Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Kenya has no business invading Somalia

I am amazed at the level of ignorance displayed on military issues and matters regarding war.

The media seem to support the idea that Kenya should send troops to Somalia to fight the al-Shabaab.

My question to them is, go to war over what and why?

What dispute does Kenya have against the group or the Somali populace who support the militia?

What would be the justification of waging war against a loosely held group of outlaws seeking to overthrow the government of Somalia?

The current war in Somalia is an internal armed insurrection that does not warrant intervention by a neighbouring state.

It is not Kenya’s problem that the fledgling government in Mogadishu is too weak to deal with an internal armed insurrection, neither is it the responsibility of the Republic of Kenya to shore up a government that the Somali people consider to be a puppet of some foreign power(s).

Al-Shabaab cannot thrive if the citizens of Somalia or a sizeable population thereof do not believe in its cause.

The militia is thriving because there are certain sections of the Somali populace who are persuaded by its declared cause and are offering active support and comfort to its members and fighters.

Al-Shabaab and many other armed groups in Somalia have raised the issue of legitimacy against the government of Sheikh Ahmed.

Even Ethiopia failed to pacify the warring factions in Somalia over a two-year period.

For starters, it is important to know that when you are fighting an internal armed group, it is not enough to capture territory and grounds of tactical importance; you must win the war in the minds and hearts of the people too.

Source: BusinessDailyAfrica

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