03 December 2004
Panel Makes Recommendations to Fight Terrorism in Horn of Africa
Experts discuss region at conference at Harvard's Belfer Center
By Jim Fisher-Thompson
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The Horn of Africa -- Somalia and its African and Red Sea neighbors -- remains a potential hotbed of terrorism, Africa policy experts acknowledged during a recent conference at Harvard University, but they made serious recommendations for curbing the threat there.
Three former U.S. ambassadors to Ethiopia -- David Shinn, Robert Houdek and Tibor Nagy, Jr. -- and retired Marine General Karl Fulford were among those who recommend that the United States and its African and European allies must help Yemen deal with chronic unemployment, enlarge the diplomatic presence in Sudan, and increase the number of country and regional experts known as "area specialists" to bring stability to the region, thus eliminating some of the breeding grounds for terrorism.
The recommendations emerged from the November 4-6 conference, "Examining the ‘Bastions' of Terror: Governance and Policy in Yemen and the Horn of Africa," sponsored by Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and The World Peace Foundation, a Boston-based advocacy organization focusing on conflict resolution in Africa.
Ambassador Shinn, who now teaches political science at George Washington University, provided a briefing paper from the conference that asserted that, although "al Qaida operatives and sleepers in this [Horn] region are few," they are dangerous, and the cells are linked in various degrees "to Al Qaida throughout the region, and beyond into Kenya, Tanzania, and the Comoros."
Accordingly, the conference participants concluded that the cells need to be found and eradicated through concerted diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement, and military cooperation and coordination.
Although the experts charged that "a severe lack of high-level U.S. leadership and an absence of a coherent vision capable of joining American diplomatic and security initiatives effectively" has hampered U.S. efforts, they noted that Africans themselves must take ownership of the war on terrorism if it is to be truly effective.
The experts specifically recommended "urging the Intergovernmental Authority on Development [IGAD], which now provides a forum for subregional discussion and planning in the Horn of Africa, to invite Yemen to attend meetings and coordinate activities," because it is an integral part of the Red Sea political region, with historic, familial and economic ties to all of the countries in the region.
Moreover, the conferees noted, "All of the countries in the region exhibit high rates of unemployment and Yemeni rates are among the highest, so devising policies that grow jobs is critical" to security in the region.
To achieve success in the battle against terror in Yemen, they recommended help for the Yemeni government to provide governmental services in areas beyond the capital and major cities that will enhance the rule of law, economic development, civil service reform, education, and health care.
On Sudan, the conference made several recommendations aimed at supporting a North-South peace process that is due to be completed by December 31. They said, "The U.S. should upgrade its embassy presence in Khartoum; appoint a new special envoy to continue the excellent work done by former envoy Ambassador John S. Danforth; and develop a comprehensive policy toward the wars and other problems of the Sudan that fully engages all agencies of the U.S. Government."
In Darfur, where the State Department has charged the Khartoum government with enabling genocide to occur, the experts called for "energetic action, not just the ‘waving of a big stick.'"
Key to the war on terror in the region, the experts said, was the need for the U.S. government to recruit more area specialists. "More people with appropriate language fluencies, and much more specific local acquaintance and knowledge" are needed.
"Amassing such a cadre of ability" in the U.S. diplomatic corps is essential, and "time is running out," they warned.
In a paper on Ethiopia he gave at the conference, Shinn noted that at present, "it is unrealistic for Americans (or others who do not come from the region) to enter that environment and expect to deal successfully at the grassroots level with the terrorism issue.
"How many American soldiers and civilian experts on terrorism working on Ethiopia speak fluent Amharic, Afan Oromo, Somali, or Afar? Not more than a tiny few, you can be sure," Shinn said.
He explained that without knowledge of local conditions the United States might have already lost the initiative. "The time has long since passed when the U.S. should have expanded significantly its area expertise and understanding of key languages in the region so that it is capable of doing independent ‘ground truthing' [intelligence gathering using human sources] and conducting more effective liaison with local authorities."
That is why "Ethiopian authorities must bear the primary responsibility for curbing terrorism," Shinn explained. "They know local cultures and languages."
Even though Ethiopia has shared useful counterterrorism intelligence with the United States, he added, the United States needs to be careful to avoid being drawn into counterterrorist activity in Somalia that is driven more by Ethiopian political objectives than by a serious terrorist threat.
In the long run, Shinn said, the best policy is that "the U.S. should only respond to incontrovertible information that it develops on its own" when deciding who is a terrorist in the region.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=December&x=200412031647071ejrehsif0.3632624&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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