"I think people are afraid in Mogadishu now more than any time before," said Ghanim Alnajjar, the UN-appointed independent human rights expert on Somalia. “They’re afraid of being killed, of being arrested by anybody, by so-called insurgents, by TFG (transitional federal government), by Ethiopian forces” [1].

Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991, when President Siad Barre was overthrown by opposition clans. Since then, Somalia has been plagued by a situation of lawlessness, anarchy, and clan warfare. For most of 2006, Islamist factions gained and maintained control of the government and the capital of Mogadishu. In January the TFG, supported by Ethiopian forces and much of the international community, seized control of power, creating an upsurge in violence.

The intensity of violence and resulting environment of insecurity in Somalia continues to escalate, reaffirming the urgent need for a solution that enables both the personal security and the autonomy of the Somali people. Last week’s attack on Shebelle Radio by the transitional government forces created a situation of fear, in which people were afraid to express themselves. Additionally, the recent hijacking of The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicle by three armed gunmen in Mogadishu is a grave example of the great difficulty humanitarian aid agencies are facing with relief efforts in the region. As a result of these dangers, one million Somalis have been displaced and more continue to flee from peril and starvation.

The Ethiopian troops cannot continue their operations in Mogadishu. This creates a situation of distrust among Somalis who still remember the 1977 war between Somalia and Ethiopia in the Ogaden region. This war substantially weakened the Somali military. It continues to remain a sore spot in the hearts of Somalis who remember losing loved ones in this conflict. The Ethiopian government claims their aim is to secure the independence of Somalis from Islamic factions. However, the Ethiopians have blatantly obvious alternative motivations in this conflict. Two weeks ago, the Islamist-dominated opposition vowed "to liberate Somalia from the Ethiopian invaders," and suspicions of Eritrean support for the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) were confirmed by a leaked UN report. It stated that 2,000 "fully equipped" Eritrean troops are working with the UIC [2]. The report confirms fears that Eritrea and Ethiopia are fighting a proxy war on the ground in Somalia, despite the fact that Eritrea continues to deny the contribution of anything more than moral and logistical support of the UIC. “Since the UN mission is watching the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict border, they had to take the fight to Somalia where no formal UN mission is present,” said Adugna Lemi, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts, Boston [3].

The anticipation of promised UN troops further exasperates the situation. Since arriving in March, the 1,600 Ugandan troops have “won over” the support of the Somalis with their level of discipline [4]. Unfortunately, The Ugandan troop supply fell desperately short of the expected and long-time promised 8,000 total AU troops. One month ago, military officials from Burundi visited Mogadishu to prepare for the posting of 1,700 troops. The UN has also promised that the Burundians will arrive in October, according to Ankunda. But he is skeptical of the materialization of this promise [5].

Somalia is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in nearly fifteen or sixteen years [6]. The last thing the country needs is to host a proxy war that will cause more difficulties for an already complicated power struggle. The IIJD believes that although the presence of impartial security forces will ensure the safety of humanitarian operations, it is not the only component of a solution to bring security and good governance to Somalia. The IIJD encourages the transitional government to continue investigating the attack on Shebelle Radio, and to hold those responsible for the attack accountable for their behavior towards the media. By doing this, the freedom of media outlets can be maintained. This is a vital component for a thriving civil society and is crucial in establishing the legitimacy of the government.

Peacekeeping forces must be deployed, not promised. The UN needs to follow through on their word, and the international community needs to lend its support to this conflict. The people of Somalia deserve stability and peace; they have waited too long and have been given too many unfulfilled promises.