A new chapter of history has opened for the Somali people and the message is loud and clear: “The tax we pay cannot be used to kill our people.” Those from the outside tend to think that the problems within Somalia are just inside the Somali borders; they do not realize that the victims are also their Somali colleagues, neighbors, and classmates. Due to years of war and unrest, there are many Somali immigrants living in North America and Europe. With hope of finding a sustainable solution to the Somali issue, members of the Somali Diaspora have come to Asmara, Eritrea to participate in the Somali Congress for Liberation and Reconstitution.

The aim of this congress is to form a coalition that represents the entire Somali people and serves their interests, to liberate Somalia from the current invasion of the TPLF regime (Ethiopia), to organize a forum of national reconstitution, and to ensure Somalia's reconstitution. This congress will create a reliable ground for the Somali people to work hand-in-hand to liberate and bring sustainable peace, security, and development to the Somali nation.

There were a lot of emotions during the opening session of the Congress as many participants, despite their gender and age, couldn't hold back their tears as they heard the opening remarks. Since after the down fall of the Said Barre dictatorship, Somalia experienced 15 years of insecurity until July 2006, when the Union of Islamic Courts took control of Mogadishu from the warlords who controlled the capital city. As quoted by Al-Amin Mohammed Said, Secretary of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ-Eritrea ), “… the development did not occur by the magic wand of the UIC only, but because it was the choice and wish of the Somali people as well.”

Despite this, however, such developments that indeed deserved the support of all peace-loving forces were crippled by the open invasion of the Meles regime with the collaboration of the US Administration, as Al-Amin elaborated.

“We are Not Terrorists!”

Smear campaigns have been launched by Ethiopia and the United States, saying that Somalia has terrorists and members of Al-Qaeda; one terrorist has yet to be found in Somalia. During the opening session of the congress, the participants made this loud and clear by chanting “ We are not terrorists.” What the West tends to forget is that the people want peace and security and, therefore, will not and cannot support terrorists. And as Mohamoud Ahmed Nur, a member of the Somali Diaspora, said during his opening remark, “Somalis will not support terrorists to harm their fellow citizens in North America, Europe, or for in any other part of the world.”

Very few members of the diplomatic corps based in Asmara attended the opening session of the Congress, despite the importance of this event; it is expected to create a real, sustainable platform for the liberation and reconstitution of Somalia. Such benefits could not only benefit Somalia, but the Horn of Africa as a whole and, therefore, one would think that the diplomatic corps would be interested to see what the Somali people have to say. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The reasons for this vary, the more prominent reason being the fact that the UIC, labeled as Islamic fundamentalists, is participating in the Congress. Little do they know that the UIC is only part of the Congress. This Congress represents different social groups of the Somali society, including members of the Somali Diaspora, clan heads, intellectuals, community elders, and religious leaders. More importantly, the political platform to be created as a result of this Congress will be decided from the resulting leadership, and not the UIC.

It has become clear that the United States needs to change its policies towards the Horn of Africa not only because it is creating even more conflicts and instability, but also because the US has a responsibility to protect the interests of its own citizens. There are Somali communities all over the United States and it is their right to say that they do not want to be treated like second-class citizens nor do they want their tax dollars to finance the killings and rapes occurring in Somalia, in the hands of the invading Ethiopian forces.

It shall be recalled that the US State Department has ordered the closure of the Eritrean Consulate in Oakland for what was wrongly labeled as ‘reciprocal action.' Ms. Jendayi Frazer, the Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, thinks that this action is directed to the Government of Eritrea, when in fact it is directed to Eritrean citizens residing in the United States .

The following is the statement passed out to the audience during the opening session of the congress:

Diaspora's Position in the Current Situation in Somalia

• Ethiopian occupation forces cause death, destruction, and displaced more than half a million people from Mogadishu.
• Ethiopian occupation forces have committed and still are committing genocide and crime against humanity.
• TFG leadership and its militias are also committing systematic destruction of the infrastructure and economic areas in Mogadishu.
• The Ethiopian government and its scrooges are blocking relief from international donors to reach the displaced people.
• TFG militias are looting and raping civilians on a daily basis
• We demand from the international community to bring the perpetrators of horrific crimes and genocides in Somalia to the international criminal court.
• Under no circumstances reconciliation can take place under the presence of Ethiopian troops
• The so-called Somali National Reconciliation Congress is void and has not legitimacy.

Diaspora and Its Importance in the Struggle for Liberation

• The financial muscle and political influence of the Diaspora and its contribution to the economy of the country is estimated about one billion dollars in remittance.
  
• [The] Diaspora is the lifeline of our beloved country:

-   The political influence that the Diaspora has in their respective countries
-   The skills and experiences of the Diaspora is crucial to the country's reconstitution and rebuilding and economic recovery
-   [The] number of Somalis in the Diaspora i.e. Europe (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden, Holland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Italy), the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Message to Our Adopted Countries

• We are citizens of the European Union, North America. We are tax payers and we demand the right of protection of our interest in Somalia
• We cannot support terrorists to harm our fellow citizens in Europe and North America or any part of the world; however, Ethiopians are killing our families, destroying our properties, raping our sisters and mothers, with the help of our taxes that are governments are giving in the form of aid and that aid is procured with military hardware.
• No support for any government that does not have the legitimacy to govern the country, that does not gain the confidence of its people.
• Somali Diaspora cannot and will not support any Somali government that will not respect human rights, free press, and free expression.
• No support for any government that does not respect the rule of law and denies justice to its people
• We support ONLY good governance
• We demand justice for the victims of Mele's military machine and we want to see him tried for crimes against humanity.

Message to Our Somali Brothers and Sisters in the Country

• Our people should unite against the Ethiopian occupation and should fully participate in the liberation of our homeland
• Our people should free themselves from the narrow agenda of warlords and criminals that are holding us back
• We should be free from clanism as it is the real barrier to the reconstitution of our nation
• Somalis should trust each other
• Somali people should respect each other and accept one another
• We need to understand that the existence of our nation is at sake
• The intention of Ethiopia is to divide us into clans, sub-clans, regions, and districts that cannot talk to each other but only through Ethiopian military officers as it is happening in Mogadishu at present.
• Finally, the struggle to the liberation of the country should start in every corner, every district, and every street.

What we Expect from this Conference

What we expect is not different than what all Somali people expect wherever they are.

Long live Somalia!
Long live Eritrea!
Long live Somalia!
Down Ethiopia, Down Meles and his brutal regime!

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