GHANA and SOMALIA

[Ahmed-Gurey]

Why African states must stem Somalia's fast slide to anarchy
4 Apr 4, 2007 - 5:41:42 PM



by JACKSON MBUVI


Two significant events happened in Africa last month. On the positive side, the continent celebrated a Golden Jubilee since Africa’s first nation, Ghana, attained independence from the British colonialists. On the negative, Somalia threatened a return to full scale state of anarchy and bloodshed.

In many ways and at different times, Ghana and Somalia have represented the best and the worst of Africa.

The Ghana of early 1960s was the best showcase of our pride as a continent. It was the first African nation to chart the road to freedom from colonial domination when it attained independence in 1957.

Before then, only three countries in the continent knew freedom. Ethiopia and Egypt, which had never been colonised in the real sense of the word, and Liberia which had been founded as a “colony” of freed African slaves from America.

SECOND, GHANA TAUGHT US THE value of Pan-Africanism. The country’s founding President Kwame Nkrumah played the most active role in the 1963 creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), since renamed African Union (AU).

Third and most important, Ghana taught us to walk tall as a people no matter the weight of our pockets.

Mr Nkrumah — Osagyefo (the redeemer) as Ghanians called him — was the first African leader to address the UN general assembly in New York. He was the first to introduce and popularise African dress and the first to openly tell off the so called super-powers.

When the French decided to conduct nuclear tests on African soil, Mr Nkrumah led an international protest. But to one-up the “superpowers”, he decided Africa herself must go nuclear and commenced a nuclear reactor project in Ghana, the first of its kind in the continent.

To the contrary, the Somalia of 1990s and beyond represents the worst of the continent. As of now, Somalia is the only country in the world to have made the dubious distinction of existing as a country without a state. It is the most dangerous place to live in, perhaps only rivalled by Baghdad.

Now the question: How does the African continent reconcile the two events of the month, the superb in Ghana and the horrible in Somalia? Put differently, can Africa use the lessons from Ghana to save Somalia? The answer is yes.

First some background. On December 26 last year, the African Union (AU) endorsed Ethiopia’s move to militarily intervene in Somalia. At the time, the country was in control of the self appointed Union of Islamic Courts (ICU).

To their credit, the ICU had restored some semblance of order in the troubled country after 15 years of clan massacres. However, the ICU was at the same time over-reaching itself with acts of silent terrorism cloaked in the name of Sharia law. The worst came when the ICU openly admitted association with elements of the terrorist al-Qaeda group, besides threatening war with all and sundry.

Significantly, on December 27 last year, a day after the AU sanctioned Ethiopia to decisively act on the ICU, the later gave in to the heat and disbanded.

But aware of the dynamics of the Somali conflict, the AU held an extraordinary session in Addis Ababa in mid January and resolved that Ethiopia make a phased withdrawal from Somalia to be replaced by 8000 troop AU peace-keeping and reconstruction force.

THE RATIONALE FOR GETTING Ethiopians out the soonest was that as long as they remained in Mogadishu, they would be seen as an occupation force and, which, would impede the process of reconciliation.

But what has happened since January? Of the eight African countries who pledged to send forces into Somalia, only Uganda has made good her word by sending in 1200 troops.

The rest of the are still on a procrastination mode. Worse, even the Uganda contingent is still not so much useful as most of it’s vital equipment is still in the high seas.

The result: Somalia is fast sliding back to where it was before Ethiopians moved in. Now, is it not the high time Africa proved it can stand on its two feet by living to the pledges made in Addis Ababa in January and save Somalia?

Indeed, that is the only way the continent can live the Nkrumah dream. The dream of a free and proud Africa.

Mr Mbuvi is a security consultant

Sources:Daily Nation

[Ahmed-Gurey]

When the French decided to conduct nuclear tests on African soil, Mr Nkrumah led an international protest. But to one-up the “superpowers”, he decided Africa herself must go nuclear and commenced a nuclear reactor project in Ghana, the first of its kind in the continent".

Wow

[Somaliman%]

this is bullsh!t his putting somalia down so badly forgetting what somalia has achieved before the anarchy and comparing it to ghana using words like somalias horrible ghanas great thats just wrong. he should mention whats good about somalia before 1991...

and the positive things from somalia currently such as the best and cheapest telecommunications and internet. as well as peaceful places like somaliland and puntland who have thrived and prooved to the world we can make it without any help.

although he suggested things like africans should help each other and that was ment to be the whole idea of the article. but its degrading somalia in every aspect he almost sounds like he hates somalia.

bloody fufus...

now ghanians think they are better than us.

[Physicists]

^^ghanians are ugly people man..we are much better looking than them..
plus...how can africans help each other when there is no similarities between us..
i can understand egyptians helping us..but not ghanians...man....


www.SomaliWide.co.nr

[Ahmed-Gurey]

Somaliman, he is also wrong in saying that Ghana was the first African nation to have gotten independence. Sudan got independence in 1954 , Egypt as well got its independence around 1920s.

[LiQaaye_TDH]

basically somalia is the most fuked up nation in the world………..ilahay iya na leh...

[Sadaam_Mariixmaan]

Sudan

[LiQaaye_TDH]

Thailand

[Sadaam_Mariixmaan]

Habar Jeclo

[Ahmed-Gurey]

In the 60, Ghana had per capita GDP better than South Korea. Where is it now compared to South Korea?

[LiQaaye_TDH]

Ilkoyar

[Enemy_Of_Mad_Mullah]

[quote="LiQaaye_TDH"]Ilkoyar [/quote]
he's not marexan

[Sadaam_Mariixmaan]

[quote="LiQaaye_TDH"]Ilkoyar [/quote]

Habar Khaatholic

[LiQaaye_TDH]

Sadaam ilko yar ma cayba/?

[Sadaam_Mariixmaan]

noo my friend VERY PROUD