US Secretary of States John Kerry paid visit to Somalia on Tuesday 5th May 2015. On Wednesday, the day later Kerry made his trip to Djibouti and met with President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Foreign Minister Mahmud Ali Yusuf. He then met with top US military officials at Camp Lemonnier.

This is the highest-ranking figure from Washington to visit the Country that has witnessed calamities since the early 1990s. While in Mogadishu, Kerry met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmud and Prime Minister Omar Abdi Rashid Ali Sharmake. Kerry stated that his visit to Somalia was to acknowledge the progress made in that country. "Great progress has been made and you have all contributed to that progress," Kerry told the regional leaders. He further congratulated them for their ‘effort' to build Somalia. He said, "I visited Somalia today because your country is turning around. Three years have passed since a provisional constitution was adopted and a parliament sworn in." (VOA)

With regard to Amisom presence in Somalia, Kerry noted that it has helped the Somali Forces to fight against Alshabab Fighters and push them out of major population centers.

From the above statements, it is clear that the America has succeeded in shaping the situation in Somalia towards its interests. It is also clear that the US is strongly backing the current Somali Regime. His visit comes after President Obama had already nominated Katherine S. Dhanani as the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since the early 1990s.

Since the fall of Union of Islamic Courts which brought some calm in Somalia in 2006, the situation in Somalia now is moving towards the direction of America.

For many years, the US has been yearning for Somalia and has been intervening in Somalia using many pretexts.

In the late 1992, President George HW Bush ordered thousands of U.S. troops into Somalia under the pretext of humanitarian aid. However things did not turn good after the two US Black Hawk Helicopters were shot down in which 18 US soldiers were killed.

In 2006, US backed Ethiopia in fighting Islamic Courts deemed as ‘terrorists' and defeated them.

Currently the US is funding the AMISOM to fight the Alshababu.

It is clear from the above backdrop that the US has been successfully able to put Somalia into this messy theatre of civil war. Indeed the US and its agents have not left their desire to put Somalia under its control despite the hurdle of Europe especially Britain who has been also yearning for Somalia.

Somalia like any other Muslim country blessed with an abundance of natural resources has been the desire for America. Somalia is in a strategic position on the Indian Ocean having the longest shore of about 2720 km. So his visit to Somalia is just to mock the Muslims of Somalia who continue to suffer from the military operations of the unbelievers (Kuffar).

With regard to his trip to Djibouti, a former French colony and a mainly Sunni Nation, it is well understood the Djibouti has presently become a critical part of US foreign policy. It is a sleepy coastal nation in the Horn of Africa which has been used by the US for launching military attacks into Somalia. It has a United States Naval Expeditionary base situated at Djibouti's' Airport. The camp called Lemonier is home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa of the US Africa Command. This is the only permanent US military base in Africa.

The Washington Post reported that conditions at the base have become chronically dangerous, citing cases of air-traffic controllers sleeping on the job and making frequent errors. So it becomes clear that Kerry's visit to Djibouti was to account the authorities of the Camp.

Also Djibouti holds some geopolitical significance and China appeared to have highly invested in the country a matter that has raised some concerns to the US.

Apart from all that, there is also an issue for Americans who sought refuge in Djibouti from the fighting in Yemen. This can also indicate that Kerry's visit to Djibouti was to thank the Government of Djibouti for its broad support and assistance to the American interest in the region.

It is hurtful to see how the Western backed Muslim rulers work with the enemies of Muslims in causing atrocities in Muslim Lands. They have openly betrayed Allah, His Messenger and the Believers. We pray to Allah Almighty to open the eyes and the hearts of the Muslim Army to remove all current leaders of the Muslims and replace them with the true and devoted Imam who will protect the interest of the Muslims.

 

By Shabani Mwalimu

* Written for Ar-Rayah Newspaper Issue No. 25