Resigned President of Transitional Government of Somalia (TGS) Abdullah Yusuf Ahmed was elected on Oct 2004 in Kenya, to lead the country out of 18 years of anarchy and civil war that paralyzed Somalia. His election restored hope on the faces of Somalis, who waited effective Somali government in more than 18 years. Earlier, four transitional governments failed to achieve the dream of Somali people.
Abdullah Yusuf was leader and founder of tribe-based and semi-autonomous region of “Puntland”, North Eastern region of Somalia, on 1998. He installed dictator-styled leadership in the region and rejected any democratic election. He declared war against Jama Ali Jama, former “Puntland” presidential candidate, and rejected the election outcome that emerged Jama as winner.
Yusuf served in Somali Army until 1979, at the same year, he organized military coup to overthrow Siyad Barre (Somali President 1969-1991). After the coup failed, he formed armed group called SSDF inside Ethiopia against Somali government. He asked military assistance from Ethiopia, who later supplied arms and ammunition.
Ethiopia arrested him for six years until collapse of Somali government on 1991. Somalis accuse Yusuf for harsh dictatorship; lack of considering other’s opinion and assassinating of political opponents.
Before Ethiopian invasion in Somalia on 2006, The Ethiopians and Yusuf believed to eliminate the religious extremist groups inside Somalis like Islamic Courts Union. Yusuf hate the Jihadi fighters more than Ethiopians, and even rejected to meet veiled Somali ladies in many occasions, accusing them for been suicide bombers. Somali women wear ‘Hijab’ as other Muslims around the world.
Yusuf formed government in Mogadishu with Ethiopian military support. He appointed his tribesmen to all sensitive government posts. These tribesmen turned into killing-machines against the residents of Mogadishu (mainly Hawiyo tribe). Yusuf’s nephew headed the secret intelligence department and arrested, tortured and interrogated thousands of innocent people. His close allies misinformed the Ethiopians, and that resulted death of innocent people inside Mosques, schools and residences.
Some of Somali journalists accuse Yusuf for revenge killing against Hawiyo tribe. Such killings resulted an international outcry, and AMNESTY International accused the Ethiopians and Abdullah for killing civilians inside Hadiya Mosques, Mogadishu. Mogadishu residents described the killing as ‘Hidden Agenda of Yusuf’.
“Militia loyal to TGS President Abdullah Yusuf are killing residents of Mogadishu based on bad-old-tribal feelings between Yusuf’s tribe and residents of Mogadishu” Liban Ali told journalists in Mogadishu. Due to the trust between Yusuf and Ethiopians, Residents of Mogadishu failed to convince the Ethiopians about the so-called “Hidden Agenda of Yusuf” and organized killing.
“Ethiopia will loose the support of the local residents, if they support Yusuf’s hidden agenda.” Ali Liban added
In 1991, large number of Yusuf’s tribesmen (Darood) was killed by militia of powerful General Mohamed Farah Aideed, known Lion of Africa, because of their support to Siyad Barre regime. The tribesmen of Darood fled into Kenyan border for safety. Yusuf bases his revenge agenda on current incident in 1991.
Last but not least, Ethiopians unveiled the hidden agenda of Abdullah Yusuf and understood they will certainly loose the battle and control of Somalia to terrorist groups like Al-Shabab, if they continue supporting Yusuf hidden agenda. They also discovered that Yusuf appointed the key posts in the government to his tribesmen, in addition to 24 ambassadors of his tribesmen to different countries.
Recently, Ethiopians shifted their support to Prime Minister Nur Adde and instructed Abdullah Yusuf to resign.
Khalid Mohmoud of ASHARQ AL-AWSAT newspaper, on Dec 25th 2008 Issue 10985, published that Yusuf’s kinsmen and family members including wife Hawa (Xawa in Somali) were the major architects of his internal and foreign polices. Such family interferences led the straining relation with Somali Prime Minister Nur Adde.
The self-appointed Political Advisor and Wife Hawa appointed many government officials using her influence on husband including ambassadors. AL-AWSAT added that Yusuf collapsed victim of his weak personality facing the family members particularly his wife.
“It is sure that Abdullah Yusuf was very weak facing his family, and he judged his officials based on family consultations. The family went too far by telling the president how to deal with countries.” ASHARQ AL-AWSAT went on saying the family believed that presidency is compensation for them, after Yusuf detained in Somali and Ethiopian jails for more than 20 years of his life.
Moreover, UK Channel 4 broadcasted TV Program about Mogadishu, showing the influence of Yusuf kinsmen in the government. The residents of Mogadishu were tortured, detained and even asked to pay ransom money of $400 to be free.
Particularly, the Secret Intelligence arrested more than 50,000 people, and demanded ransom money of $400 per head. According to GDP of Somalia, the personal income per head is less than $1 per in a day. Many detainees died during the interrogation and torture.
After loosing Ethiopian support to Prime Minister Nur Adde, Yusuf resigned from his post and instructed his kinsmen to transfer all heavy military equipments to “Puntland” – his birthplace. However, Nur Adde alerted the Ethiopians over the dirty plan of Yusuf, and Ethiopians asked him to leave alone without single gun.
The combination of all aforesaid mistreatment, mismanagement and illegal family interferences led the ailing leader Yusuf to collapse.
Somali analyzers say, Yusuf was planning to establish military wing in “Puntland” against Somaliland over disputed Sool and Eastern Sanaag Regions. Yusuf during BBC interview vowed to fight Somaliland over two regions.
Recently, Somaliland Election Commission nation-wide Voter Registration Campaign including Sool and Eastern Sanaag. The registration technology is using biometric to avoid duplications, which will lead Somaliland to hold other free and fair elections in the future. This biometric registration is first of its kind across East Africa.
Somaliland overpowered “Puntland” militia in Sool and Eastern Sanaan on Dec 2007, but still “Puntland” is sending terrorists and suicide bombers to attack government installations in the two regions.
By Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi
Email: az.almutairi@yahoo.com
http://samotalis.blogspot.com/
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