Published: February 20, 2001

To: The President of the Transitional Government,
      Hon. Abdiqasim Salad Hassan
To: The Prime Minister of the Transitional Government,
      Hon. Dr. Ali Khalif Galaydh
cc: The President of the Transitional National Assembly
      Hon. Abdalla Deerow Isaaq

Re: Warning Against Breaking Faith with the Public Trust

We, the members of the Pan Somali Council for Peace and Democracy (aka ISRAACA) hereby like to sound an alarm and express our deep concerns about some disturbing recent political actions, inaction, and policy decisions by your administration, all of which, in our view, are inconsistent with the trust bestowed upon you at the national reconciliation convention in Carta.

As an advocacy organization dedicated to the promotion of comprehensive peace, unity, justice and human rights in Somalia, ISRAACA openly welcomed the Transitional Government and pledged its conditional support despite strong reservations by many of our members about the process and methods that led to the political consensus in Carta which gave birth to the current government. Like millions of Somalis everywhere, we shared in the aspirations and held out the hope that our country would soon assume its rightful place among the community of civilized nations.

In that spirit, we pledged in our first open letter to you to do whatever we can to assist your administration in its efforts to realize the yearnings for comprehensive peace and progress, stability and reconciliation by the people of Somalia. And in keeping with that promise, ISRAACA, for example, helped organize demonstrations in Washington, D.C., Ottawa, and London against Ethiopian violations of Somalia's territorial integrity. Needless to say that these nationally spirited efforts was very successful. Israaca managed to mobilize Somalis from different regions and all walks of life for the cause of national sovereignty from foreign divisions and occupation.

But we also pledged to stand guard and be on the lookout for dangers to the common interests of the Somali people. In accordance with this article of our mission, we would like to call your attention to the following issues which, we believe, demand immediate corrective action:

1. A growing sense among our people that the Transitional Government not only has failed to uphold important provisions of the interim constitution, but has consistently and blatantly violated both the spirit and the letter of the Carta Accords (Axdi- Qarameed). Examples of the violations include the marginalization of the National Assembly or Parliament in national affairs, and the lukewarm efforts made so far toward bringing Somalia's fractured family closer together.

    

2. The Transitional Government's tolerance for the armed militias that illegally occupy, control, harass, and subjugate farming and fishing communities of the regions of Lower Shabelle and the Juba Valley. This is a blot on our national character and a sure impediment to peace and reconciliation. We call on the government to move the resolution of this issue to the top of its order of priorities by:
   • Seeking the immediate withdrawal of armed groups who wrongfully occupy the lands and forcibly subjugate locals.
   • Restoring land and properties occupied by force to their rightful owners
   • Forcing militias to cease forced labor exploitation and illegal taxation and to leave economic enterprises to their rightful owners.
   • Stopping the burning of trees, shipments of charcoal and all practices that have caused environmental degradation to the fertile land of Somalia.
   • Speaking out against arbitrary injustices and heavy handedness exacted to the peaceful people of Southern Somalia, by armed militias, and corrupt business people.
3. The TNG's ominous decision to purchase shipments of weapons at a time when Somalia desperately needs to be rebuilt has alarmed those of our people who believe that there are too many weapons in the country already.
4. The Transitional Government's inability or unwillingness to clearly dissociate itself from unscrupulous business groups or interests has the potential to erode public confidence in the government. A case in point is the recent injection of millions in counterfeit bank notes into an already weak economy. The high profile and heavy military escort of the trucks transporting the money from Ballidoogle Airport and the governments cozy relationship with the alleged counterfeit dealers seem to point to the government's duplicity in this matter. We remind the government that it is falling short of its duty to regulate the economy, establish a central bank and issue badly needed legal tender for the nation.