In Washington, a US Senate panel held ahearing Wednesday on developing a coordinated and sustainable strategy towardSomalia. The Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs took testimonyon "the new offensive launched by militant extremists."
AssistantSecretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson says despite atransitional federal government in place, Somalia is in crisis.
"Approximately43 percent of the Somali population relies on humanitarian assistance tosurvive and nearly 500,000 Somalis have fled the country and now live inovercrowded refugee camps throughout the region," he says.
Clans,militias, warlords and terrorist organizations control most of the country, notthe Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
Carsonadds, "The blight of piracy off the coast of Somalia is without question asymptom of the instability and insecurity within Somalia. Without stability inSomalia there can be no long-term resolution of the piracy problem."
TheUS blames much of insecurity in Somalia on the al-Shabaab militia, which itaccuses ofbeing a terrorist organization. Al-Shabaab is trying to overthrowthe TFG.
"Theresolution of these problems calls for a comprehensive solution that providesstability,promotes reconciliation, economic opportunity and hope for theSomali people," says Carson.
TheObama administration has called on the State Department, the National SecurityCouncil,the Defense Department, USAID, intelligence agencies and otheragencies to develop a Somalia strategy -- one, Carson says, "that is bothcomprehensive and sustainable." He says the US is also working withinternational partners, including the United Nations, African Union andEuropean Union.
"Ourcomprehensive strategy is to promote a stabile and peaceful Somalia, to supportregional peacekeeping efforts, to create a functioning and effective centralgovernment?to create a country that is at peace with its neighbors," he says.
Carsonsays the United States has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars tosupport humanitarian and security needs in Somalia. He also accuses Eritrea of supporting armedgroups, who are opposed to the Transitional Federal Government.
Alsotestifying was Professor Ken Menkhaus of Davidson College, who expects theSomali crisis to be a continuing foreign policy concern for the new Obamaadministration.
Hesays, "In this increasingly complex environment, external state building, peacebuilding and counter-terrorism initiatives have at times been based on flawedanalysis and have produced unintended consequences, which have left Somalia andits regional neighbors even more insecure."
Menkhaussays sometimes policy initiatives have been at odds.
"TheUS also faces the challenge of de-conflicting its multiple objectives inSomalia. Over the past decade, American counter-terrorism, state building andhumanitarian initiatives have generally been unintegrated and have at timesworked at cross purposes," he says.
Morechallenges were created by the 2007 Ethiopian invasion of Somalia andsubsequent occupation.
"Thatoccupation and the destructive insurgency and counter insurgency?helped to fuelan unprecedented level of radicalism in Somali society," he says.
Hesays Somalis have blamed the United States for many of the problems in theircountry because it backed Ethiopia.
"Anti-Americanismhas been very high in the country and trust of American motives and policieslow. This has been ameliorated somewhat by the January 2009 Ethiopianwithdrawal, the establishment of a more broad-based transitional government andSomali expectations of a shift in US policy under the Obama administration," hesays.
However,Menkhaus says, "There is still a high level of mistrust of American policiesand residual anger at the US."
Headds that US policy toward Somalia must take a regional approach and considertensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the insurgency in Ethiopia's Somaliregion and territorial claims.
Oxfam senior policyadvisor Shannon Scriber told the Senate panel that "Somalia remains the site ofthe world's worst humanitarian crisis. The combination of conflict and droughthave led to more than three million Somalis dependent on aid within the countryand the displacement of up to 1.8 million."
South and Central Somalia arethe most unstable regions and the most difficult to reach.
"Beyondthe obvious humanitarian impact?the country faces drought conditions unseensince the 1991 famine?. Drought conditions continue to ravage livelihoods,particularly among pastoralist populations as livestock are dying and wastingat an alarming rate," she says.