No prior arrangement was made by the delegation with
Somali and AMISOM officials in the region; it for this reason that they were
denied acces to the town, as claimed by Kenyan minister of Tourism speaking to
BBC Somali Service and Abdinasir Serar, speaker of a temporary administration
of Kismayo city, speaking also to VOA Somali service.
All parties, the federal government and local actors,
agree on application of the principle of self-determination: let the people who
live in the relevant regions determine their political fate. The president of
Somalia has confirmed his acceptance on the principle of self-determination in
a press conference, held after being in office for 61 days.
Some people in the region have already made up their mind,
though; they want to build a state known as Jubbaland state, consisting of
Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo.
Raskamboni militia, a militia allied to the federal
government, but not part of it, as well as federal government, FG, army in lower Jubba region, support Jubbaland
state. Mohamed Farah, spokesperson of
the FG army in Jubba provinces has confirmed this position to the VOA Somali
service, two weeks ago.
Raskamboni militia spokesperson Abdinasir Seerar has
confirmed to the VOA Somali Service, on November 10, 2012, the ongoing efforts
in Kismayo, both by Somalis and Non-Somalis, to form new state consisting of
Jubba provinces and Gedo.
Most Darod communities, even those in Puntland state of
Somalia, as confirmed by press statement produced by civil society members in Puntland,
circulated in Somali sites, support the proposed state of Jubbaland. Puntland
government also officially supports Jubbaland project.
The reason why Darod communities support this proposed
state is not difficult to apprehend: edition of Gedo to Jubba regions
strengthens the power position of Darod communities in Jubba provinces.
To see this point, add Lower Shabelle to Jubba regions,
instead of Gedo, a predominantly Darod province, even though other clans live
there, such as Dir and Digil & Mirifle; if you do this, you will strengthen
the power position of Dir clans, as well as Hawiye and Digil Mirifle clans to
some extent, simultaneously it will reduce, relatively, the power position of Darod communities in
Jubba provinces.
Some sites have reported an ongoing conference in
Mogadishu this week, mid of November, envisioning different structure of some
provinces in southern Somalia, including some of those in the proposed state of
Jubbaland.
Jubbaland state, however, is favored by Kenya, whose
troops constitute the bulk of the forces in Jubba provinces, for it wishes, as
indicated to create a buffer zone
between itself and endless civil wars of Somalia.
Shebab, according to UN, had received up to $50 million
dollars annually from this region. So, both money and power is behind the political
wrangling of Jubba provinces.
The solution to this problem is simple; let the people in
the region decide both the structure of their political dispensation and the
leadership of their region. Impose not on them either structure, e.g. Jubbaland,
or leadership from elsewhere, e.g. from Mogadishu.
They can do this by following the model of how the
federal government was created in Mogadishu this year, 2012: elders, technical
committees, parliament, president and so on. Eventually, however, residents of
these regions will decide through voting their political structure and
leadership. The former dispensation will be temporary, the latter permanent.
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