JANAN IS NO DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS PARDONED

By a staff writer

The back and forth of Janan in the news has created mixed reactions. Farmajo’s fan-base are fired up that their hero has pulled off a hat trick at Jubaland and Kenya.

Farmajo’s political rivals are riled up him, saying Farmajo is politicizing the country’s security. Some even push a conspiracy theory that Janan’s escape was not a mere prison break. It was a move to deploy him as a Trojan Horse against Ahmed Madobe.

Either way, that projects Farmajo as a shrewd politician, proving himself to be a bit complicated to his opponents. To say Janan’s break from house arrest was FGS facilitated scheme in order to score political points against Ahmed Madobe is to paint Farmajo in a positive light. This would mean Janan’s failed military incursions into Beled Hawo was tactical by design.

Conversely, to say Farmajo negotiated his way to a deal with Janan is similarly accepting that was a stroke of political genius on his party, using non-military means to end what was both a political and security nightmare for his administration.

In the light of the above background, the government of the day has the mandate to protect its citizens and national territory against any and all threats by any means necessary. Negotiating and reaching a peace deal with Janan is definitely part of meeting that responsibility.

Those opposed to FGS deal with Janan are guilty of hypocrisy. It doesn’t matter at all that Janan stood accused of murder and other human rights violations. The government is duty-bound to enter into a negotiated settlement with any criminal, if it tried him/her and failed through its judiciary and military means to bring that criminal to justice.

Everything must be done to stop such a criminal from committing further rights abuses, including pardoning him/her from potential prosecution. This is what the amnesty program is all about. If it worked for high-level Al Shabaab defecters, as we know it, there is no way it shouldn’t work for suspected criminals who are accused of lesser crimes than pardoned terrorists.

Janan shouldnt be treated differently from the likes of Zakaria, Atam, Robow and so many others.

Of course, no one can be entirely absolved from crimes against humanity and human rights violations. Such crimes are not time-barred. Victims and their representatives can accuse them in a competent court of law anytime during the lifetime of a suspect.

Therefore, until such a a time that Somalia is ready for bringing past rights violators to account, let the government in power use non-military means to settle disputes with violent actors in exchange for their denunciation of violence.

Janan’s surrender to FGS is both a political and security win for Farmajo to the displeasure of his political opponents and to the pleasure of Beled Hawo and Garboharey residents.

(This article has been updated since posting; Photo courtesy to African Arguments).