Is Puntland sabotaging and blackmailing Sheikh Sheriff Government?

by Aden Mohamed Ismail
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Abdirahman Farole, the president of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia
Photo / Laura Yuen, MPR)

The Governor of Puntland Honourable C/raxmaan Maxamed Maxamed Faroole met in Nairobi the de facto President of Somalia his Excellency Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

As reported, the Governor of Puntland was escorted to the said meeting by couple of none Somali Bodyguards and not to say missionaries. During that meeting, it is also widely reported that the governor of Puntland walked out of that meeting and shortly after that, he gave as usual an interview to BBC.

Before I proceed to my points, I want to ask the readers of this piece if you can guess any burning issue that can force Mr Faroole or even the President to walk out of such a meeting while considering the ongoing tragedy in Somalia. My very honest answer is No.

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Therefore, let us go back to Mr Faroole BBC Interview in which he emphasised the crucial points for him which resulted to his walk out of the meeting while even leaving his Ministers behind.

Mr Faroole whom his province parliament supported his action later in Garowe reasoned his political amok with the missing development support from the Somali Federal Government for Puntland and the not yet finished Federal constitution of Somalia. These are the two major points which caused the stir according to Mr Faroole.

That means the political class in Puntland are unified in their material and political demand towards the virtual Federal government barracked in villa Somalia. This amazing Faroole and Puntland political escapade happened only to the present Somali Government.

In the past, Puntland political elite never even dream to behave like that under the iron hand of Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf. On the contrary, the corrupted ex-general of Puntland and Puntland as such contributed financially to all political ambition of Mr Abdullahi Yusuf let alone to demand development projects from him..

Similar to Abdullahi’s episode, Sheikh Scharif and his crew spent most of their time in abroad in the hope to get money from donors who are not willing to support the ex-ICU man. This is the reason why Omar Abdirashiid government is not able even to pay their soldiers let alone to start development projects in the only relatively peace area in South namely Puntland.

Having said that, Mr Farrole has failed to tell the astonishing Somali public where the President should get the money to be used for the development of Mr Farrol’s clan ghetto and the BBC shouting journalist didn’t even ask him that very important question.

The other relatively burning issue for Puntland was the Federal constitution which is yet to be written and Puntland political elite made it to their Puntland live saving political agenda. As we all know Puntland political class did not manage at least to write a regional constitution which will not say, Puntland is where Harti clans are inhabited but simply regulate the political, social and economical business of the province.

If Puntland politicians finalise a regional constitution plus the existing Somaliland regional constitution, both constitutions can perhaps function in the future as guideline and bases of discussions for all Somali regional constitutions from which a national Federal Constitution can be drafted.

The difference between Somaliland politicians and Puntland politicians is that SL politicians don’t walk away from meetings they simply stay away while seated in their self selected political Vulcan.

Apart from that, the president of Somali Jets every week to somewhere but he never managed to visit Puntland, the only peacefully arena for his administration which is a misfortunate. However, if the security situation in Puntland cannot allow him to go there he can also hire missionaries just like his Governor.

Finally, I think Mr Farrole must apologies to the Somali president and at the same time to the Somali people in Puntland because he damaged their indisputable nationalistic feeling and engagements for the nation.

Mr Governor you put the Somali people in Puntland in a very wrong light which political demagogies in Somalia and in the Diaspora can now freely misuse.

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Aden M.Ismail

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