[R-G] The Africa Command Prospect and the Partition of Somalia

[Anthony Fenton]

The Africa Command Prospect and the Partition of Somalia
by Abukar Arman
(Friday, December 14, 2007)
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/48249

"The neocons’ legacy, the DADD syndrome, or the Diplomatic Attention  
Deficit Disorder, is still propelling Washington’s foreign policy and  
continues to project America negatively throughout the world,  
especially in the Muslim world and Africa."

As the US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, was recently visiting  
American forces in Djibouti, the Washington Post was reporting how  
the Pentagon has been spearheading a seemingly dicey initiative to  
pressure Washington into recognizing the secessionist northwestern  
region of Somalia known as “Somaliland” as an independent state.

In an article titled ‘U.S. Debating Shift of Support in Somali  
Conflict’ that appeared on December 4, 2007 issue, the Post  
highlights how some Pentagon officials are convinced it is time “to  
forge ties with Somaliland, as the U.S. military has with Kenya and  
other countries bordering Somalia.” The article quotes a senior  
defense official who asserts that "Somaliland is an entity that  
works." And another unnamed official who confirms the Pentagon’s view  
is that "Somaliland should be independent," and that the US should  
“build up the parts that are functional and box in Somalia's unstable  
regions, particularly around Mogadishu.”

This initiative clearly contradicts the State Department’s wait-and- 
see approach to this diplomatically sensitive issue. And, handled  
haphazardly, this could set ablaze the volatile inter-tribal tensions  
looming in northern Somalia, and, according to the article, “set a  
precedent for other secession movements seeking to change colonial- 
era borders,” therefore, “opening a Pandora's box in the region.

That said, it is worth noting that aside from the on again, off  
again, clan-driven skirmishes that make headlines every now and then,  
throughout the Somali civil war, the northwestern region has enjoyed  
relative peace and stability.

Naturally, this unprecedented aggressive approach by the Department  
of Defense raises questions worth pondering: When did the Pentagon  
become the engine propelling the US foreign policy? Why would the  
Pentagon care whether or not Somaliland becomes an independent state  
or not? And, more importantly, how prudent is it to take this kind of  
an approach?

In answering the first question, remember how the events of 9/11 have  
“changed the world” and how as a result the notoriously Islamophobic  
Neocons ascended to (absolute) power; remember that moment in history  
when in certain circles it was fashionable to declare diplomacy dead  
and to claim militarization of the American foreign policy is  
imperative to the survival of the nation. It is then when the rules  
of the game have profoundly changed. Today, while the icons of that  
political machine have disappeared for one reason or another, the  
policy imprint they left behind would probably take generations to undo.

Last summer, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of  
African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, addressed an audience of several  
hundred, mostly Somali scholars, activists, students, and  
professionals at a Somali studies conference held in Columbus, Ohio.  
In her speech, Dr. Frazer said “we were against the Ethiopian  
invasion”. This, of course, contradicted what the Somali people and  
the world already knew- that in January 2007 Washington switched hats  
from a “tacit supporter” of Ethiopia’s aggression to an active  
partner in the illegal invasion. US Air Force AC-130 gunship has  
launched aerial attacks against "suspected Islamist terrorists" based  
in Somalia.

So, was Dr. Frazer not being entirely honest? Perhaps not, though her  
statement was cleverly inserted in a context which could only give  
the impression that Ethiopia has invaded Somalia in spite of  
Washington’s objections. After all her statement was consistent with  
the State Department’s position; alas, that was superseded by the  
hawkish wishes of the Pentagon. And this brings me to the latter of  
the two original questions. And the simple answer is the  
establishment of the Africa Command or AFRICOM as it is commonly known.

AFRICOM is a US command center completely devoted to Africa. The  
primary objective of the command center is to promote US national  
security by “working with African states and regional organizations  
to help strengthen stability and security…” and creating an  
environment in which sustainable economic growth is possible. The  
command center is supposed to focus on “war prevention rather than  
war-fighting”.

It is no secret that many in the Pentagon consider the Somali port  
city of Berbera as the ideal location for AFRICOM. However,  
considering the site-selection criteria jointly developed by the  
Pentagon and the State Department that include “political stability;  
security factors; access to regional and intercontinental  
transportation; availability of acceptable infrastructure; qualify of  
life; proximity to the African Union and regional organizations;  
proximity to U.S. government hubs; adequate Status of Forces  
Agreement (SOFA),” Somalia might not look as a prime candidate.  
However, detaching the secessionist northwestern region from the rest  
of chaotic Somalia gives a different picture. This explains why the  
Pentagon's view is that "Somaliland should be independent."

The Pentagon is pressed against time. October 2008 is the deadline  
when AFRICOM is supposed to be fully operational. In the mean time,  
Somalia’s situation is worsening by the day. The situation there is  
now considered the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa. According to  
the UN, approximately one million civilians fleeing Mogadishu have  
become internally displaced persons (IDP) threatened by severe food  
shortage.

Oblivious to the scale of this humanitarian catastrophe and how their  
approach could potentially add another layer of complexity, the  
Pentagon is eager to accelerate the establishment of AFRICOM,  
especially now that China is making profound stride in Africa and the  
European Union is following suit. However, the real set back to  
Washington is its own self-defeating foreign policy that is treated  
as suspect everywhere.

According to Congressman Donald Payne, the Chairman of the House  
Subcommittee on Africa, Washington should expect “a lot of  
skepticism, because there has been so little attention given to  
Africa…All of a sudden to have a special military command, I think  
the typical person would wonder why now and really what is the end  
game?"

The neocons’ legacy, the DADD syndrome, or the Diplomatic Attention  
Deficit Disorder, is still propelling Washington’s foreign policy and  
continues to project America negatively throughout the world,  
especially in the Muslim world and Africa.

The US foreign policy regarding Somalia ought to focus on ending the  
Ethiopian occupation and therefore ending their widely condemned  
human rights abuses, as well as facilitating an all inclusive  
reconciliation conference before the 2009 general elections. This is  
congruent, at least in part, with a nine point recommendation  
articulated in a communiqué issued by the Somali Cause upon the  
conclusion of its two day conference on December 1, 2007.

Somali Cause is a nine member coalition, Eight US based organizations  
and one Canada based- the Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance.