[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Pages 28803-28804]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SOMALIA

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I have come to this floor many times 
over the years to urge increased U.S. attention and resources to 
Somalia. Meanwhile, the United States and the international community 
at large have continued to respond sporadically and clumsily to the 
steady deterioration of Somalia's security, humanitarian, and political 
situations. In January, I said that we had only a very limited window 
to establish the conditions necessary for stability in Somalia and the 
volatile Horn of Africa region, but I fear that opportunity may soon be 
lost. Events over the past few days suggest that strong but inclusive 
leadership is needed now if Somalia is to avoid the worst descent into 
chaos of its tumultuous history.
  This weekend saw a massive setback in Somalia's security and 
humanitarian situation as a fresh outbreak of fighting which aid 
workers describe as the worst violence in months--forced tens of 
thousands more Somalis from their homes in Mogadishu. Most of these 
people are seeking refuge in communities whose coping capacities are 
already at the breaking point due to the strain of providing food, 
water, protection, shelter, and basic services to more than 300,000 
existing internally displaced persons. Some of the newly displaced have 
fled to areas where there is little or no access by humanitarian 
agencies.
  Forty of these aid organizations that are operating against all odds 
in Somalia released a statement yesterday highlighting the dramatic 
deterioration of the humanitarian situation and their increasing 
inability to effectively respond due to security and access 
constraints. They are calling on the international community and all 
parties to the present conflict to demonstrate a commitment to protect 
civilians, to facilitate the delivery of aid, and to respect 
humanitarian space and the safety of humanitarian workers. I want to 
take this moment to honor the courageous individuals and their 
sponsoring organizations for their persistent service to the innocent 
civilians most affected by the ongoing instability in Somalia and to 
echo their appeal for concerted action to support their work and the 
broader objective of peace for Somalia.
  Amidst this dark backdrop there is a glimmer of hope for progress. On 
Monday, the embattled Foreign Minister of Somalia's fragile 
transitional federal

[[Page 28804]]

government, Ali Mohamed Gedi, resigned amid feverish political 
infighting. Since its formation 3 years ago, the TFG has suffered from 
a lack of public legitimacy due to its inability to effectively 
represent and provide security and services to the Somali people. The 
appointment of a new Prime Minister is likely to be the last chance for 
this transitional government to restore some credibility and move 
forward with political reconciliation. I encourage all parties to seize 
this opportunity for progress towards a solution to the country's 
deepening crisis.
  In January, I warned that without concerted international and 
national action, Somalia could deteriorate into what it has been since 
the early 1990s--a haven for terrorists and warlords and a source of 
crippling instability in a critical region. But as tensions between 
Ethiopia and Eritrea rise once again, the ongoing humanitarian needs of 
civilians in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia reach international 
attention, and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan stands on 
extremely fragile ground, I fear that our failure to protect civilians, 
defeat extremists, and build conditions for stability in Somalia could 
result in an even more disastrous outcome with consequences that extend 
far beyond the porous borders of this besieged nation. We cannot afford 
to squander this chance for progress towards peace.

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