Yemen wants to see Somalia stabilize

Two weeks after Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed was sworn in as Somalia’s new president, hope continues to run high for Somalia to reach stability.

According to Abdisalam Moalim Adam, Somalia’s Ambassador based in Yemen, the Somali people are not only confident in President Yusuf to be able to unify the country, but that each tribe in the country is represented in the interim parliament showing a democratic system that could lead to a peaceful solution.

“There have been so many attempts to reconcile the conflicts in Somalia but have failed each time because of the differences between tribal warlords,” said Adam. “But now warlords are members of the parliament and signed an agreement on peace and disarming the militias. This is a democratic system that has brought tribal leaders together, and they are committed because they elected the new president with a strong majority.”

Ahmed Al-Basha, Head of the African Department at Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Yemen, which has been supporting Somalia to find a peaceful solution during the civil war which has lasted for 13 years, is also optimistic with the democratic peace process that can pull the nation together.

“We always support the democratic system as a way to get out of tribal ruling, a one party system or one ruler over the people,” said Al-Basha. “We support the selection of the representatives of the Somali people, including the president, prime minister, speaker of the house and members of the parliament. We always think that the Somalis should have their own free choice. Democracy is the way to get out of all the problems in East Africa, so we have hope in President Yusuf and the new government.”

Fighting between warring factions began in 1991 after Mohamed Siad Barre’s regime was ousted. Up to a million Somalis have died from clashes, famine and disease and thousands have fled the country.

President Yusuf took the oath of office on October 14 in Nairobi, Kenya, and is expected to form a new cabinet in the next few weeks. The new government will move to Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, in the near future.

Last Saturday, a Somali delegation representing the new government held talks with President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana’a concerning the peace process to bring stability to the Somalia.

The new government will face challenges, however. Education, healthcare and services are in shambles, and up to 60,000 armed Somalis from different militias are still based in Mogadishu, Yemen and Somalia believe that help from the international community is critical to stabilize and rebuild the war-ravaged country.

“The Somalis agree on a political framework to rule themselves, but there are still people carrying weapons, having no opportunities, no services, no healthcare and no education. The support from the country’s neighbors, Arab countries, and the international community is very important to rebuilding Somalia,” said Al-Basha.

Adam emphasized that the commitment from other countries to help Somalia rise from the ashes is key. “The peaceful solution not only depends on the commitment of the Somali people, but also on how the commitment of neighboring countries in the international community will be kept,” said Adam. “If we don’t have these commitments to support the changes politically and economically, it will be difficult to reach our goal.”

Last Saturday, the new Somali president asked the African Union (AU) to send 20,000 peacekeeping troops to Somalia to help secure the country and disarm the militias. It is said that the AU will accept the request, and the European Union has shown a commitment to assist Somalia in the rebuilding process and form the government’s administration.

The relationship between Yemen and Somalia is important both politically and economically. Both see the importance of the stability of the Horn of Africa region.

“Stability and security of the Horn of Africa will be a major part of security to the world,” said Al-Basha. “These two countries have a common goal of fighting terrorism and fighting the smuggling of weapons and drugs.”

Economic ties have also been important over the years. Before the civil war, Yemeni businessmen were second only to the Italians in how much they invested in Somalia.

“Historically, Yemenis have always been involved in business in the Horn of Africa,” said Al-Basha. “And Somalia has a lot of potential, such as in agriculture, a very long shoreline and a fish industry, so it can flourish. When Yemeni investors find a good market, a good political system and security, they will be ready to go to Somalia.”

And according to Adam, “The relationship between Somalia and Yemen will continue to strengthen through future cooperation. The presence of President Saleh at the inauguration of President Yusuf was significant. It showed Yemen’s support to a peaceful solution and it called on support from the international community.”