Transitional National Government of Somalia explained

Common Name:Somalia
Conventional Long Name:Transitional National Government of the Republic of Somalia
P1:Interim Government of Somalia
Flag P1:Flag of Somalia.svg
S1:Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
Flag S1:Flag of Somalia.svg
Flag Alt:Flag of Somalia
Flag:Flag of Somalia.svg
Capital:Mogadishu
Common Languages:SomaliArabic
Religion:Islam
Government Type:Provisional government
Anthem:(2000)
Heesta calanka Soomaaliya
(2000–2004)
Soomaaliyeey toosoo
Title Leader:President
Leader1:Abdiqasim Salad Hassan
Year Leader1:2000-2004
Event Start:Somalia National Peace Conference
Year Start:2000
Date Start:5 May
Event End:Transitional charter
Year End:2004
Date End:14 October

The Transitional National Government (TNG) was the internationally recognized central government of Somalia from 2000 to 2004.

Overview

The TNG was established in April–May 2000 at the Somalia National Peace Conference held in Arta, Djibouti. It was militarily and politically opposed by the Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council, which was formed by faction leaders including Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid and Mohamed Dhere.[1]

In principle, the Transitional National Charter, which gave rise to the TNG, recognized de facto regional autonomy and the existence of new entities in the north of the former Somalia, home to relatively homogenous clans. In some parts of Somalia, however, decentralization meant state authority disintegrated.[2]

According to Le Sage, the TNG in 2002 had all of the organs of a national government, including executive and judicial structures as well as a parliament, a police force and standing army. However, its institutions remained very weak on account of a dearth of basic office equipment, lack of territorial control, and inability to raise tax revenue. Due to these limitations, the TNG was unable to provide basic social services. Ministers and legislators also often expressed frustration at being shut out of the real decision-making process, and of often receiving irregular and limited salaries. As such, Le Sage argues that the public officials served more as symbols of the potential for a broad-based, national government.[3]

The TNG's internal problems led to the replacement of the prime minister four times in three years, and the administrative body's reported bankruptcy in December 2003. Its mandate ended at the same time.[4]

On October 10, 2004, legislators elected Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed as the first president of the transitional federal government (TFG), the TNG's successor.[5] He received 189 votes from the TFG Parliament, while the closest contender, erstwhile Somali ambassador to Washington Abdullahi Ahmed Addou, got 79 votes in the third round of voting. The then incumbent President of Somalia, TNG leader Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, peacefully withdrew his candidature.[6] [7]

The TNG was undermined by the Ethiopian government, who labelled TNG leaders as pro-Bin Laden Islamic extremists.[8]

History

See also: History of the transitional federal government, Republic of Somalia.

2000

2001

2002

Leaders and members

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Central Intelligence Agency. Somalia. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Langley, Virginia. 2014. April 8, 2014.
  2. Women and Gender Equality in Peace Processes: From Women at the Negotiating Table to Postwar Structural Reforms in Guatemala and Somalia, Sumie Nakaya, Global Governance Vol. 9, No. 4 (Oct.–Dec. 2003), pp. 459-476
  3. Somalia: Sovereign Disguise for a Mogadishu Mafia, Andre Le Sage,Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 29, No. 91, (Mar., 2002), pp. 132-138
  4. Web site: TNG Prime Minister Concludes Formation of Cabinet . 2003-12-31 . 2014-04-08 . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20040921233018/http://www.banadir.com/cabinet.shtml . September 21, 2004 .
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20041121085231/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/13/content_2213479.htm Somali PM optimistic about rebuilding country
  6. http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/SO/Somalia%20-%20BBC%20article%20MPs%20elect%20new%20president.doc Somalia MPs elect new president
  7. http://www.rulers.org/2004-10.html Rulers - Somalia - October 2004
  8. Elmi . Afyare Abdi . Barise . Dr Abdullahi . The Somali Conflict: Root causes, obstacles, and peace-building strategies . African Security Review . 2006 . 15 . 1 . 32–53. 10.1080/10246029.2006.9627386 .
  9. http://www.banadir.com/whatisthere.htm Somalia National Peace Conference
  10. http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=30536&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa&SelectCountry=SOMALIA SOMALIA: Interview with Barre Adan Shire, chairman of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA)
  11. Web site: The Lives of 18 American Soldiers Are Not Better Than Thousands of Somali Lives They Killed, Somalia's TNG Prime Minister Col. Hassan Abshir Farah says . 2002-01-22 . 2007-01-17 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070103000012/http://somaliawatch.org/archivedec01/020122101.htm . 2007-01-03.
  12. Web site: Somalia: Warlords lay down weapons . . 2007-01-17 . 2007-01-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081014144024/http://www.somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6756 . 2008-10-14.
  13. Web site: War Clouds Over Somalia. 2002-03-22. Middle East Report. 2007-01-17 .
  14. Somalia: Countering Terrorism in a Failed State, ICG Africa Report N°45, 23 May 2002, p.6