a long time.
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