Puntland is going through a difficult stage in its eleven year history but Puntlanders have different views about the gravity and the source of the security and  economic problems in the autonomous region.  For the last four months several Puntland politicians, Members of Parliament and a judge were slain  in Galka’yo, Garowe and Bosaso. Punltand government’s response to the security challenges has been erratic and contradictory.

President Abdirahman Mohamud Farole,  who assumed Puntland presidency in January 2009, is a member of Puntland founders and was involved in Puntland politics for quite some time. However, his administration has not demonstrated they are addressing Puntland’s troubles based on the facts.

The president chooses to point finger at external factors although Puntland’s problems are homegrown. This approach to security problems has led to the demonization of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from southern Somalia as the populace behind the bombings and targeted killings in Puntland’s major urban centers. However, at least some of the evidences regarding those killings have shown the assassins are Puntlanders. The government has so far failed to share with the public the information they have collected from targeted and attempted assassinations, but has given assassins and those planning to settle clan related scores a pretext to murder their targets.

President Farole aims to put Puntland on the road to multi-party system although his administration is, unlike Somaliland, for the unity of Somalia. He approved a new flag for Puntland, and adopted a policy that views Somaliland as political ally to counter the TFG’s centralist tendencies.  Through negotiation president Farole persuaded the business community in Puntland particularly those in Bosaso  to relinquish illegal money printing facilities. 

Policy inconsistencies emerged in president Farole’s administration when he resorted to undermining the role of traditional leaders whose role in Puntland presidential election outweighs the influence of politicians. Will Puntland president work towards renewing the intra-clan agreements or will he allow his administration to operate in an atmosphere of low clan cohesion?
Farole appeals to Puntlanders to help security forces foil ‘terrorist’ plans but he talks to the people not through the elders  but through the media. His poor relationship with elders dates back to 2005 when his predecessor sacked him as finance minister, leading Farole’s loyal supports to attack the Puntland assembly building in Garowe. When Farole moved to Australia he recast himself as the voice of the opposition although Puntland’s clan based administration has not evolved into an administration with political parties. Garowe Online, edited by president Farole’s  son, Mohamed Farole now  media adviser to his father, had embarked on publishing reports critical of Mohamud Muse Hersi’s   administration (2005-2009). Currently Garowe Online hardly publishes reports or editorials critical of Farole administration. Disclosure rules don’t exist in Puntland but president Farole has set an avoidable precedent by letting his son join the administration.

Puntland’s partnership with the Mogadishu based Transitional Federal Government is is at low ebb. This is down to inconsistent policies on the part of Puntland. President Farole’s predecessor used an unambiguous policy towards the TFG and  once challenged an oil prospecting agreement the  former TFG president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed signed in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia.  President Farole does not want to be seen as someone who is undermining his fellow Puntlander and TFG prime minister Omar Abdirashid AliSharmarke.  President Farole spent his opposition efforts on his predecessor and now lacks the will and the imagination to face institutions challenging interests of Puntland locally and internationally.

Under his leadership, Puntland appointed Duane Morris, a lobbying firm, to promote Puntland as an administration capable of fighting piracy with the help of the United States. Puntland president paid a visit to Washington and met Congressman Donald M. Payne in July, 2009, and again in Nairobi in November of the same year. Puntland’s hope for more contacts with the US Congress was dashed by Donald Payne in a letter in which he criticised  Puntland for human rights violations against people who alleged to have an association with Ogaden National Liberation Front .

“This is not the first time Puntland authorities have harassed, tortured, killed, and handed over men of Ogadeni origin to Ethiopian security.I strongly condemn this abusive and dictatorial behavior and demand the immediate release of the prisoners.  I also call for those responsible for the killing of the prisoner and intimidation of Ogadenis to be held accountable, including senior officials who authorized these measures,” Congressman Donald Payne wrote. “The government of Puntland does not need the help of anybody to protect its borders, interest, politics and people, adding that the rule of law will apply to all of its citizens and foreigners,” Garowe  Online quoted Mohamed Farah Gashan, Puntland’s Good Governance minister, as saying . The American Embassy in Nairobi urged Puntland to refrain from cracking down on journalists.

In a speech marking the first anniversary of his administration president Farole lamented the young Puntlanders who were said to have left Puntland to join insurgents in other parts of southern Somalia.  If those people— [ Al Shabaab ]— spoil the peace in Puntland then they will not have peace, president told his audience. “People living in these regions defended themselves against warlords  in whose hands [former] Somalia [government’s] weapons fell in 1991.” he added. Recent history shows Harakat al-ShabaabMujahideen  exerts full control on parts of Somalia it conquers. President Farole’ comparison of Somalia’s Islamist phenomena to clannish hostilities in 1990s is way off the mark. He either underestimates Al Shabaab’s capability or he still uses policies that proved counter-productive. Puntland is coming across as a spoiler administration rather than a major building-block of the Federal Somalia project to which Puntland has been subscribing to unquestioningly since 1998. President Farole needs to address inconsistencies in his policies to save Puntland from total collapse from which it will be hard to emerge easily.

Liban Ahmad
E-mail:libahm@gmail.com