Mogadishu,Sunatimes.com One more time, the International Community (IC) led by the United States is confronted with the urgent necessity to develop a “comprehensive strategy” for Somalia after the counter-terrorism-centered strategy, primarily delegated to Ethiopia (IGAD), has utterly failed. This necessity existed when Obama Administration came into office. Indeed, Prof Ken Menkhaus wrote in February 2009, “While some within the new administration will be tempted to continue to place short term counter-terrorism goals ahead of a more comprehensive strategy approach as was done during the Bush Administration, the shortcomings of this approach are abundantly clear. ….[The United States] must make clear that it will provide sustained support to the general principles of reconciliation, consensus building, power sharing, and moderation but not support to specific individuals or factions.”

Unfortunately, the Obama Administration overwhelmed by internal and external crisis has settled on Bush Administration’s strategy for Somalia, an ineffective strategy for defeating terrorism. As a result, Ethiopia has remained in control of the Second Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG), hastily formed in Djibouti just days before the inauguration of Obama Administration. Since then, the political, security and humanitarian situation of Somalia has immeasurably worsened.

In a powerful statement on June 7, 2010, Senator Russ Feingold characterized the situation in Somalia as “appalling” and cited that “since 2007, at least 21,000 people have been killed and more than 1.5 million have been displaced.” He stated, “helping Somalis to come together around shared political vision and to translate that vision into a political system that makes a tangible difference in people’s lives is the surest way to address the our [US] National Security concerns over the long term”. ”. For, he asked the Administration to come up with a strategy that defines how to achieve stability and rule of law in Somalia since conditions of failure and despair breed terrorism and anarchy.

In the usual defiance, PM Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia told the media that the IC must prop up the TFG and rehearsed the standard line that the chaos in Somalia is not only for Somalia but also danger to world security. This is part of slogans the Ethiopian regime uses to frighten or mislead the West (US) and justify its domestic oppression as well as the destabilization of Somalia.

Probably fed up with the Ethiopian malicious strategy against Somalia and concerned about the real dangers from the current human catastrophes, President Kibaki of Kenya standing beside US Vice President Joe Biden in Nairobi said, “ We have asked the US Government to provide the leadership to forge a concerted international efforts to stabilize Somalia.” The request for the US Leadership, which represents a key precondition for stabilizing and rebuilding Somalia, has taken by surprise the Ethiopian Leaders, humiliated earlier by the fact that their country was excluded from VS President’s visit.

Immediately Ethiopia called for the 36^th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the IGAD Council of Foreign Ministers held in Addis Ababa on June 15, 2010. In his opening speech, Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin made clear the followings: