The Trouble with Puntland

[American-Suufi]

fake government.

Africa Briefing N°64
12 August 2009

OVERVIEW

The semi-autonomous north-eastern Somali region of Puntland, once touted as a success of the “building blocks” approach to reestablishing national stability and widely viewed as one of the most prosperous parts of Somalia, is experiencing a three-year rise in insecurity and political tension. At its roots are poor governance and a collapse of the intra-clan cohesion and pan-Darood solidarity that led to its creation in 1998. Intra-Darood friction has eroded the consensual style of politics that once underpinned a relative stability. The piracy problem is a dramatic symptom of deeper problems that, left untreated, could lead to Puntland’s disintegration or overthrow by an underground militant Islamist movement. A solution to the security threat requires the Puntland government to institute reforms that would make it more transparent and inclusive of all clans living within the region.
Puntland’s founding a decade ago was an ambitious experiment to create from the bottom up a polity that might ultimately offer a template for replication in the rest of the country, especially the war-scarred south. But Puntland is no longer a shining example, and its regime is in dire straits, with most of the blame resting squarely on the political leadership. In a major shift from the traditional unionist position officially adopted in 1998, an important segment of the Majerten elite is pushing for secession. If a wide variety of grievances are not urgently tackled in a comprehensive manner, the consequences could be severe for the whole of Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

The new president, Abdirahman Farole, and his government promise many reforms and say they will eradicate piracy in “a matter of months”. Since the beginning of April 2009, there has been a crackdown on the gangs; a few members have been put on trial and sentenced to long jail terms; and the security forces have raided suspected hideouts. These measures alone are likely not enough, however, to cope with an entrenched criminal enterprise. Criminal gangs in Puntland are involved not only in piracy, but also in other illicit activities, including arms trafficking, kidnapping and the smuggling of both people and contraband. There is evidence of state complicity, and doubts remain that the government has the political will to move against the powerful gangs, since that could spark fighting between sub-clans. Officials know this and are prioritising what they call a wa’yigelin (sensitisation campaign) rather than use of force.

Clan elders and clerics are talking to youth groups in coastal villages about the immorality and dangers of piracy, but the practice is widely tolerated and even described as a response to the “plunder” of Somalia’s marine resources and the reported dumping of toxic waste on its shores. Youth unemployment, poverty and worsening living conditions fuel the problem.

The government must take advantage of the piracy-driven international attention to mobilise funds and expertise to carry out comprehensive political, economic and institutional reforms that address the fundamental problems of poor governance, corruption, unemployment and the grinding poverty in coastal villages. The international community needs to refocus on the long-term measures without which there can be no sustainable end to that practice or true stability. Equipping and training a small coast guard is obviously a necessary investment, but so too are other steps, such as to improve the general welfare and help impoverished fishing communities. International partners should encourage and support the government of Puntland to do the following:

•suspend implementation of the new constitution and redraft it in a more inclusive process involving consultation with civil society and key clan stakeholders, as well as expert help to meet international standards;
•draw up and implement a credible security sector reform strategy with input from domestic stakeholders and foreign experts, key elements of which should include civilian oversight and professionalisation of the state security agencies, and recast the general amnesty for pirates who surrender so leaders and their financial backers do not have impunity to enjoy their profits;
•implement comprehensive electoral reform, including an independent electoral commission whose members come from all clans, are endorsed by the elders and parliament and enjoy secure tenure and autonomy; an independent cross-clan committee of experts to redraw parliamentary boundaries; and a special court to handle election petitions and arbitrate disputes;
•set up an independent anti-corruption authority competent to investigate and prosecute officials;
•open serious talks with Somaliland, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and clan elders in the Sool and Sanaag regions, and if necessary seek external arbitration to determine the final status and ownership of the disputed territories; and
•build consensus around these measures by convening a region-wide conference of clan elders, political leaders and civil society groups, modelled on the 1998 Garowe Conference that launched the Puntland experiment.

http://www.hiiraan.com/news2/2009/Aug/s ... tland.aspx

[American-Suufi]

alshabab should rule puntland.

this message is brought 2 u by surrender and alshabab.

[AbdiWahab252]

American Suufi,

Akhii, the murder of the poor Pakistani Tabliiqs was committed by Puntland to deflect attention from the assassinations and tensions between the Mj clans in Galkacyo.

What Faroole and the govt there don't realize is that there will be a price to pay for murdering innocent Tabliiqs.

[Hyperactive]

alshabab should rule puntland.

this message is brought 2 u by surrender and alshabab.

adigu inan ta wad ko walatay.
qof kad makto kama hartid walle.
isko hishood and leave her alone.

[American-Suufi]

American Suufi,

Akhii, the murder of the poor Pakistani Tabliiqs was committed by Puntland to deflect attention from the assassinations and tensions between the Mj clans in Galkacyo.

What Faroole and the govt there don't realize is that there will be a price to pay for murdering innocent Tabliiqs.

abdiwahab

sxbow chill. zoomalis can unite against alqaeda. alshabab killed these pakistanis. no more tribalism, the zoomaali identity is @ stake..

hyper

salaam aqii

i don't like tribal people like surrender who say, 'i like alshabab in the south, but i dont want them 2 rule in my backyard'. that is hypocrism.

hypocrites destroyed zoomalia. i have nothing in common with them. if surrender says, she will accept alshabab rule in puntland, i will never comment what she writes.

zoomalis r cursed by allah (swt) because of tribal hypocrism.

[surrender]

American Suufi,

Akhii, the murder of the poor Pakistani Tabliiqs was committed by Puntland to deflect attention from the assassinations and tensions between the Mj clans in Galkacyo.

What Faroole and the govt there don't realize is that there will be a price to pay for murdering innocent Tabliiqs.

bullshit. we all know who killed those men, it was killed in a area reside by hawiye and hawiye only= BADHAXLAY. are you telling us gal mudug is reside by puntlanders and contorolled by puntlanders!?

[surrender]

alshabab should rule puntland.

this message is brought 2 u by surrender and alshabab.

adigu inan ta wad ko walatay.
qof kad makto kama hartid walle.
isko hishood and leave her alone.

lol you gettin him excited! you shouldnt say that to him, miskiina wont sleep tonight lol.

[AbdiWahab252]

Surrender,

The murders were in North Galkacyo which is under Puntland. Faroole's guards harassed these men from the moment they landed at the airport:


Somali officials trade blame over sheikhs' murder


By Abdi Sheikh and Abdi Guled
Thursday, August 13, 2009

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Officials in lawless northern Somalia traded accusations on Thursday a day after masked gunmen massacred seven Pakistani preachers at a mosque.

The sheikhs were killed in Galkayo, a town on the southern edge of the semi-autonomous northern Puntland region. Violence is increasing in the area, which had been relatively more peaceful than the rest of the failed Horn of Africa state.

Western security agencies say Somalia has become a haven for Islamist militant plotting attacks in the region and beyond.

The president of Puntland, Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, accused officials in Galmudug, which covers the southern part of the town, of ordering Wednesday's shooting.

"The administration of southern Galkayo was behind the killing of the Pakistani preachers," Farole told reporters. "They are causing chaos in our region."

But a senior Galmudug official, Mohamed Warsame, denied it.

"Puntland is definitely behind the killings," Warsame said.

"When the Pakistanis landed in Puntland their passports were taken by the authorities and they were settled in a mosque ... the Puntland president has imposed a night curfew in the north of Galkayo. His forces must have killed them."

The group of about 25 sheikhs had arrived in Puntland on Tuesday. Local officials said they were mostly from Karachi.

It remained far from clear why they were murdered.

Some residents said they may have been suspected of al Qaeda links, while others rejected that and said the clerics were from South Asia's apolitical Tablighi Jamaat religious movement.

Somalia has been torn by civil war since 1991, and the government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed controls only small pockets of the bomb-shattered capital Mogadishu.

It is battling hardline Islamist rebels in southern and central regions, including the al Shabaab group, which the United States accuses of being al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.

At least six people were killed in Mogadishu on Wednesday when two supposedly pro-government factions exchanged artillery and anti-aircraft fire across the city's strategic K4 junction.

Violence in Somalia has killed more than 18,000 people since the start of 2007 and driven another 1 million from their homes.

[AbdiWahab252]

American Suufi,

Akhii, these Tabliiq were murdered by the Bugland President's guards not Al Shabab. The Bugland President Faroole murdered these innocent Wadaads hoping to create an incident and blame Galmudug & Konfur for it. It has backfired and the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jameeca and Galmudug have condemned these murders and warned Faroole that he is playing with fire.

[American-Suufi]

alshabab should rule puntland.

this message is brought 2 u by surrender and alshabab.

adigu inan ta wad ko walatay.
qof kad makto kama hartid walle.
isko hishood and leave her alone.

lol you gettin him excited! you shouldnt say that to him, miskiina wont sleep tonight lol.

hyper and me said, viva 2 puntland.
to make abooto surrender happy.

Abdiwahab

u r falling for alshabab tactics like her.

surrender loves puntland 2 be a free state ruled by mjertens and supports alshabab, cause she wants alshabab 2 rule only in the south. single desperate moms tales. iga daf sxbow.

i will never support alshabab killing and murdering people in puntland.

[AbdiWahab252]

American Suufi,

Anywayz, saxiib, its Friday.

How is business going ?

[American-Suufi]

American Suufi,

Anywayz, saxiib, its Friday.

How is business going ?

sxbow alhamdulilah business was on life support 2 months ago, now its booming.

unite the forces who believe in the re-birth of zoomalia and lets destroy it's enemy.

no more tribalism.

[AbdiWahab252]

American Suufi,

Mashallah. I hope the economy improves soon.

I don't do politics any more and focus on helping the children of Mudug I don't want them to join the fighting and the fake wadaads with lots of money and who promise jaano.

[Mr_Harti]

inshalla the Mujahideen in our puntland have been preparing for long time we are ready inshalla when the time is calling for all the hidden mujahideen from bari nugaal mudug the brave Xarakatul mujaahideen alhabaab tanding for what is right in the face of injustice allahu akbar

[nomadicwarlord]

alshabab should rule puntland.

this message is brought 2 u by surrender and alshabab.

Puntland is fine, we don't need imbeciles who use religion to further their own sinister goals and fight a proxy war. Puntland is a model for the rest of Somalia. Go back to Al-Shabaab training camp, you failed in life