Mindless violence strikes Mogadishu

UNLESS THE LEADERS OF ARMED GROUPS ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER FOR TALKS, THE COUNTRY WILL NOT GET ANY REPRIEVE FROM VIOLENCE

Mogadishu in Somalia is in the news once more for all the wrong reasons – 61 people have been killed with scores injured when a deadly bomb exploded at a crowded city check post.

Somalia’s presence in the news in the last decade has often been intertwined with death, destruction and mayhem with the latest incident proving that despite the presence of UN and African Union troops, stability in the country is still illusory.

 We condemn such attacks that take civilian lives in the strongest possible manner but at the same time, exhort the international community to take concrete measures to address the volatility in Somali instead of letting it fester. Somalia has been wracked by feud and conflict since 1991 and US intervention did little to bring back peace in a country which had been ruthlessly used as a pawn during the Communism-Capitalism cold war shenanigans. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the recent attack, there is a belief that radical Islamist group Al Shabaab may have been behind the atrocity since they had carried out such barbaric acts in the past.

Such savage attacks will undermine the efforts made by Qatar and Turkey who are trying to develop infrastructure in the war ravaged state. Obviously, the loser will be country’s people who are desperately trying to come out of decades of conflict, internal strife and pervasive discord. The main threat in Somalia comes from Islamist militant outfit, Al Shabaab, which has also carried out terror attacks in Kenta and Uganda. While it’s easy to express condemnation for such violence, the path to some form of social cohesion seems intractable. Form a practical angle, the UN has to approach the Somalia problem with a plan to bring warring factions to the table for dialogue and a way forward. This country has been in the hands of armed factions for too long and the general people are having to pay the price. In such a scenario, the first step should be to make the warring groups realize that their differences are destabilizing the country, making it an incubator for radicals and fanatics.

 Then, an effort has to be made by other Muslim states to arrange a dialogue through which plans for an election can be drawn.

However, the clans in Somalia have to understand that unless they renounce the rules of the gun, the country will continue to face explosions and unwanted deaths. Unless the leaders of armed groups are brought together for talks, the country will not get any reprieve from violence.

 

 

Mindless violence strikes Mogadishu

UNLESS THE LEADERS OF ARMED GROUPS ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER FOR TALKS, THE COUNTRY WILL NOT GET ANY REPRIEVE FROM VIOLENCE

Mogadishu in Somalia is in the news once more for all the wrong reasons 61 people have been killed with scores injured when a deadly bomb exploded at a crowded city check post. Somalias presence in the news in the last decade has often been intertwined with death, destruction and mayhem with the latest incident proving that despite the presence of UN and African Union troops, stability in the country is still illusory. We condemn such attacks that take civilian lives in the strongest possible manner but at the same time, exhort the international community to take concrete measures to address the volatility in Somali instead of letting it fester. Somalia has been wracked by feud and conflict since 1991 and US intervention did little to bring back peace in a country which had been ruthlessly used as a pawn during the Communism-Capitalism cold war shenanigans. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the recent attack, there is a belief that radical Islamist group Al Shabaab may have been behind the atrocity since they had carried out such barbaric acts in the past. Such savage attacks will undermine the efforts made by Qatar and Turkey who are trying to develop infrastructure in the war ravaged state. Obviously, the loser will be countrys people who are desperately trying to come out of decades of conflict, internal strife and pervasive discord. The main threat in Somalia comes from Islamist militant outfit, Al Shabaab, which has also carried out terror attacks in Kenta and Uganda. While its easy to express condemnation for such violence, the path to some form of social cohesion seems intractable. Form a practical angle, the UN has to approach the Somalia problem with a plan to bring warring factions to the table for dialogue and a way forward. This country has been in the hands of armed factions for too long and the general people are having to pay the price. In such a scenario, the first step should be to make the warring groups realize that their differences are destabilizing the country, making it an incubator for radicals and fanatics. Then, an effort has to be made by other Muslim states to arrange a dialogue through which plans for an election can be drawn. However, the clans in Somalia have to understand that unless they renounce the rules of the gun, the country will continue to face explosions and unwanted deaths. Unless the leaders of armed groups are brought together for talks, the country will not get any reprieve from violence.