We all care about Somalia

It's quite interesting to closely follow the recent reactions by foreign countries, particularly those bordering, on the situation in Somalia.

While there is hardly any neighbouring country that cannot be blamed for the misery that Somalia is in today, all show "serious" attempts to acquit themselves from any possible charge.

Kenya is suddenly banning the warlords whom it has been harbouring and feeding over the past years; many member states of the European Union call for a stronger support to the TFG (transitional federal governmen), Ethiopia is calling on Igad (the youngest of the 14 peace processes), and the US is trying to put a good face on things by establishing a Somalia contact group, a "unique body that has never been there in the past", as a US official recently stated on BBC africa. But how genuine are these efforts behind the curtains?

"While neighbouring countries and the international community have their vested interests in the political situation of Somalia, Eritrea's involvement however is unique in that it is fuelling the unrest in Somalia in the hope that the spill over will have destabilizing effect on Ethiopia" (the Reporter, Addis Ababa). The hatress between the two countries is just too obvious between the lines. As if the world would have forgotten about the tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia - Somalias conflict once more fuelled and misused by neighbouring and other countries, for the sake of politics and own interests.

But Ethiopia goes beyond accusing others of interfering in Somalias business: On the same webpage (allafrica.com) a second article, written by the Ethiopian Herald, is stating that "Ethiopia has absolutly nothing to do with the latest fightings in Mogadishu". In a statment, the foreign minister claims that

"At present, while Ethiopian troops are carefully monitoring the situation along our border with Somalia with great vigilance, there are no Ethiopian troops within Somalia"

Others don't seem to agree on the sincerity of this statement. According to the standard, an Austrian newspaper, some 300 troops from Ethiopia crossed into Somalia. Surely, we could now start arguing about the demarcation of the border and the subjectivity of the perception on where the border line runs. After all, 15 years of civil war might not have contributed to the demarcation of the border.

The US, while nowadays trying to polish its position with the creation of the "Somalia contact group", has been on and on alleged to support the warlords in money and kind. Only that their youngest creation doesnt meet the expected enthusiasm from around the world neither. Writes the East african: "Is the US out to derail the Somali peace process? For it to be effective, any solution to the Somali problem must be homegrown, which is why the African Union mandated Igad to preside over the process, with Kenya as the host". No wonder that the East african is reacting grumpy: Kenya and all other neighbouring countries have been left out from the Somalia Contact group, and therefore denied their share of the cake.

Despite the allegations by certain countries towards other countries, the TFG is calling on each and everybody for support: "Ethiopia and other IGAD Member States should respond speedily towards reversing the current problem in Somalia and help bring about sustainable peace in the Horn of Africa country", says Ambassador to Ethiopia of the Somalia Federal Transitional Government.

In the meantime, the UN is planning to send a humanitarian mission to Mogadishu, "if there were guarantees of security on the ground. We will focus on scaling up existing activities, tapping on local resources and further building on positive coping mechanisms developed at the community level" (Irinweb). Sounds a bit more promising than the US initiative.

Maybe the East african is right in its statement that a lasting solution to the crisis in Somalia must be homegrown - but homegrown in a sense that also other African Countries should stay out of f the way or at least play an open and fair game.