Somalia: welcome back

Due to his admirable patience, his conciliatory approach, his reassuring demeanor, his skillful maneuvering through the complexities of the Somali tribal system, and his wise and pragmatic style in striking a balance between his country's security needs and the interests of stakeholder countries, Sheikh Sharif has dismantled the false accusations of his critics, the majority of them are the so-called Somali intellectuals, who take delight in just criticizing for the sake of criticism.

Having followed his track record since I first interviewed him on 9th June 2006 until now, it is my firm belief that it is only Sheikh Sharif who is capable of leading Somalia's reconciliation and reconstruction process in the post-Al Shabab period. He has proved to be an acceptable leader to all Somali people and a man that the AU and the international community can do business with. And come August, the only wise step to take will be to re-elect Sheikh Sharif and give him the opportunity to continue the work that he has handled so well since 2009.

Future action

With the country back on its feet, it will be time for the Somali people to depend on their own resources and ingenuity to shape their future; time to turn the focus to building a strong and well trained Somali military who can replace the AMISON forces as quickly as possible.

With their job well done, the African Forces should not stay any longer than necessary. Overstay their mission would only ignite latent feelings of nationalism and any mistake by any AMISOM soldier could lead to unnecessary armed conflict.

Somali people

Welcome back to the beaches, to the sunshine, to the guntino and beautiful butterfly diri, welcome to the isbarmuuto, to the samusa that Al Shabab banned for being a symbol of trinity. Welcome to your businesses, to your culture, your folklore dances, your music, your entertainment. Welcome to visiting the graves of our revered saints and men of piety "Awliya", welcome to practice your religious rituals as you please without looking behind your shoulders in fear of Al Shabab brandishing their Kalashnikovs and herding you to their devious rituals.

Welcome back to our women. There is no way that anyone could compensate Somali women for the suffering they went through. They were the real victims of the twenty year war. They buried their dead sons with their own hands, they woke up with the mortars raining on their homes day in, day out; they lost their husbands, their children and their parents. They were subjected to rape, coercion, poverty, hunger, displacement and continuous fear. And yet they continued relentlessly to give love and hope to the broken nation. They were the breadwinners, the peacemakers and the healers of the insane, the sick and the elderly. And above all, they upheld the banner of life in the middle of death and destruction. Never again should the Somali women be subjected to such debasing degradation and inhuman suffering.

Welcome back Somali youth to the world of sports, of music, of computer games and social networks. Welcome back to the cinema houses. Welcome to taking a stroll with your fiancés and friends on the beaches. Welcome back to excelling in schools and reclaiming your life and your country as well as reshaping your future as you like in the norms, values and freedoms and spirit of the 21st century. Welcome to becoming the computer wizards of Africa and leading intellectual innovation.

Welcome back Somali businessmen to rebuilding the city of Mogadishu and returning it to its glorious beauty as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Welcome back from being killed and dumped like trash on the sidewalks in South Africa and elsewhere and return home to show the miracles you can do in getting Somalia back to its feet with your renowned entrepreneurship skills and to pioneer a Horn of African Common Market that could eventually lead to a Somali-led Horn of African Economic Union.

After twenty lean years of being an international pariah and after hitting rock bottom, there is only one way to go; and that is to climb up the wall to once again see the sun, feel the fresh air on your face and allow your eyes to enjoy, survey and reclaim the distant horizon. And this is what the Somalis should be doing and should have no time to listen to opportunists, cynics, profiteers from the chaotic situation and naysayers who strive to keep them in the dungeon.

After twenty years of confusion we have learned that Mogadishu was the head of the Somali body and once the head was sick the other parts of the body had become disoriented and chaotic. We have come to know that "Xamaraa laga daaraa (the power is switched on from Hamar or Mogadishu) was not said for a joke; so welcome back Mogadishu - Switch on the light for us. We are coming to sing: "Jirjir baad ka geli Xamar waa jiqeey (Get a place for yourself, Hamar is so crowded)