Monday May 12, 2025
By Sadik Warfa
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989), said, “A nation that cannot defend its borders cannot protect its future,” signifying that territorial security is essential for national sovereignty. The message resonates deeply with my Country, Somalia, especially in the fight against the enduring deadly threat of Al-Shabaab and ISIS. It is time that our Country, through cooperation between the federal government and regional states, prioritize strengthening our national defense. Eliminating Terrorism is not a new thing, and there are countries that, through military and governance efforts, rose to confront and eradicated Terrorism. For instance, the Sri Lankan government conducted a decisive military offensive in 2006, which led to their victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces in May 2009 after battling for 30 years. This victory was not solely a military one; The victory resulted from both political steadfastness and military teamwork from different national agencies. It is evidence of the power of National unity, which Somalia should Embrace.
Closer Africa, Algeria has done a tremendous job in eradicating Terrorism and has played a vital role in providing intelligence and security cooperation across North Africa and the Sahel. Algeria's fight against Terrorism during its "Black Decade" of the brutal 1990s reveals the necessity for adopting various response strategies. Algeria's government, just like Somalia during this period, was experiencing deep public mistrust and prolonged the conflict. It thus introduced national reconciliation policies such as the Civil Concord Law of 1999, which would offer amnesty to people who surrendered and renounced violence which succeeded in weakening the terrorist activities; this then led to the introduction of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation in 2005, which then opened the doors for reintegration efforts and helped them close the chapter on national trauma. By 2011, Algeria had significantly reduced terrorist incidents, thanks to these efforts, prioritizing hard security measures and political reconciliation.
Al-Shabaab did not appear overnight. Its rise, establishment, and development result from an extended breakdown in all aspects of national unity, poor governance systems, and failing security cooperation. After the Somali Transitional Government, through support from Ethiopia, intervened militarily and ousted the Islamic Court Union in 2006, the Alshabab moved to the southern region of Somalia and exploited Somalia's weak Transitional Federal Government as well as governance gaps and clan differences to become a potent insurgency. The Al-Shabaab used these leadership gaps to transform into a full-fledged insurgency controlling extensive regions of central and southern Somalia. It is then evident that Al-Shabaab established themselves with our permission. When the Al-Shabaab attempted to penetrate other countries such as Tanzania in 2016-2018, establishing a camp and training in Kibiti and Mukuranga, the Tanzanian government, through heavy crackdowns and security operations, enforced their territorial authority and eliminated them; when such an incidence came to our borders, we failed to guard our territory and allowed the group to reorganize and expand. This painful truth must guide our actions moving forward.
Somalia must, therefore, take urgent, decisive measures to establish control over our national territory to safeguard our future and secure our people. We must stand firm and establish our authority! This demands steadfastness, complete national unity, and cooperation between the Federal Government and Federal Member States. Additional measures beyond military offensives are also necessary in this fight against Al-Shabaab to restore our national dignity. The state needs to be rebuilt entirely, starting from the ground up, especially in areas that extremist groups now control because of our weakness, rural setting, and exclusivity. We have to strengthen our administration and distribute basic services like policing and the legal system, as well as infrastructure installations for health and education throughout the country.
Governance must also not focus on a specific clan. We require inclusive governance, bringing in representation that extends to every element of our population. The Federal Government must welcome the participation of leaders, elders, youth, women, and professionals across every Somali region, extending across all 18 administrative areas to develop the Nation. Everyone must feel heard, respected, and responsible for the future of Somalia. The neighboring country of Kenya serves as a model for establishing this broad-based national government system. During times of crisis, Kenyan leadership often chooses dialogue and power sharing to establish peace and unity between government and opposition leaders. For instance, in the 2008 Grand Coalition Government, where after the 2007 post-election violence through a constitutional amendment, power was shared between two rival parties, Mwai Kibaki became president, Raila Odinga a prime minister, and cabinet positions were shared, opening the way for a more inclusive government that would put every Kenyan on the map maters development and resource management, and years later President Ruto is again teaming with Raila, while the politicians would not agree with these terms, Kenyans are enjoying the fruits of a broad-based Government. The country's needs surpassed the concerns of political parties or tribal affiliations. Somalia must follow the same path, placing the Nation first rather than political ambition or clan-based hostilities.
Moving forward, our government must also assert its authority and control nationwide. Controlling various parts of the country does not suffice because terrorists exploit other parts of the country, taking advantage of the absence of state institutions. Our Institutions at Federal and State levels must be felt in all regions of Somalia, including towns, villages, and districts, leaving no space in the Somali territory. This includes the establishment of police posts, appointment of district commissioners, and development of infrastructures such as schools and water systems. Once we leave gaps, we allow Al-Shabaab and ISIS to create alternative institutions, and hence the people turn to them. State power must now replace all control established by Al-Shabaab and ISIS through its illicit government system. We can only achieve this through the fast delivery of justice to outpace the fear installed by these predatory forces, offer education to replace their enforced indoctrination, promote effective and inclusive governance, enhance security, and support economic empowerment.
The core cause of our weakness is our Nation's identity crisis. We have given clan identity more power than national identity. Most Somalis describe themselves through clan identification of "Darood," "Hawiye," "Dir," or "Rahanweyn" instead of using the national identity "I am Somali" or "We are Somalia." This division into clan identities has destroyed our feeling of national unity alongside our common determination to act as a united people. If we are serious about rebuilding our Nation, we should end this clan-centered mentality. We should establish a new national identity through the common aspirations of peace, justice, opportunity, and dignity for all.
We should start considering vital issues that face our Nation:
- Our society has received nothing positive from traditional clan divisions except suffering, distrust, and lack of progress.
- What if, instead of fighting between clans, we created protection for the entire Somali territory?
A united Somalia represents the most substantial challenge to the terrorist groups Al-Shabaab and ISIS because it provides every citizen with protection and value under equal rights. Being one united force provides maximal strength. Our strength makes us resistant to terrorists, political manipulators, and external control.
The process of rebuilding our Nation requires adopting groundbreaking national values.
• Equality over lineage
• Justice over revenge
• Unity over division
• Somali citizenship over clan identity
By forming one nation united through a single purpose, we will bring back the lost territory that is under Al-Shabaab and ISIS. The entire space used by Al-Shabaab and ISIS to infiltrate communal spaces must be sealed off until every gap is closed. Our struggle against this terrorist organization has not only led to the loss of lives but has also resulted in decades of developmental stagnation throughout the country. The nation has spent funds on war activities combined with population displacement and rebuilding entire areas destroyed by the war against the Al-Shabaab and ISIS instead of using these resources to develop roads and schools alongside hospitals.
Our territory's recovery requires military expertise and a national and moral obligation to the country. Every Somali citizen drawn from all corners of the country including the Somali diaspora must view the whole Somali territory as their united home base, thus giving it their collective care. Soldiers alone cannot achieve victory in this battle. Our victorious nation will emerge when we deeply love our country from our hearts. We must move beyond passive observation and recognize that safeguarding our nation is a shared responsibility, and every citizen must now take an active role in ensuring national security. Then, Al-Shabaab and ISIS will be fully exposed, eliminating their training forests and abilities to manipulate our people. Thus, we will regain control of our territory and reform our strategies.
The Federal Government of Somalia must also take a leading responsibility in this matter. To move forward, our government needs to establish apparent authority in every region while creating governance that exposes how Al-Shabaab and ISIS misconstrues order and justice. The Federal Government is responsible for protecting all Somali citizens by delivering services and resolving conflicts. Therefore, we must strengthen our collaboration, reinforce governance structures, and remain resolute in our efforts to eliminate this threat once and for all. Our future will not be shaped by fear but by the resolve of a nation's refusal to let terror define us.
Mr Sadik Warfa is a Consultant in International Relations, Governance and Labor. He is a former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and also served as a Member of the Federal Parliament for Mudug Constituency, Somalia.