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IGAD Incapable of Resolving Somali Crisis, Says Analyst

   Peter Clottey 04 July 2010

Photo: REUTERS

   Heads  of  State at the Horn of Africa region at a recent IGAD meeting
   (file)

   A Somali political analyst told VOA the Intergovernmental Authority on
   Development (IGAD), a regional organization, is incapable of resolving
   the ongoing crisis in Somalia.

   Afyare  Abdi  Elmi,  a  professor  of  international  affairs at Qatar
   University,  said there are reasons to believe that Ethiopia is making
   efforts  to  inject  itself  into  the ongoing Somali peace process by
   using IGADâs mandate to achieve its objective.

   âIGAD  to  me  is  a  very  weak regional organization, which is often
   dominated  by  the  regional  power, which is Ethiopia. So, basically,
   Ethiopia  is trying to re-insert itself by using IGAD and it is trying
   to dominate the peace process in general,â he said.

   IGADâs  Assembly of Heads of State and Government kicked off a two-day
   summit in Ethiopiaâs capital, Addis Ababa, Sunday.

   The summit, among other things, discussed the way forward in attaining
   a  lasting  solution  for  security  and  political problems that have
   plagued Somalia for decades.

   The   two-day   summit   was   also  scheduled  to  review  the  36^th
   Extraordinary  Session  of  the IGAD Council of Ministers, a report of
   the  IGAD  Military  Experts' Mission to Somalia, and consideration of
   the  draft communiqué of the 15^th Extraordinary Summit of IGAD Heads
   of State and Government.

   But,  professor  Elmi  said  the  regional  bloc  has demonstrated its
   inability to resolve the Somali crisis.

   âIt  (IGAD)  cannot  pay  even  its  own budget, let alone resolve the
   conflicts  that  are  taking  place  in  the  region.  So, itâs almost
   impossible to even expect as little as helping the region or, perhaps,
   some of the countries within the region,â Elmi said.

   He  further said that whenever a regional power such as Ethiopia tries
   to  push its agenda in the Horn of Africa region, it usually uses IGAD
   as  an  instrument  to  attain  its objective, a charge Prime Minister
   Meles Zenawiâs government denied.

   Ethiopia  has  often  said  that  it  is committed to working with the
   Somali  government,  as  well  as the international community, to help
   resolve the escalating crisis in neighboring Somalia.

   Established  in  1986  with its headquarters in Djibouti, IGAD members
   comprise Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.

   Prime  Minister  Zenawi is currently the chairman of the IGAD Assembly
   of Heads of State and Government.

   Professor  Elmi  said  the  international community should have seized
   âpreciousâ moments to help resolve the Somali crisis.

   âThe  international  community has missed so many opportunities in the
   past.  There  were  times  that  the  momentum  was on the side of the
   international  community, and those who (were) willing to ginger (make
   more  lively)  the  situation,  and obviously we have missed that. The
   international  community  should be firm and talk to the leadership of
   the  TFG  (Transitional  Federal  Government)  and tell them that this
   cabinet is way too large,â Elmi said.

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