06/19/2006
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“The situation in Jowhar is now calm, but people have been frightened by yesterdays
fighting and are staying indoors,” recounts HornAfrik journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Mualimu from Jowhar.
We will have to wait and see if the warlords have the political and military
capability to attempt a counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, leader
of the Union of Islamic Courts, has announced that in Jowhar there will be a strictly
imposed night-time curfew. Along with this Ahmed has invited the elders of the
city’s clan to meet with the purpose of creating a new local administration that
will collaborate with the Union of Islamic Courts, and have the responsibility
of overseeing justice and security.
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The gains made by the Islamic Courts have rocked the balance in Somalia
written for PeaceReporter by
Emilio Manfredi
Emilio Manfredi
“The situation in Jowhar is now calm, but people have been frightened by yesterdays
fighting and are staying indoors,” recounts HornAfrik journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Mualimu from Jowhar.After the fall of Mogadishu last week the Union of Islamic Courts advanced rapidly
and furiously and now Jowhar is also in their hands. Jowhar is a strategically
vital place, located 90 kilometres north of the Somali capital, apart from this
it’s also where many warlords have sought refuge having fled from Mogadishu. The
Islamic militia, loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts ferociously attacked the
city on two fronts entering it from the north and south. Many residents report
that two hours of fighting led to the victory of the Islamic militia over the
militia loyal to the most important local warlord Mohammed Dhere. Now the warlords,
who make up part of the Alliance against terrorism supported by the CIA, have
fled towards the north and by nightfall had reached the city of El Bur, in Galgudud
district in central Somalia.
We will have to wait and see if the warlords have the political and military
capability to attempt a counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, leader
of the Union of Islamic Courts, has announced that in Jowhar there will be a strictly
imposed night-time curfew. Along with this Ahmed has invited the elders of the
city’s clan to meet with the purpose of creating a new local administration that
will collaborate with the Union of Islamic Courts, and have the responsibility
of overseeing justice and security.“Straight away the Islamic militia started to patrol the city, meanwhile the
city’s population are living a mix of waiting and fear,” PeaceReporter was told this by a local source, who wishes to remain anonymous. “Many people
want to leave the city, above all women and children, while others don’t dare
to leave their houses. Everyone fears a counterattack by Dhere’s militia, despite
the fact that the Islamic militia have full control of the city,” declared our
source.
Up until this point the Union of Islamic Courts have demonstrated that they have
sufficient strength to take control of important parts of the country, and have
enjoyed the support of the population, so much so that they have persuaded the
Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju to define the Islamic victory as being the “fruit
of a popular uprising.” The situation in Somalia, however, remains very delicate,
it involves local protagonists: in primis the Islamic militia, who are the real military victors. Then there are the warlords,
who despite fleeing, have the desire to retake control of their territory and
above all their business affairs. Meanwhile the transitional government controls
only a tiny part of their territory: their stronghold Baidoa. A small town 250
kilometres from Mogadishu that appears to be at the mercy of events. Yesterday
parliament approved the presence of African peacekeepers from neighbouring countries. But the Courts have rejected the idea; instead they
support autonomous security of the country.
Now the game has moved onto an international diplomatic level. The USA, after
having armed and supported the warlords, finds themselves out of place. However,
international meetings about Somalia continue. Yesterday, in Addis Ababa the African
Union met. Whilst in New York the US vice Secretary of State, Jenday Frazer, presided
over a “contact group”, made up of diplomats from the European Union, Great Britain,
Sweden, Norway, Italy, Tanzania and the United Nations, with the objective of
discussing what to do. The future of Somalia is continuously being played out
further and further away from the sand and ruins of this ex-Italian colony. Meanwhile
local people, frightened and tired of this fifteen year war, only hope that they
won’t die from the fatigue of it.
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