BBC Monitoring Middle East
Text of report by Dubai-based, Saudi private capital-funded pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya TV on 26 May
Dubai Al-Arabiya Television in Arabic at 1903 gmt on 26 May carries within its “Panorama” programme, moderated by Muntaha al-Ramahi, a 33-minute live discussion of the situation in Somalia and the possibility of it becoming an Al-Qa’idah safe haven.
The programme hosts Muhammad Ali Shuti, head of the Union of Somali Journalists, via satellite from Cairo; Hasan Abu-Haniyah, researcher in Islamic groups’ affairs, via satellite from Amman; and Awad Ahmad Asharah, chairman of the Media Committee at the Somali Parliament, via telephone from Mogadishu.
Al-Ramahi begins by saying: “After two weeks of fierce battles that claimed the lives of more than 200 people and resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people, Somali President Sharif Shaykh Ahmad cautioned that foreign mujahidin fighters have invaded Somalia and joined the ranks of the Islamist rebels in a bid to turn it into a new Iraq or Afghanistan.” She adds that this came days after extremists said, for the first time, that foreign fighters have joined their ranks.
She notes that security sources have said that hundreds of Al-Qa’idah elements, supported by Al-Qa’idah leader Usama Bin-Ladin, have arrived in Somalia, thus benefiting from the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces. She refers to the unprecedented suicide attack with a booby-trapped car against a Somali military base. According to the British Times magazine, Al-Ramahi says that more than 290 fighters from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia were seen entering Mogadishu in recent weeks. She asks: Has Somalia become the new safe haven for Al-Qa’idah?
The programme then airs a two-minute report by Abd-al-Rahman al-Bukhari from Mogadishu. Al-Bukhari refers to the “unprecedented” remarks by Somali President Shaykh Sharif regarding the danger of what he called “foreign mujahidin in Somalia.” He adds that Shaykh Sharif has expressed fear that Somalia could become another Iraq or Afghanistan as a result of the arrival of foreign fighters. Video footage is aired of Shaykh Sharif saying that some of the groups fighting in Somalia had fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the Somali people do not accept turning their country into a new Iraq or Afghanistan.
Al-Bukhari says that Somali Government officials accuse the Mujahidin Youth Movement [MYM] of harbouring foreign fighters “to sow chaos in the country.” Video footage is aired of Abdulkadir Usman, media adviser to the Somali president, saying that MYM fighters come from various places, mostly of Arab and Asian origin. Al-Bukhari says that the government claims that several hundred foreign fighters have entered Somalia. He notes that MYM leaders confirm the presence of fighters from outside Somalia, that they refuse to describe them as “foreigners;” and that they describe them as “emigrant Somali brothers who have come to Somalia to champion its people,” in an implicit reference to what US officials have said about attempts to recruit US citizens of Somali origin. Abdulkadir Usman says that foreign fighters enter Somalia from the long Somali coast, and notes that the MYM has seized control of two main ports and a number of airports.
Asked about the situation in Somalia and whether or not it can be described as a catastrophe, Asharah says: “Somalia has fallen into a trap and [is facing] conspiracies concocted by some foreigners and Somalis.” He asserts that the afflicted Somali people have been forgotten by the Arab and Muslim worlds, and that the West concocts conspiracies and buries nuclear waste in the Somali sea. He says that more than 2 million Somalis suffer poverty, and that there are more than 400,000 Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Asked about the number of people who have been killed or displaced, Asharah says that more than 400 people have been killed, and that there are no shelters for the displaced people.
Al-Ramahi says that the Somali president was elected in January, but that now several movements have been formed and that they are currently fighting to topple the president. Asked about the ongoing conflict, Shuti says: “Former warlords or heads of Islamic Courts disagreed among themselves after the formation of the government headed by Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad, and accused him of pursuing the former government’s approach in reference to the presence of foreign forces in the Somali arena.” Interrupting, Al-Ramahi clarifies that they mean “the African forces.” Shuti says: “We believe that yesterday’s friends have become today’s enemies because of the presence of foreign forces, that is, the UN peacekeeping forces.” He adds that war broke out once again “between the fragile moderate government and the Islamic forces that seek the help of Islamist forces and fighters, something that has aggravated the crisis among the Somalis themselves.” He argues that neither side has so far scored notable gains. Once again, he stresses that the Somali Government is “fragile and cannot impose its control over all Mogadishu.” He says that he expects fighting to continue in the coming few days.
Al-Ramahi notes that the commander of the African force has said that the intransigent Islamists excel over the government forces because they can move freely, intimidate people, obtain large sums of money, and use media outlets in their favour. Shuti says that the Islamic groups have seized control of two-thirds of Mogadishu as a result of the threats they issue in the media. He adds that anyone who tries to directly criticize them in the media is assassinated. He notes that the Somali president said in a press conference that his “fragile government” cannot restore security, and stressed the need for UN forces.
Al-Ramahi notes that the Somali president asks for the assistance of UN forces, and that the extremists enjoy foreign support in the form of fighters and money. Asked if Somalia will become Al-Qa’idah’s base, Abu-Haniyah says: “The situation in Somalia at present is catastrophic.” He refers to the presence of the MYM, the Islamic Party, the government forces, and the African forces and says that each group seeks the support of different forces. He explains that the MYM works to attract fighters from abroad, and that it has some contacts with Al-Qa’idah even though it has not officially pledged allegiance to Bin-Ladin. He adds that Bin-Ladin and Al-Zawahiri have sent several messages to Somalia and have encouraged a large number of fighters to join the MYM. He notes that the MYM, the Islamic Party, and the Asmara wing fight the new Somali Government, and that they have issued takfiri [declaring other Muslims as infidels] statements against the new government and Shaykh Sharif. Hence, he argues that it is impossible to achieve stability at present, and that the situation is likely to further escalate.
Al-Ramahi refers to reports about the arrival in Somalia of US citizens of Somali origin in addition to Arab fighters to fight alongside the extremist Islamic trends. Asked if Somalia can become Al-Qa’idah’s base, Abu-Haniyah says: “I believe this is likely to happen.” He adds: “We have said that all signs indicate that the MYM and Somalia in general are likely to become a safe heaven for Islamic movements, jihadist Salafi trends, or the Al-Qa’idah Organization,” that is, a safe heaven in the African Horn. He explains that these groups do not recognize ethnic or tribal affiliations, and that they proceed from “an ideology that considers Islam the main unifier based on its Salafi ideology.” He stresses that if the MYM and the other factions seize control of Somalia, then they will attract many supporters.
Al-Ramahi asks if toppling Shaykh Sharif’s government and demanding the departure of the African forces warrant bringing Al-Qa’idah to Somalia. Abu-Haniyah says: “Of course not,” and explains that Al-Qa’idah seeks to exploit chaos wherever it might be. He adds: “Wherever there is such chaos, it is the ideal environment for the Al-Qa’idah Organization and the jihadist Salafi trend.” He stresses that the jihadist Salafi trend, including the MYM, seeks to first provide a safe haven for fighters and then proceed towards achieving other objectives. He says that the jihadist Salafi trend has issued takfiri statements against Shaykh Sharif, and that it wants to implement Islamic Shari’ah in the jihadist Salafi way, which is Al-Qa’idah’s way, by establishing a caliphate state by armed force, not by reaching political agreements.
Asked how Somalia can overcome the current crisis, Asharah says that the situation in Somalia is very tense, and stresses that what is taking place at present neither serves the interest of Somalia nor Islam. He argues that the West has never been concerned about the situation in Somalia, and that the United States helped the warlords establish a fragile government. He cautions that the Somali people are targeted because of Somalia’s strategic location.
Asked who can bring together the parties to the conflict, Asharah says that they must return to reason because they will be targeted by the West and the rest of the world. He adds that the West could fight them inside Somalia, which will eventually result in the country’s destruction. He stresses that the actions of the parties to the conflict harm Islam.
Asked if certain parties could rush to help Somalia out of fear that it could become another Iraq in light of the presence of Al-Qa’idah, Shuti refers to the unprecedented situation in Somalia and says that it has become a new Iraq or Afghanistan. He explains: “After the establishment of the Islamic Courts in 2006, radical jihadist groups emerged. These groups implement foreign agendas imported from Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, and other countries far away from Somalia. Hence, regional parties are fuelling civil war in Somalia,” thus accusing Eritrea and Ethiopia. He refers to the flow of weapons to the warring factions. He stresses that the Somali people are Muslim, and notes that the jihadist groups claim that the Association of Muslim Scholars and the government have nothing to do with Islam. Nevertheless, he says that he is optimistic that the Somali issue will be resolved.
Al-Ramahi says that Shuti is optimistic, and asks: If intransigent elements continue to gather in Somalia and if the international community does not rush to help Somalia, how will the problem be solved? Abu-Haniyah disagrees with Shuti, and says that he expects the problem to escalate in the future. He argues that the “problem is in the Somali situation; the political, social, and economic situation.” He adds that there are many tribal, religious, and ethnic divisions, and refers to the problem of piracy which is the result of the flawed economic, security, and social situation. Moreover, he notes the continuous violence in Somalia on tribal and religious bases, and refers to the widespread Salafi trend. He argues that the conflict in Somalia is “Somali to begin with,” hence, the need for the political adversaries to engage in dialogue and achieve reconciliation. However, he notes the current “serious change in the conflict” and accusations against Shaykh Sharif’s government of receiving foreign aid, seeking the assistance of international forces, and asking the United States, the European Union, and the African Union to dispatch more forces, which will result in a new era of conflict on different bases. He argues that it does not appear that the current adversaries are ready to reach a solution.
Concluding the programme, Al-Ramahi thanks the guests.
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