President Sharif’s remarks spark angry demonstrations in Southern Somalia

By: Abdikarim

In a surprise statement that startled many, the president of Somalia has on Thursday expressed his dissatisfaction with the Kenyan military presence in Somalia adding his government does not allow such penetration.

The president is feared to have links with his former allies of the Islamist militias. The AP news agency reported that the president secretly asked the AU forces to halt the fight and not to move beyond Dayniile.

The statement created a split within the government casting doubts on the legitimacy of the Kenyan military operation against Al-shabab. The Kenyan military started to crack down on Somalia’s Al-shabab first under the impression that they have the inherent right to defend their country. This was following a string of abductions carried out inside Kenya on foreign elements. Kenya blamed the insurgents for the incidents and vowed to protect its country.

The Kenyan military moved into Somali hardly more than two weeks pushing into the lawless country hundreds of kilometres. Under bad weather conditions, the military’s move was hampered, dragging them into their tenth day inside Somalia.

The Kenya and Somali defence ministers met in Mogadishu and there was some semblance of an agreement that suggested the two countries are in complete harmony in the fight against Shebab and that the Somali government approved the Kenyan military infiltration into Somalia.

But this was not to be. In another version of the story, after Somali president opposed the incursion, the Kenyan foreign minister Watengula said they have gone into Somalia to support the TFG. Although not popularly known, Kenyan is for the idea of establishment of a buffer state along the border to help maintain security.

In Dhoobley and other parts of Southern Somalia, hundreds of Somalis opposed to president Sharif’s remark took to the streets carrying placards and burning effigies of the Somali president.

“We want Kenya and Somalia to fight Al-shabab in every nook. We do not have another other hope for life” one Gedi Farah said.

On the other hand, the moderate Ahlu Sunna sufi sect in Somalia has also criticised the president’s remarks. If the president does not want the ouster of Al-shabab from Somalia, then he should leave others to do so, the militia’s spokesperson said.

At the office of the Somali Prime Minister, the words of the president came as a surprise to Abdiweli Mohamed. On the contrary, some Somali lawmakers hailed the president’s statement and said it’s illegal for Kenya to engage inside Somalia.

The American and European officials in Nairobi have also expressed their dismay in the president’s remarks that called on Kenyan military advance to stop.

It’s still unclear what triggered the president’s remarks apart from the speculations circulating in the media. Or maybe the government’s hand is itching for internal rows as storm comes after calm.

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