Daljire

An Open Letter to President Donald J. Trump Dear President Trump, What prompts this letter is a wave of lobbying built on distortions, most recently echoed in a letter sent to you by Mr. Ahmed Ismail — part of a broader campaign designed to mislead you and harm Somalia. I write not as a partisan but as a Somali public servant and policy analyst with more than 25 years of experience in governance and research. I have testified before the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, and I know Somalia’s threats not in theory but in life. In 2010, as presidential spokesperson, I survived al-Shabaab’s assault on the palace. In 2016, my family and I survived a suicide bombing at Mogadishu airport. Six of my cabinet colleagues were assassinated. These sacrifices remind us that defending Somalia’s unity is not a slogan — it is a life-and-death struggle. Somalia is fighting two of the world’s most ruthless terror groups. The DNI’s annual threat assessment calls al-Shabaab “the most lethal al-Qaeda affiliate in the world.” ISIS also operates here. U.S.–Somali operations have intensified, with AFRICOM confirming successful strikes this summer. This partnership is saving lives. To fracture Somalia now — when cooperation is at its peak — would undo 15 years of sacrifice, hand terrorists a propaganda victory, and destabilize the Horn of Africa. Some in Washington suggest recognizing Somaliland is a walk in the park. The last time lobbyists sold easy answers, they told President Bush that weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were a slam dunk. One million lives and $3 trillion later, history proved them wrong. We should not repeat that mistake in Somalia. Mr. Ismail’s claim that Somaliland has thrived without U.S. support is also false. Nearly 20% of all international assistance to Somalia over the past decade has gone to Somaliland, with the United States alone providing close to $400 million. His pitch of “a clear American win at virtually no cost” is not sober analysis but hyperbole. Ismail also misrepresents history. There was never a sovereign ‘Somaliland state’ in 1960. The British protectorate lasted five days before uniting permanently with the south to form the Somali Republic. Yes, Somalis in the north endured abuses under the military regime — but so did Somalis everywhere. Since 2010, successive Somali presidents have apologized, and a federal system was built to prevent past abuses. Somalis are ready to heal and build together. Rewarding separatists now would open a Pandora’s box across Africa. With thousands of tribes and dozens of separatist movements — from Biafra to Casamance to Tigray to the Tuareg — dismembering Somalia would destabilize the continent. That is why the OAU in 1963, and later the African Union, chose to preserve colonial borders. Mr. President, the United States has been Somalia’s closest partner. Days after your inauguration you ordered strikes against ISIS in Somalia, declaring: “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU.” Under your leadership, U.S. operations doubled. To now abandon Somalia’s unity would contradict that record and embolden our common enemies. Somalis are a proud people who for centuries have defended their land and freedom. Even in Somaliland, despite separatist rhetoric, ordinary people remain deeply patriotic. In 1856, British explorer Richard Burton described Somalis as “a fierce race of republicans.” That spirit endures. As the most powerful man in the world today — already spoken of by global leaders as almost certain to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize for your role in mediating conflicts from Rwanda and the DRC to Armenia and Azerbaijan, and even the war in Ukraine — I ask you not to let snake-oil salesmen turn you against an ally. Somalia should be part of your conciliation caravan, not a casualty of reckless lobbying. Respectfully, Abdirashid Hashi @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse