Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, ARS, Eritrea, and the Somalis of the Center

At a press conference in Djibouti, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Chairman of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), hinted at problems originating from Eritrea’s involvement in the ARS; the foreign involvement is said to have turned some of the alliance members against the rest.

This development was already expected; Eritrea has developed relations with several political organizations and liberation fronts from neighboring countries, Sudan, Abyssinia, and Somalia. In a way, Eritrea helps the struggle for national liberation of various tyrannized nations, notably the Oromos and the Ogadenis, and in the case of Somalia, the fight for pacification and reunification.

However, one must understand beforehand that for Eritrea there are national interests that come first, before those of the Oromos, the Ogadenis or the Somalis. As in every similar case, a foreign help has always its own limits.

To some extent the help offered by a foreign country to a liberation front has its advantages and its disadvantages at the same time. They all emanate from the real needs of the country in question.

Certainly, Eritrea helped last August and September the various Somali formations shape a new force, the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia. But Eritrea’s help is conditioned by the conflict with Abyssinia.

Whereas a strong Somali opposition against tyrant Zenawi’s criminal thugs, who impersonate a national army, is most welcome in Asmara, as it obliges Zenawi to keep more soldiers in the Somali South and thus to limit the scope of operations in the Eritrean warfront, the possibility of a Somali roadmap, an agreement of all the Somali political organizations for the forthcoming elections, the departure of the ‘Ethiopian’ army from Somalia, and the pacification and reunification of Somalia are all negative developments for Asmara.

It is easily understandable that with the Abyssinian soldiers removed from Somalia, Zenawi will have the opportunity to transfer his soldiers to the front against Eritrea. It is easy to realize that Asmara would never be enthusiastic with the idea.

This development may look negative for ARS, but in fact it is not. From the first view, an eventual split of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia would look as an extra Somali division and subdivision. In fact, this division could help.

If the Eritrean infiltration pulls some members of the alliance to positions of intransigence and refusal of any negotiation with the TFG and the other political forces of the country, the main part will follow Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. Thus, he will become apparently the central figure in the Somali political spectrum, having on his left side the intransigent and extremist groups and on his right side the various formations of typically westernized Somalis of the Diaspora.

Without realizing it, President Afeworki of Eritrea with his interference in the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia and with his effort to pull some of its members to politically extreme and practically unrealistic positions, makes of Sheikh Sharif the only occupant of the Center of the Somali political life.

There will be an urgent need for a balanced stance toward both, the westernized Diaspora (that supports TFG) and the radicalized Shebab. This position, successfully pursued for the period until the forthcoming elections, will make of Sheikh Sharif the central personality of the Somali political life after the elections.

It is an Eritrean challenge that deserves to be taken!

At this point, I re-publish integrally the report published in the leading Somali portal www.mareeg.com about Sheikh Sharif’s news conference.

Somalia: "Eritrea, stop splitting the ARS members" Islamist leader said

http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=5885&tirsan=3&PHPSESSID=ebccaab60bf07238d9a718febb3ee03c

May 25, 2008

Mareeg (May 25, 2008) - The Chairman of the Alliance of the Re-liberation of Somalia Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has revealed that Eritrea government carries process and wants to break up the alliance he chairs.

Speaking at a news conference he held in Djiboutian capital Djibouti he declared that that Eritrea is accountable for the pitch-black relations between the senior leaders of the alliance after some of the officials in the coalition have accused some members of the groups those took part the failed talks in Djibouti that they were not representing the alliance.

"I am apologetic about the speech that some of the alliance’s members told to the Somali people saying that there were differences in the group" he said in the news conference.

He called for the other members in the group to preserve the common sense of Somalia people and to steer clear of the divergences they are provoke in the umbrella as he put it.

"Thanks to Eritrea for its help on the establishment of the group, but we see something "bad" from them" Sharif said.

He also hailed the UN’s remarks to Somali government and Ethiopian troops about that they’ve violated the law of Somalia’s arms ban which was imposed by the United Nation on 1990 after Somali lacked central government.

"Ah, I was overwhelmed by Meles Zenawe’s remarks, saying that he wouldn’t withdraw his forces from Somalia until the Jihadists are defeated, but they will leave by force" Sharif said.

The remarks from Sheikh Sharif come as the last days there were intensifying speculations about disagreements stuck between the senior leaders of the Re-liberation of Somalia alliance.