The New TFG, Political Legitimacy, And Defeating Violent Extremism Inside Somalia

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia must adapt or die. This is a statement of fact. Great change is afoot inside Somalia at the present time, and the new President, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, must demonstrate that he is capable of seizing the opportunity that has been presented to him. Somalia has been effectively stateless for eighteen
long years, and the people of this East African nation have suffered great many deprivations during this nightmarish period of time.

Whatever one may think about the strange process that somehow spawned the curious entity which
became the TFG of Somalia and, despite the fact that the TFG—at one point in time—had been something of a trojan horse that seemed to only serve the interests of the enemies of Somalia, this is certainly no longer the case. The Ethiopian armed forces have been withdrawn from the Somali national territory, and the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia has been expanded to accommodate members of the Islamic opposition.

These developments are clear evidence of the fact that the political situation, inside Somalia today is changing very rapidly. It is foolish to suggest that the Djibouti agreement, brokered by the United Nations, had no part to play in any of this. Clearly, President Sheikh Sharif represents a clean break with the policies of the recent past and, in light of the appalling abuses of his immediate predecessor, it can be argued that the new Somali President has achieved a great deal already.

There is certainly a long way to go before the new TFG of Somalia can claim to be a legitimate force for good. The most important task facing the new President is to build a broad-based Somali government of national unity. Only then can the new TFG of Somalia be considered as a legitimate authority by the Somali people. The new TFG of Somalia must attempt to win political legitimacy by demonstrating, without ambiguity, that it stands for all that is good within Somali culture and national heritage. Dialogue and political inclusion represent the very foundation of the ancient Xeer Soomaali—Somali Common Law—and President Sheikh Sharif must bear this fact in mind as he seeks to build a government of national unity.

There is no doubt that road ahead remains very treacherous, for the new TFG of Somalia, as it seeks to establish itself. However, the early signs seem encouraging. Only the hard hearted are able to deny the fact that the recent appointment—in Djibouti City—of the the son of the late Somali President Cabdirashid Cali Sharmake, as the new Somali Prime Minister, is an encouraging early sign. All Somalis are aware of the fact that the Somali nation is almost broken at this moment in time and, almost without exception, all Somali people wish to see an end to the cycle of violence that has brought the Somali nation to its knees. The men of violence have a lot to lose if the new TFG of Somalia successfully resolves the root causes of political conflict inside Somalia. Such men of violence can only be defeated if the new TFG of Somalia visibly demonstrates that it serves the legitimate interests of the Somali nation.

The legitimate interests of the Somali nation are served by political inclusion for all sections of the Somali community, and the promotion of universal justice in the form of Shar'ia Islam for all of the Somali people. If the new TFG of Somalia can be seen to reasonably satisfy these ends, it will be sending out a powerful signal to the men of violence and the enemies of peace inside Somalia. The new TFG of Somalia must seek to promote dialogue between rival Somali factions, and it must seek to encourage members of the armed opposition to renounce violence and to seek to further their aims through peaceful means.

The new TFG of Somalia must distinguish itself, from the TFG of the past, by respecting the sanctity of human life. The people of Somalia have suffered a great deal at the hands of narrowminded violent extremists of every persuasion during the past eighteen years. Somalia must never again become a land of government predation. An inclusive—and broad-based—government of national unity represents the only viable mechanism for defeating narrow-minded violent extremism inside Somalia. Now that the defeated Ethiopian armed forces have been withdrawn from the Somali national territory, the men of violence can no longer claim to be fighting in defence of legitimate Somali national interests. The Somali people legitimately need the full restoration of peace in Somalia, and the establishment of a fully functional central government. And, the new TFG of Somalia should be supported by all people as it seeks to secure these precious political objectives.