Abdirahaman Alas
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Puntland needs to be careful about its new security measures resorting to collective deportation of internally displaced youth from the south. There is no question that security is a priority and Puntland administration is obliged to beef up its capacity to secure law and order. But the new security measures raise concerns pertinent to violations of citizen’s rights.
Collective punishment to all vagabond youth from the south is not justifiable. Justice dictates that no person is guilty of any crime until proven otherwise. It is not right to violate the rights of citizens in the pretext of protecting the rights of others. We know that the issue of idleness or poverty within youth is a general problem in Puntland or Somalia in general. Any idle youth whether he/she is from Puntland or not can be easily susceptible to involve crime for money. The issue of pirates is stark evidence.
As long as the root problem (criminal cells) is there, there is no guarantee that targeting a particular vulnerable group will solve the problem. The target should be the individuals and groups who orchestrate violence and are threat to the stability, including known individuals who took higher posts in the previous administrations and are involved with the ongoing sabotage against Puntland. They should be brought to justice.
Albeit there are serious security problems in Puntland, deportation of poor people from other regions is not an appropriate policy. This policy reeks of prejudice and discrimination that violates the intrinsic rights of Somali citizens. Since Puntland is an administration that supports the sovereignty of Somalia, it should protect the mobility rights of all Somali citizens, the right to move, reside and seek the gaining of livelihood in any region of the citizen’s choice. Those rights are balanced with responsibilities. All citizens should abide by the rules and laws of the state. Those who offend the law should face proper and stringent actions.
It is understandable that the incumbent administration has started things from ground zero and it will take some time before it establishes effective law enforcement institutions. Another big challenge is the rampant violence in the south and the threat from the religious militants bent to take over all Somalia by force. An alternative strategy that Puntland should mitigate those potential threats is to mobilize its population. Corruption and injustice had created a huge gap (mistrust) between the public and the previous administrations to the point where huge percentage of the population became favourable of the religious militants in the south. That gap is shrinking slowly depending on how well this administration performs. The public trust is the most important resource that Puntland administration needs to gain to be able to challenge its internal and external foes. To gain traction of the public and achieve that trust, it has to show competence and trustworthiness.
Religiosity has a critical role in mobilizing the public, it is extremely important to capitalize on Puntland’s wise and erudite religious leaders. A recent religious symposium held in Garowe attended by prominent religious scholars from many parts of Somalia and opened by Puntland’s Vice President was a good sign of this administration’s intent to improve relations with the public. The scholars have issued a religious decree strongly denouncing the bloodshed within the Muslims (referring to the violence in Mogadishu and suicide bombings) as sacrilegious to Islam. They also urged the public to safeguard peace and stability. When it comes to security, yes, Puntland needs to overcome vacillation and change plodding peace into more aggressive campaign, but that should never violate the rights of the Somali citizens, a legacy we inherited from our forefathers who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect Somalia and its citizens.
Abdirahaman Alas
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