Diplomatic tensions between Saudi Arabia and
Iran escalated after allies of Saudi Arabia severed their diplomatic
relations with Iran. Bahrain, Kuwait and UAE either cut or downgraded their
diplomatic ties with Iran.
Saudi-Iran
diplomatic crisis erupted when the Saudi Kingdom executed prominent Shia
clerk, Nimr al Nimr, along with other people. Anxious demonstrators burned
Saudi embassy in Tehran. Saudi royal family decided to cut already crippling
relations with its main rival in the Middle East.
Three Horn of African
Sunni countries, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia, followed Saudi Arabia’s attempt
to isolate and deter Iran. This crisis is knitting
together two longstanding instabilities. Why Horn of African countries want to
interfere in the Middle Eastern problem while they have enough headache in the
region?
The
three governments share lack of political legitimacy and growing Salafi
influence.
Advancement of Salafi ideology in the region along with Saudi money
strengthened Saudi say in this poor, conflict ridden and highly troubled
region. Since early 1980s, Salafi teaching has been spreading and intensifying
in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somali inhabited areas. Now, Salafism is
the main religious group among the urban Somali speaking people in the region. Thus
this new development is a sign of a long cultivated and deeply rooted Saudi
influence.
Both Somalia
and Sudan are controlled by governments who are in one way or another based on religious
ideology. The tiny, but strategic, country of Djibouti leadership has internal
and growing opposition movement challenging president Guelleh who extended his presidential
term limit to stay indefinitely. The new development in Djibouti questioned
president Guelleh’s long closeness to the West.
In Somalia, Islamists insurgents are fighting
weak Somalian government supported by African peacekeeping mission. The
presence of violent Salafi Jihadi militia in the country created a religious
based political spectrum. The Somalia government led by President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamed, a man believed to be a member of a religious group called Damul Jadid,
is closely allied with Saudi Arabia in a way that Somalia, despite its lack of
any viable diplomatic influence, echoes any diplomatic announcement Saudi
Arabia makes.
For instance, Somalia
issued on March 2015 a statement denouncing
Sweden on its dispute
with Saudi Arabia over Sweden’s criticism of the kingdom’s human rights record.
Many
Somalis do not forget Saudi treatment of Somali refugees. The military
oppression in 1970s and 1980s, and the subsequent civil war forced many Somalis
to flee from their country. Saudi
Arabia up to now forcefully returns the Somali refugees back to dangerous
places. Many Somalis languish in Saudi prisons and many more are
exploited. In contrast, Sweden welcomes Somali refugees and provides humanitarian aid to Somaliland
and Somalia.
Somalia in this month
arrested Iranians allegedly spreading Shia in Somalia. Somalia is in profound
religious based war and dragged, almost endless, bloodshed. Adding this flame
into sectarian row is unwise choice.
Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan
and Somaliland also supported Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. The support of
the Saudi-led coalition strikes against Yemen has changed the security
dynamics. Influx of refugees added the economy of the region new burden. But in
security wise, it is a concern that the insecurity of Yemen will lead to
enhanced ties between al Qaida in Horn of Africa and that in the Arab
Peninsula. Furthermore, Yemen hosts hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees
who fled the civil war. The bombs in Yemen already costed the lives of Somali refugees,
and displaced others within Yemen and beyond. Thousands returned to the region.
The ill-advised
decisions of the governments in the region are partly caused by Salafi/Wahabi
influence. The alliance between the Saudi royal family and the Salafists who
are nowadays strong religious authority in Somalia and Somaliland are turning
these countries into Saudi puppets. Contrary to long held policy, Somaliland has
backed the bloody Saudi intervention in Yemen. Religious leaders linked to
Saudi Arabia held in Somaliland series of religious deliberations demonizing
Iran and Shia sect, although there is no Shia community in Somaliland.
Guleid Ahmed Jama
LL.B, PGDip, MA
Centre for Policy
Analysis, Hargeisa
Somaliland
