Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia, a Debacle
U.S. Official says

13 March, 2010 | By Sahra Mohamud , Mshale News

---------------------------------------------------------------

    U.S. Department of State Bureau of
    African Affairs Secretary Donald
    Yamamoto said that the invasion of
    Ethiopian forces in 2006 in Somalia
    was a mistake. Yamamoto spoke at
    the Humphrey Institute of Public
    Affairs when he joined the Minister
    of Information for Somalia’s
    Transitional Federal Government
    (TFG), Dahir Gelle, to discuss
    foreign policy with the Somali
    community.

“We’ve made a lot of mistakes and Ethiopia’s entry in 2006 was not a
really good idea,” said Yamamoto.

Gelle has been the Minister of Information for the TFG since 2009. He
is a 44-year-old Somali media personality and holds a master's degree in
Islamic Shari'a law, political science and economics from Egypt's
prestigious University of Al-Azhar. Gelle spoke extensively on the overall
progress made by the TFG and the challenges it has faced in the past
and is currently facing.

Gelle said he is currently doing a stateside tour that includes Columbus,
Ohio and Seattle. He said he is also meeting with U.S. officials in
Washington D.C. to widen the support for Somalia. Gelle met with
community leaders, women group, youth and former members of the
Somali military.

“I am here to visit with the Somali Diaspora and try to connect with the
United States to discuss the challenges facing the Somali government
and how we can enhance Somalia’s governing abilities," said Gelle. "As
the Minister of Information, I also wanted to discuss with the Obama
Administration, especially the U.S. State Department how we could
improve the relationship between Somalia and the United States."

Yamamoto's prior assignments include serving as U.S. ambassador to
Ethiopia and Djibouti. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of
state in the Bureau of African Affairs, where he was responsible for
coordinating U.S. foreign policy to over 20 countries in East and Central
Africa. He is a graduate of Columbia College and holds a master's degree
in International Affairs from Columbia University.

During the discussion at Cowles Auditorium, Gelle and Yamamoto said
the discussions with the Somali Diaspora and the State Department have
been a positive one. Gelle and Yamamoto engaged in a question and
answer session with the audience about issues concerning the current
Somali government and the role the U.S.

Yamamoto emphasized that the Somali people need to work together and
to determine their own destiny. He said the U.S. wants to see the Somali
people determining their own future and dictating the type of
government and economy they want. He said the U.S. is looking at and
working with the TFG on ways to keep out unhelpful and destructive
foreign influence as well as extremist ideology.

“Somali people are the ones who can solve their problems,” said
Yamamoto. “There are so many outsiders involved in Somalia, but
Somalis are the ones who should work together in unison and
partnership. The U.S. stance is to give the capacity of need and also
give the Somali people the opportunity to control their own destiny.”

Minister Gelle said the Somali Diaspora plays a vital role in the
reestablishment of Somalia and stressed the importance of opposing
radical thinking and extremism.

“The Somali people have been suffering and with Al-Shabab operating in
the country, it has been hard to establish as a government, however, we
have the plans to take actions so that the Somali people have the
opportunity to live in a peaceful country,” said Gelle.

Yamamoto says he is very optimistic about the future of the Somali
people. He says talking with and understanding the Somali Diaspora's
perspective will be helpful.

"We have to be very receptive, flexible and take opportunities and that's
why we are here in Minnesota,” said Yamamoto. “We really need to
understand what is on the minds of the Somali community here because
the people in Somalia are influenced just as much from the Somali
Diaspora and vice versa."

"The good news is that there is hope for Somalia because the people in
Somalia are probably the most resilient people I have ever met," said
Yamamoto.  
                                       Courtesy
All rights reserved.
Ethio Quest News
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