S H A S N A  MediaWatch

Eldoret Peace Process in Near Collapse

Nairobi, Kenya
[December 11, 2002]
 

Is IGAD Technical Committee Really Serious about the Somali Peace & Reconciliation Process? Will Donors Take Note and Salvage this Sinking Exxon Valdez? Will IGAD Honor the Conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities Declaration?

As we have accustomed to, every attempted Somali peace and reconciliation process brings new tragedies and wars to Somalia. Witness the ravages where war was never; witness the current and in the planning fierce battles between Puntland and Somaliland; witness the renewed clashes in Kismayo, Mogadishu, Jowhar and in the Bay and Bakool regions. And never forget the ravages the ARTA Faction - a product of Djibouti and its Arab allies - has visited on poor and innocent Somalis during the last two years. Now the million dollar question: is the Eldoret peace process yet another sign of what is in store for Somalia?

This time Somalis are hopeful for the winds of peace and not of war. But we also know and surely believe that these sorts of tragedies don't occur by accident, but by design. It is always a cruel design fabricated in foreign lands, and it is now playing in Somalia.

In Somalia's northern recovery zones, where stability has reigned for over ten years, the dogs of war are being unleashed. In Somaliland, a rookie leader and a former colonel in Siad Barre's secret police, whose first overseas trip as President of Somaliland was to Djibouti - the creator and funder of al-Itihad's ARTA faction - and his second to a disputed region with no-blood-relations, where his predecessor has never set foot, is being put to the test. In Puntland and their brethren in the regions of Sool and Eastern Sanaag, where no shots have been fired during Somalia's severe civil war, loyalties are also being put to the test. How Somalia's recovery zones, elected leaders, conference participants, donor countries and neighboring states respond to these disturbing trends will say a lot about the future of Somalia's expected recovery and its recovery zones. We hope the people of Somalia, their leaders and the rest of the world will this time reject these latest imports of death and destruction into Soma
In Kenya - the home of the latest Somali peace and reconciliation process - instead of reconciling the war ravaged Somalis, or making sure that the cessation of hostilities declaration is fully implemented, the Eldoret peace process - taking place in one of the world's most corrupt states - is being turned into a business venture. According to Somali participants, spectators and certain members of the accreditation team (members of IGAD Technical Committee) in Eldoret, membership of any delegation or even inclusion as a "Group Leader" to the originally invited official participants can now be bought at a price, of course in Kenyan Shillings. Witness the ever increasing number of delegates and group leaders! Remember the original twenty-two leaders, who participated the signing ceremony, at the latest count from the technical committee, they were over thirty and going up! Forget about the delegates, the participants and the issues committees, those are going up and changing by the hour!

Not to be outdone, welcome to the all new and upcoming set of "Nine Resource Persons!" No regional leader, Somali group or faction leader knows what constituents they represent; what they will do; or what they will add to the process. But it is generally rumored that they are proxies of regional and foreign powers. Welcome to Eldoret, where every secret spy agency in the world has a front row seat!

Add it all up, and according to an Eldoret legend, after every participant is sent back by Friday, you will have a remaining and magically picked number of 315 individuals selected from above medley. Conspiracy aside, as William Shakespeare would say, we hopefully expect that "Though this be madness, yet there is method in it."

Method or madness, it is the duty of IGAD, the world community and donor countries to make sure that unlike predecessor peace processes, this time, during and after Eldoret, there will be no more fuel to the Somali fires; there will be no more death and destruction in Somalia. We hope the world would take note and help Somalia achieve peace and stability. Please don't let corruption and regional rivalries scuttle this latest and most hopeful Somali peace process.

Please support peace, unity and justice in Somalia...to be Continued...stay tuned!