The Transitional National Government (TNG) was the internationally recognized central government of
Somalia
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
from 2000 to 2004.
Overview
The TNG was established in 20 April–5 May 2000 at the Somalia National Peace Conference held in
Arta,
Djibouti
Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...
.
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.
Somalia's powerful neighbor,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
, immediately opposed the TNG, fearing that Somali reunification would reignite claims on the Ogaden region. In response, Ethiopia supported groups in Somalia that resisted the TNG and actively sponsored the formation of opposition alliances to preserve its strategic interests. Most notably, it sponsored the creation of a powerful anti-TNG warlord coalition called the
Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) which was founded in Ethiopia during mid-2001. The SRRC served as the main political and military opposition to the TNG. The emergence of the TNG alarmed
Puntland's ruling government, who saw feared that a reunified Somalia would be oriented to the south. In January 2001,
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (, ; 15 December 1934 – 23 March 2012), was a Somali politician and former military official who served as the first President of Puntland from 1998 to 2004. He also played a key role in establishing the Transitional ...
requested the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
'review its decision' to recognize the TNG and protested to the
Arab League
The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
about support being given to the government. Yusuf also joined the Ethiopian warlord coalition in order to undermine the TNG.
After the
9/11 attacks, the Ethiopian government openly accused the TNG leadership of being
Islamic extremists who were pro-
Bin Laden and the SRRC called on the
international community
The international community is a term used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world.
Usage
Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is typically used to imply the ...
to intervene in Somalia and set up a transitional government akin to
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
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. 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.
A strong Somali state not dependent on
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
was perceived as a security threat to the Ethiopian state,
and consequently the Ethiopian government heavily backed the formation of the
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...
(TFG) in 2004 and the presidency of
Abdullahi Yusuf on the grounds that he would give up Somalia's long standing claim to the Ogaden.
On October 10, 2004, legislators elected
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (, ; 15 December 1934 – 23 March 2012), was a Somali politician and former military official who served as the first President of Puntland from 1998 to 2004. He also played a key role in establishing the Transitional ...
as the first president of the
transitional federal government
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...
(TFG), the TNG's successor.
[Somali PM optimistic about rebuilding country](_blank)
/ref> 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.[Somalia MPs elect new president](_blank)
/ref>
/ref>
History
2000
* Somalia National Peace Conference (SNPC) or Djibouti Conference, held in Arta, Djibouti, on April 20 - May 5, 2000.
Program, hosted at Banadir.com The name Transitional National Government (TNG) was selected for the initiative at this time.
* Election of Abdiqasim Salad Hassan as President by clan representatives
2001
* National Commission for Reconciliation and Property Settlement
2002
* 2002 Somali Reconciliation Conference held in Eldoret
Eldoret is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. Located in western Kenya and lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about at the Eldoret International Air ...
, Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
[SOMALIA: Interview with Barre Adan Shire, chairman of the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA)]
IRIN
* Appointment of General Ismail Qasim Naji as the leader of the army in January 2002. The army in March 2002 numbered 2,010 men and 90 women.
*Mutinies in early 2002.[Somalia: Countering Terrorism in a Failed State, ICG Africa Report N°45, 23 May 2002, p.6]
Leaders and members
* Abdiqasim Salad Hassan – President
* Gen. Ismail Qasim Naji – Army commander ( Somali Armed Forces)
* Ali Khalif Galaydh – 1st Prime Minister, October 8, 2000 – October 28, 2001
* Osman Jama Ali – 2nd Prime Minister, briefly held post October 28–November 12, 2002
* Hassan Abshir Farah – 3rd Prime Minister, 12 November 2002–December 8, 2003
* Mohamed Abdi Yusuf – 4th Prime Minister, December 31, 2003 – November 3, 2004
* Ali Mahdi Muhammad – MP in the TNG
* Rasack Yousuf – MP in the TNG
* Abdirahman Omar – MP in the TNG
* Mahamed Saeed – MP in the TNG
References
Sources
* {{Cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KBP7QbalX0C , title=Africa South of the Sahara 2003 , date=31 October 2002 , publisher=Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research and Dovepress. It i ...
, isbn=978-1-85743-131-5 , editor-last=Murison , editor-first=Katharine , chapter=Somalia
Political history of Somalia
2000s in Somalia
Factions in the Somali Civil War
Provisional governments
2000 establishments in Somalia
2004 disestablishments in Somalia