AFRICA/SOMALIA - “There are somewhere between 3 and 4 million people at risk,” Bishop of Djibouti tells Fides after WFP suspends aid distribution to southern Somalia

Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - "I am very concerned about the humanitarian situation in south-central Somalia, where 3 to 4 million people depend on international aid for their survival," Fides was told by Bishop Giorgio Bertin of Djibouti, also Apostolic Administrator Mogadishu. "Now that the World Food Program has decided to withdraw its personnel from the area, the situation of these people may become dramatic. I understand the motivations of the leadership of WFP, but we must find ways to continue to assist these people," said Bishop Bertin. In early January, the WFP decided to suspend operations in Somalia following an ultimatum by the fundamentalist Shabab militia, which had previously attacked and looted the humanitarian organization's facilities several times.
"Also, the Somali refugees in some facilities in Kenya are in difficulty because of the floods that hit the country in recent weeks," said Bishop Bertin. "Regarding the 10,000 Somali refugees in Djibouti, their situation is difficult, but overall stable. The Catholic Church has entered into an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for a program of help and support for these people."
On the political plane, there have been new developments: autonomous groups of moderate Muslims, Sufi-inspired, independent allies of the legitimate government, are defeating the fundamentalist Shabab militia. "In Somalia, the Sufi confraternities, representing traditional Islam Somali, have lost much of their influence in comparison to over 30-40 years ago, but they are still a point of reference for part of the population," said Bishop Bertin. "The call to traditional Islam, using the Sufi confraternities, could be part of a strategy to use the religious sentiment against those movements, such as the Shabab, who use religion for political ends, a strategy promoted by foreign powers that have long been interfering in the affairs of Somalia.”
In the northern part of Somalia, Somaliland, a region that declared independence from the rest of the country in 1991 (though their independence is not recognized by the international community), the internal tensions related to the postponement of the elections are likely to cause an explosion of violence among different clans, which had so far, unlike the south of Somalia, secured a certain stability to the area. "If this happens, the Shabab, which already has tried to penetrate the area, will take advantage," said Bishop Bertin. Somaliland is located opposite Yemen, where the government, which is facing two armed uprisings, is worried that the thousands of Somali refugees will take on extremist positions. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/1/2010)