Al-Shabaab is Somalia’s Headache, not Kenya’s
MANY JOURNALISTS SEEM to support the idea of Kenya sending its armed forces to Somalia to fight the Al-Shabaab. Go to war over what and why? What dispute does Kenya have with the militia or the Somali citizens who support it?
The war in Somalia is an internal armed insurrection that does not warrant intervention by a neighbouring state.
It is not Kenya’s problem that the fledgling government in Mogadishu is too weak to deal with an internal problem, nor is it the responsibility of Kenya to shore up a government the Somalis consider to be a puppet of some foreign power(s).
Al-Shabaab cannot thrive if the citizens of Somalia or a sizeable population of it do not believe in its cause. The militia is thriving because some Somalis are persuaded by its cause and are offering active support and comfort to its members and fighters.
A MILITIA FORCE IS NOT A CONVENTIONAL static force; it is ever active and lives and thrives among a complacent populace and “eats” from them.
Al-Shabaab and many other armed groups in Somalia have raised the issue of legitimacy against the government of Sheikh Sharif. This is a complex matter, and even Ethiopia failed to pacify them for two years.
For starters, it is important to know that when you are fighting an internal armed group, it is not enough to capture territory and grounds of tactical importance; you must win the war in the minds and hearts of the people too.
This is why the issue of legitimacy has stalked the Transitional Federal Government since Ethiopia’s invasion.
The US is facing similar issues in Iraq and Afghanistan despite its enormous military might. I highly doubt Kenya would fare any better than Ethiopia.
It is important for those who are supporting a war against Al-Shabaab to understand that no government can competently administer a territory if there is lingering question over its legitimacy. Only Somalis can address this issue.
The TFG has consistently failed to marshal international support and recognition owing to lingering questions over its legitimacy. Kenya’s intervention will not solve this issue.
By COLLINS WANDERI
Source: The Daily Nation
