Nowadays, it looks theluck of Somali people and state is changing for good and finally the light atend of the tunnel is getting brighter and nearer and many both in Diaspora andin the country feel uneasy because the end of TFG may not bring continuity thenewly achieved gains of the past year.

Many Somaliintellectuals are happy to see transitional period is over but yet worriedthings may turn back without the right leadership.

On 31st of July, members of Constituency Assembly approved the new provisionalconstitution of Somalia. This was a process that started  seven years agoand for all practical purposes were not going anywhere until a year ago, when anew Prime Minister came on board with a cabinet of mainly professional s who hecalled them back from their comfort lives over the world.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Abdiwali M. Ali, himself, a professor of economics fromBuffalo, NY took over a shambled government, at a time where al-Shabab wereoccupying two-third of Mogadishu,  hundreds of Somalis were dying dailybecause of worst draught for long time. Regional administration weren’t talkingto TFG and overall morale was descending fast.

Many doubt that a professor from New York can change the course and saw himanother PM for long list of trial and error exercise. Today, to the credit ofTFG forces and AMISOM but equally to his leadership, Mogadishu is free andal-Shabab is on the run. He established an independent Disaster Management Agencyto deal with the draught emergency relief work.  His understanding inproblem solving and the art of diplomacy led international community to pourhelp for Somali people to counter the draught. Within 90 days things turned toget better. 

However, what separates him from other leaders in the past 20 years or so isnot only the handling the draught problem or kicking al-Shabab out of Mogadishubut coming up with a Roadmap with a time line to tackle four major tasks: 1-Security: with a National Stabilization and Security Plan that deals fromsecuring the country, strengthening the Somali forces and preparingadministration for newly liberated towns.

2-Good Governance: re-establishing and strengthening national institution, healso established an independent anti-corruption commission. As an academic heput emphases on education with a result of 3000 students taking abroad forhigher education.

3- Reconciliation: First time in 20 years that regional administrations arecooperating with and working side by side with central government, these werenot the case 18 months ago. 135 Somali Traditional Clan elders from all overthe country are working together in Mogadishu and have chosen 825 ConstituencyAssembly that just approve d the provisional constitution and  will in fewdays select members of parliament. This exercise is a historic one becauseafter two decades, the new Somali Government will lose the Transitional statusin its name. 

4- The constitution was a major component of the Roadmap and recent approval ofthe constitution is the most important achievement so far for this government.

Axmed Farah