Hiiraan Online
Saturday, October 17, 2015
LONDON (HOL) - The rise of the Islamic courts Union was the beginning of a peaceful era in Somalia, as Islamist fighters who ousted the US-backed warlords in 2006 restored some resemblance peace and order across large parts of Somalia.
For many in Somalia, it was the start of hope that the country’s war-weary Somalis could have raised their war-torn country from the ash, however, the progress was short-lived, thanks to Ethiopia’s invasion which crushed the UIC military power.
Despite the UIC’s provocative ‘rhetoric’ against Ethiopia, the Ethiopian government was hesitant to take on the Islamic administration, but then again, the United States which was concerned about a potential threat by Islamists convinced Ethiopia to invade Somalia, according to confidential diplomatic cables leaked by the whistle-blower site, Wikileaks this week.
Ethiopia which considered a war with UIC ‘unnecessary’ had anyway launched the invasion, agreeing to Jendayi Frazer, then US under Secretary of State for Africa who insisted on invading Somalia by the Ethiopian military, according to Wikileaks report.
The late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawe had no choice but to go to war with UIC anyway. Despite stiff initial resistance, Ethiopian military crushed the Islamist fighters and captured all its strongholds in Somalia and finally entered Mogadishu, however, the war was more complex than the US and Ethiopia thought as Islamists launched a deadly ‘sour’ insurgency against Ethiopia which bogged down the troops.
Daily battles restricted the troop’s movements as bombs planted along streets and other targets ‘killed’ many soldiers in Mogadishu and surrounding regions.
With the support of clans in Somalia, Islamists’ insurgency proved effective as many who considered Ethiopia as a long-time enemy joined the war, filling Islamists’ ranks to fight the Ethiopian military.
Ethiopia and Somalia fought in one of the world’s deadliest wars over the disputed Ethiopian region Ogaden in 1977.
The US government which already had sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq had no appetite for a third war, as it convinced Ethiopia to launch a proxy war in Somalia, according to cables.
As the Ethiopian troops found it difficult for them to make headways in Somalia, Ms. Frazer which was frustrated by the ceaseless deadly war by the insurgents in Somalia had to try to use an outright ‘lie’ by distancing by herself from the war which turned sour and told media that the US had tried to hold back Ethiopia, but Ethiopia’s war commitment was steadfast, the cables said.
Feeling desperate and disappointment, Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia in 2009, leaving Somalia in mess, a development which helped Al-Shabab which kept low-key within the UIC group to secretly organize itself and ousted the rival UIC fighters which enabled the militant to rise to power and seized large parts of Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu.
Despite their ouster from Mogadishu and surrounding regions by AU and Somali forces, Al-shabab which has since declared allegiance to AL-Qaeda has carried out multiple deadly attacks in and outside Somalia, proving itself as an ‘effective’ terrorist group waging a global terror war.
The group is still fighting allied troops from African Union and Somalia, frustrating efforts by the international community to restore peace and order to the long-chaotic Somalia.