Sunday October 25, 2015
By Farhia Ali Abdi
Shortly before taking office, former US Secretary of State,
Colin Powell, received a letter from George Kennan, Dean of the diplomatic
corps, advising him against following the tradition of his predecessors whom he
claimed had "seriously misused and distorted" the office of Secretary
of State through their travel. He argued that travelling should be done by “lower-level
officials, especially ambassadors, while the Secretary remains in Washington”. Some
of the foreign travels of Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his
predecessor, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, have come under increased scrutiny as
their frequent flying has come to been seen as costly tourism and, with the
exception of a few trips, unnecessary.
Politics in Somalia are
idiosyncratic, diverse and sometimes contradictory with international political
influence in the country’s affairs. Although Somalia currently has a national federal
government, there is no unified vision or consensus amongst Somalis and between
regional states. The African Union peacekeeping forces to Somalia (AMISOM)
keeps very little peace, given the ongoing internal political and security
conflicts, and contributes to the sense of loss of sovereignty. The
international community, meanwhile, carries out its operations and monitoring
of Somalia from neighboring countries like Kenya, Ethiopia or Djibouti, also due
to security concerns. Many things have changed in Somalia over the last two
decades since the collapse of central government and Somalia has taken some
meaningful and significant steps forward; but the general security and conditions for institution-building
remain volatile.
Despite the security concerns and
dire financial situation of the country, Somali leaders continue to travel constantly
outside the country on official business spending millions of dollars the
government cannot afford. While it is legitimate for leaders of a country to attend
important meetings where issues of national interest are addressed; what has attracted
the attention of the public, as well as foreign governments and aid agencies,
is an excesses of travelling for trivial reasons. It is reported that since 2013, the Somali President,
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has made 61 foreign trips that have cost the nation
around $8 million. The President
and his supporters will spin these 198 days outside the county as a selfless
sacrifice on the part of the president to build international relations that will
strengthen the function of government. One can also argue, however, that the absence
of executive leadership hurts the development and, in the case of Somalia, the
rebuilding and healing of the country.
The Somali leader’s frequent excursions
have cost the Somali people, as expenditures to cover travel deplete funds allocated
for the country’s development. Leaders do
not travel light; they bring with them their entourage, which is expensive and questionable. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his
delegation to the 2013 London Conference on Somalia cost the British taxpayers
£50,000, something that attracted heavy criticism for the British government,
particularly from the right wing press. This was an exception, however, as most
of the Somali leaders’ foreign travels are paid from State funds allocated for
other purposes. In this age of uncertainty, the Somali government and its political
leaders need to face reality and give a more serious look at the cost of
reconstructing the country while coming up with a strategic direction which gives
hope to the Somali people.
The Duty of
Government:
The first duty of government is
to ensure the protection, security and well-being of its citizens and, in the
case of Somalia, to provide political stability. Somalia is in a precarious
situation due to the absence of central authority and its prolonged internal
conflict. Somalia faces more danger and risk than most countries in the world,
in terms of security, poverty, famine, and drought. Since 1991, it is reported that the country has
suffered close to 1.5 million deaths related to conflict and famine. Nearly 2.5
million people have been driven out of their homes, displaced internally or to
neighbouring countries as refugees.
Somalia is one
of the poorest countries in the world and subsists on international donations
and remittances from the Diaspora. It has a large burden of the debt
accumulated through loans from the IMF and World Bank over the years. Given
this grim scenario, it is inconceivable for the country’s leaders to constantly
travel to foreign countries and spend Somalia’s meagre resources. Not only do
these travels deplete resources, often Somali leaders are accompanied by large
self-important entourages that contribute nothing of value to the trips. While
foreign travel is essential for various reasons, world leaders travel only when
the trip benefits their country through improved business connections or the development
and maintenance of mutual relationships. Unfortunately, the purpose,
significance and rationale behind many of the Somali leaders' trips are not
clear. Somali politicians appear to lack both the urgency and the understanding
of the country’s situation. While the leaders are away on frequent foreign travel the country’s crisis only
deepens. There is a pressing need for a renewal of political will in Somalia and
diplomatic efforts to tackle the serious contributing factors to the crisis.
The Hindrance of government function:
The national interest for the Somalia government,
whether it is federal or regional, lies in bringing together all institutions to
work towards building political stability and social cohesion in the country. That
being said, a recent United State visit both by the President and Prime
Minister of Somalia baffled me and brought me to write this piece. The reason for
my concern: the large number of people meeting the leaders, both as well-wishers
and as opportunity seekers. It appeared as if these visitors took up every
minute of the leaders’ time and one needs to ask, therefore, when would they
find space to speak with the leaders of the country they were visiting about
the progress and interests of Somalia? This culture of nepotism and assumed entitlement
seems to be socially acceptable at both regional and national levels, with the
leaders perpetuating it for their own purposes. Somali clan politics can be treacherous and extremely frustrating for
those in politics and for the ones who do not understand how the country’s
political structure intertwines with clan structure and the way these
relationships are maintained and at times manipulated.
One can argue that the behavior by Somali leaders and
their groupings are the legacy of colonial dependence and the abusive and
manipulative politics of the military
junta. Somalia also has a culture of social dependence
where families extend families and even neighbours are interdependent with each
other; as the saying goes: ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. While this behavior
is common in Africa; there must be a distinction between family and community reliance,
and mismanagement at the political and professional level. The behavior of
Somali leaders and their entourages should not be accepted as a cultural norm,
but as a shameful and wasteful practice, costing the country its future. Whether Somali politicians are aware of it or
not, their actions have an impact on the country’s development. The international community’s funds, pledged
in London and Brussels, to support Somali authorities with the country’s capacity
building are rumored to have been depleted before any tangible development has
been done in any part of Somalia. It is said that more than 80% of the New Deal
funds ($2.5 billion) is already used up. I am not surprised because some of theses
expenditures have gone to the frequent travellers with their associated costs.
A poor country like Somalia needs leaders who are more
eager to lift the country out of poverty and disarray than to act as kings who
have resources to waste.
Way to move forward:
One of the most important tasks facing current Somali
leadership, federal or regional, is to identify the country’s fundamental values
and to find ways work towards their achievement. The government needs to engage
with the international community for the advancement of peace and stability in
Somalia and to bring greater focus on their efforts inside the country. In this
way, the cost of traveling abroad will lessen and much-needed resources will be
saved for development. The government needs
to develop a vision for job creation and for the rebuilding of public
institutions. Public servants need to frame their work and their contributions as
patriotic duty rather than as a means of acquiring wealth.
The
prolonged absence of the political leaders on foreign visits and the corollary waste
of resources on airfares and hotels is a problem that needs to be dealt with by
both the leaders concerned and the nation. A systematic review of governance
and cultural influence is crucial to development of sustainable democratic and
social growth. Critical thinking across Somali society and the involvement of
government agencies and political elites in this reflection is essential. Somalia requires a government that is grounded in the country and which
pays attention to the needs of the country. Well-planned efforts from all
levels of governments will bring with it increased confidence and will ultimately
benefit Somalia as a whole. The government must produce a full strategy for clear decision-making
about the country’s priorities and the capacities and resources required. It
should focus less on overseas excursions and more on cost efficiency. Presidents and the Prime
Minister should focus their energies on Somalia itself and should delegate to their
junior ministers and ambassadors the task of managing foreign affairs - except in
those cases where it is absolutely necessary.