Reuters: Fight over oil revenues would harm Somalia peace

[FBISOMALIA]

(Reuters) - Somalia's embattled central government will not argue with semi-autonomous Puntland over potential oil revenues for fear of scuttling a fragile peace process, but a top official said on Monday the law made clear control lay with Mogadishu.

Canadian firm Horn Petroleum, majority-owned by Vancouver-listed Africa Oil Corp., and its exploration partners started drilling in March in Puntland's Dharoor Block but have yet to announce any proven reserves.

Africa Oil and joint venture partners Range Resource Ltd. (RRS.AX) and Lion Energy entered into production-sharing agreements for the Dharoor Valley Exploration Area and the Nugaal Valley Exploration Area directly with Puntland, bypassing Mogadishu which is grappling with an Islamist insurgency.

"Our policy is to let the oil come first rather than now going to Puntland and making our point," Deputy Minister of Energy Abdullahi Dool told Reuters.

"Because of the situation between different regions, we don't want to push anyone to the wall. We don't want to make too many Somaliland situations where regions want to break away," he said in an interview.

Dool was referring to the northern west breakaway enclave which declared independence in 1991 but is not internationally recognized.

"First of all let there be oil. You can't fight when everything is underground," said the minister, whose portfolio also includes water, petroleum and mineral resources.

Somalia's interim federal government is tasked with adopting a new constitution by August, aimed in part at redefining the relationship between Mogadishu and the regions and ending a two-decade cycle of violence.

The Western-backed government has been fighting al Shabaab militants who still control large swathes of the country and want to impose Sharia law.

Puntland has objected to the first draft of the constitution, saying it left too much power with Mogadishu.

WHO GETS WHAT?

Dool said the country's petroleum law made clear the government should dictate license agreements with foreign investors, while ensuring the regions get a cut.

"It has very clear guidelines on the rules on who gets what and what will be the way to resolve (disputes) between central government and (the) regions," he said.

"The petroleum law makes it very clear it is the central government who has absolute control but there is a role for ... local government or regions."

Muddying the waters further is the fact that Italian oil explorer Eni may still have legal rights to the Dharoor block.

Eni was issued a licence by the Somali government in the 1980s to explore Dharoor. It claimed force majeure as the country plunged into chaos, with warlords and then Islamist militants filling the power vacuum.

"We abide by every international agreement the governments before us have committed to," said Dool.

Dool said the Somali government had not approached the Italian oil giant on the issue as "our first priority is to pacify the country".

(Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Jason Neely)

[FBISOMALIA]

its seems those reer xamar dont understand their current situation , PL has the ability to give some revenue to xamar with or without the dastuur , even so what they would do if reer PL said NO , send amisom to us

[tightrope]

TUUG-FG ARE FUNNY IF THEY THINK THEY WILL GET PUNT OIL MONEY!
LOOK AT WHAT THIEVING SOUTHIE 'POLITICIANS' DID WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INTERNATIONAL AID. NOT ONE CENT WENT INTO REBUILDING XAMAR OR IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE POOR LOCALS.

[tightrope]

its seems those reer xamar dont understand their current situation , PL has the ability to give some revenue to xamar with or without the dastuur , even so what they would do if reer PL said NO , send amisom to us

IF ANIMAL-SOM SET ONE FOOT IN PL, MAJEERTEEN WILL SEND THEM RUNNING BACK TO UGANDA

[tightrope]

"The petroleum law makes it very clear it is the central government who has absolute control but there is a role for ... local government or regions."

LOOKS LIKE THE SOUTHIE SARE NOT INTERESTED IN FEDERALISM

[FBISOMALIA]

its seems those reer xamar dont understand their current situation , PL has the ability to give some revenue to xamar with or without the dastuur , even so what they would do if reer PL said NO , send amisom to us

IF ANIMAL-SOM SET ONE FOOT IN PL, MAJEERTEEN WILL SEND THEM RUNNING BACK TO UGANDA

re-correction :" PL is hartii state and MJ are not the only one life there so next time dont use MJ plz "

"The petroleum law makes it very clear it is the central government who has absolute control but there is a role for ... local government or regions."

LOOKS LIKE THE SOUTHIE SARE NOT INTERESTED IN FEDERALISM

central government only exist in his head

[tightrope]

its seems those reer xamar dont understand their current situation , PL has the ability to give some revenue to xamar with or without the dastuur , even so what they would do if reer PL said NO , send amisom to us

IF ANIMAL-SOM SET ONE FOOT IN PL, MAJEERTEEN WILL SEND THEM RUNNING BACK TO UGANDA

re-correction :" PL is hartii state and MJ are not the only one life there so next time dont use MJ plz "

"The petroleum law makes it very clear it is the central government who has absolute control but there is a role for ... local government or regions."

LOOKS LIKE THE SOUTHIE SARE NOT INTERESTED IN FEDERALISM

central government only exist in his head

MY BAD FBI

DUDE ITS NOT IN HIS HEAD. CENTRALISM IS ALL OVER THAT DISGUSTING DASTUUR
SOUTHIES AND THE TUUG-FG DO NOT WANT FEDERALISM. PUNTLAND SHOULD NOT WASTE TIME ON THESE CORRUPT WARLORD 'POLITICIANS'
ITS TIME FOR SECESSION!
LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC OF PUNTLAND

[FBISOMALIA]

MY BAD FBI

DUDE ITS NOT IN HIS HEAD. CENTRALISM IS ALL OVER THAT DISGUSTING DASTUUR
SOUTHIES AND THE TUUG-FG DO NOT WANT FEDERALISM. PUNTLAND SHOULD NOT WASTE TIME ON THESE CORRUPT WARLORD 'POLITICIANS'
ITS TIME FOR SECESSION!
LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC OF PUNTLAND

im surprising why MR.president quiet regarding the dastuur it seems he keeps something secret

[SahanGalbeed]

First it was , we're getting rich , we're on top of the world , blahblahblah.

Now it's , we can't get shi,t because of the Issaqs in Somaliland .
So typical

[The_Emperior5]

Guys forget about secession go for a confederacy u will still own 80% of the oil revenues get rid of this whole federalism go for a 50 50 power sharing formula with Mogadishu anything south from galkacyo ,in that way u can still get the Prime Minister and President unconditionally. But if you guys equal you're self with a yet to be established Jubaland bay and bakool state or mid state u are wasting you're time.

[tightrope]

First it was , we're getting rich , we're on top of the world , blahblahblah.

Now it's , we can't get shi,t because of the Issaqs in Somaliland .
So typical

WHAT DOES SL HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?

[The_Emperior5]

tIght dont mind sahan dakhtarki bu ka so galaya cawa

[CismanMaxamud1]

First it was , we're getting rich , we're on top of the world , blahblahblah.

Now it's , we can't get shi,t because of the Issaqs in Somaliland .
So typical

[SahanGalbeed]

May 11 (Reuters) - A dispute between two semi-autonomous regions in Somalia is delaying exploration for oil and gas over fears that local authorities are issuing licences to explore blocks that overlap in each other's territories, officials said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/05/1 ... LG20120511

[AhlulbaytSoldier]

The peace of bintland is at risk if they dont share the oil revenue with the TFG from Xamar.
Make ur choice bintilanders!

Either u get the fuck out(secession) or share the revenue.