The semiautonomous state of Puntland constitutes five of the 18 provinces of Somalia, and is home to six major clans: the Harti, Majeerteen, Warsangali, Dhulbahante, Dishiishe and Lailkase (a subclan of Darood). Out of a desire for regional self-governance, elders from the Sanaag, Nugaal, Bari, Sool and Mudug provinces came together in 1998 and agreed to establish an administration whereby clans share political power and income. Since 1998, Puntland has had four presidents who have taken the region through waves of instability. President Abdirahamn Farole is now in charge of Puntland's quest to bring peace to Puntland.
Insecurity in Puntland emanates from a number of different sources, including al-Shabaab and those vying political forces within the administration that attempt to weaken Farole's government. Al-Shabaab has no base in Puntland; most of these are in southern and central Somalia, but there are a number of pro-Shabaab militias in the region. Many give off the impression they are simply doing business in Puntland.
The chaos in southern Somalia has been spreading slowly north into Puntland since 2008, and assassinations, roadside bombs, explosives, and brutalities are common. Puntland officials have blamed al-Shabaab for the violence, while civilians in the region hold both al-Shabaab and the current administration responsible.
Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole has accused al-Shabaab of being behind violence in the region. Puntland residents accused Farole of corruption when he gave one of his sons authority to exploit oil exploration in Puntland, and nominated his other son Mohamed to lead Puntland’s media in what many see as an attempt to silence freedom of speech in Puntland and in the diaspora.
“The reason Puntland was created was to establish peace among the clans and to share natural resources, but the Farole administration has taken all our national properties and natural resources for his family while most of Puntland’s clans go hungry,” said Omar Shuayb, a resident in Bosaso.
Some Puntland police maintain that al-Shabaab is behind assassinations in Puntland.
“After we investigated incidents of killing, bombing or road explosives in Puntland, we traced them back to the same path. In six instances, we found that those responsible were al-Shabaab militants trained in southern Somalia. We have jailed around 27 young Somalis caught red-handed by our intelligence,” said Abshir Hussien (known as Abshirayto), a Puntland police officer.
He offered an sample case. On June 12, 2011, a man was caught planting a roadside bomb near Bosaso city in the northeastern part of Puntland. When he was taken into custody and interrogated later, they established he was a member of al-Shabaab trained as a bomb expert. He also admitted that he had carried out attacks in central Somalia and was later sent to Bosaso.
Others blame the current administration.
“The dishonesty and abuse of power by the Farole government has created an unstable political situation that has contributed to conflict. President Farole has made a number of decisions without consulting his Council of Ministers or the Council of the House of Representatives, causing chaos within the administration,” said a former politician in Bosaso, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Somalia Report spoke to Mohamud Ahmed Abdi, a 32-year-old entrepreneur in Bosaso.
“I don’t think that only al-Shabaab is responsible for the chaos in Puntland, but President Farole’s mismanagement has contributed to Puntland's insecurity. Let us be realistic, Farole marginalized most of Puntland’s people excluding his subclan, so many people are ready to support any enemies of Farole or his administration.”
General Abdulah Ahmed Jama Puntland’s interior and local government gave his opinion.
"I confess that there is a war between al-Shabaab and Puntland, which is based largely on the fact that al-Shabaab is against any stability in Somalia, and they will destroy any peace or stability they see. That is why we have launched so many high-profile raids on al-Shabaab elements operating here. "
Ahmed Warsame Gelle, a student at East Africa University, Bosaso, spoke about the clan issue.
"If the government put effort into reconciling clans, Puntland would be much more effective in preventing al-Shabaab from threatening the peace in Puntland."
Clan elders are particularly unhappy. Somalia Report spoke to Muse Ahmed Awad, a traditional elder in the Dhahar district of Sanag.
"Many clan elders have left Puntland on account of the insecurity, the lack of accountability in the current administration the weakening of inter-clan relations. All clans are suffering due to the intensity of the insecurity and unexplained assassinations of well-known society members, and this has encouraged some elements to claim independence from Puntland, such as Ras-Asayr State , SSC and Maakhir State."
In late July, Puntland forces began shelling militants loyal to a former warlord and arms dealer Mohamed Saeed “Sheikh Atom” in the remote and mountainous eastern Sanaag and western Bari regions, in an attempt to flush out extremist elements.
On December 6, 2011, President Farole told local media in Garowe that Puntland is at war with al-Shabaab, and days later he targeted Galmadug, accusing the administration of fuelling insecurity in Puntland.
“Our battle against the terrorists in the region is greater than that of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Mogadishu (AMISOM)”.
