Al Shaabab threatens neighbouring countries

The Somali insurgents continue to protest over deployment of the African Union Peacekeepers in Somalia, took to the streets of Kismayo with automatic AK-47 riffles chanting slogans Intergovermental Authority Development and the UN backed Transitional Federal Government.

"We urge the Muslim people to join the jihad against the so-called IGAD members who are our enemies. We will attack them before they invade us," said Al-Shabaab commander Sheikh Bali who was speaking to the protesters in Kismayo.

The demonstrations also took place in Gedo, Middle Shabelle and Bay in southern Somalia, where mostly Al-Qaeda linked group of Al-Shabaab controls.

Leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Djibouti who met in an emergency summit in Addis Ababa decided to deploy 2,000 peacekeepers to Somalia to join other 6,000 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.

The leaders also recommended United Nations to send an additional 20,000 peacekeeping force to Somalia. The protesters denounced forces from neighbouring countries especially Ethiopia which pulled out from Somalia last year after three years of occupied.

The deployment of the AU Soldiers led the Somalis insurgent group Al-Shaabab threatening that they will attack the capitals of Burundi and Uganda in revenge for rocket attacks by peacekeepers from the two countries.

The threat follows the killing on Thursday of at least 30 people in Mogadishu, the capital, by Amisom, the African Union's peacekeeping force to which Uganda and Burundi contribute troops.

Somalia 50 years on

Even as Somalia celebrates its 50th independent day on July 1st, there is very little or nothing to celebrate. Somalia remains a dangerous place to live even for the Somali residents.

According to analyst the troubled nation can feel peace when the locals realize the need to sit on themselves and that their problems of can never be solved by the international community.

For many Somalis, they are witnessing the 50th anniversary for the country that collapsed 20 years ago and 14 failed attempts to have a stable government. This day is celebrated in their houses with saddened faces and anguish of what they once called home.

For the last 50 years the country showcases the failure of state, a country ruled by guns between unified people and divided country and the future portrays hopelessness.

Somalia is a showcase of the failure of post-colonial state in Africa; the state imposed from top against the culture and social norms of the people, and the state and elites that do not belong to the aspiration of their people. Somalia can also show the resilience and audacity of the traditional African society and their social networks and its survivability.

The instability in Somalia was caused with a lot of issues including lack of freedom, divided opposition and the Ethiopia factor which has led to the open space of Somalia became attractive to terrorist groups after 9/11 and wrong policies and approaches deteriorated the situation.



Although for the short term period the picture for peace in Somali is depressing a lot can still be done in Somalia and it all comes back to the people who have to sit down and deal with the issues that divide them.

The UN backed government is threatened and this is clearing the way for the extremist Al Shaabab who have controlled the majority of the Southern Somalia. According to analysts the only way out for Somalia is having a government that people have accepted and agreed on by them.