Somalia: For Puntland, the future cannot be held hostage
7 Jul 7, 2009 - 6:45:04 PM
SUNDAY EDITORIAL | The people of Puntland have decided their destiny. Federalism is the only option.
The Italian colonialists chose Mogadishu as the seat of power during the 19th century, when they conquered much of Somali-inhabited territories in the Horn of Africa region. As such, Mogadishu's status as "the" Somali capital is not sacrosanct. The bloodthirsty monsters who have transformed Mogadishu – once one of Africa's most beautiful seaside capitals – into a war zone where ordinary women and children are prey do not want Mogadishu to return to normalcy because, under normal conditions, such merciless killers would become outcasts in any civilized society.
The story of Mogadishu in the post-1991 era does not offer any solution to the Somali conflict. Mogadishu only offers death beds, fleeing families and brainwashed youth fighting each other over graves. A glimmer of hope flickered in 2006 when the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) overthrew the warlord-rulers, whose limitless savagery caused a civil war and led to the collapse of the Somali nation-state. The ICU used all means to secure Mogadishu's streets from the killers and the rapists, bringing the semblance of law and order to the capital's war-weary citizens who yearned for lasting peace and development. And then the Ethiopian invasion, followed by the accusations of war crimes, mass graves and mass displacement – a dreaded return to the cycle of death made notorious by the warlord-rulers of the 1990s. But after the Ethiopians withdrew, many Somalis hoped for another glimmer of hope that would end the bloodshed and restore order. More bloodshed has ensued among Somalis.
A war class has emerged in Mogadishu after two decades of civil war. Essentially, what you have is thousands of mercenaries changing alliances, depending on which faction has got the upper hand. Among all this, the U.N.-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) – oddly, it now calls itself the 'Government of National Unity' – remains to be an active, albeit weak faction. Its main components include former ICU officials, notorious ex-warlords and every opportunistic thug the Somali nation has ever known!
The Puntland administration in northern Somalia cannot be held hostage by Mogadishu. In this dangerous environment, and during these dangerous times, the international community would be ill-advised to compel Puntland to come under the authority of a Mogadishu run by murderous thugs. History tells us that the people of Puntland had a single functioning authority before the Italian colonialists came; hence, the rich political culture in Puntland where a military figure (Gen. Adde Muse) peacefully stepped down after loosing a hotly contested election to an academic (Dr. Abdirahman Farole). On a continent (Africa) plagued by election violence and military coups, the 2009 election placed Puntland at the forefront of civil governance and dedication to a new, safer future.
It can be stated that the international community is confused by the complex web of political alliances and history of Somalia. But in studying Puntland, the world can get access to the experiences of the Puntland people before and during the Somali civil war. For example, the first Islamist uprising in post-collapse Somalia occurred in Puntland; indeed, brothers fought each other over ideology in the cities of Garowe and Bossaso. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the architect behind the rise of the ICU in 2006, was the chief proponent of the Islamist uprising in Puntland during the early 1990s. That violent conflict was resolved through a combination of war and community dialogue.
As a case-study, Puntland offers the world historical references and fresh ideas in understanding the complex civil war in Somalia. Puntland has invested massively in attempting to rescue Mogadishu from the ruins of conflict and self-destruction. The people of Puntland have sacrificed their sons, properties and financial resources with the aim of erecting a strong foundation for a Transitional Federal Government (TFG). While former Puntland strongman Abdullahi Yusuf was TFG President (2004-2008), the Puntland regions suffered as the people's tax money was spent on the Mogadishu war front and public services such as security deteriorated in Puntland.
The people of Puntland have decided their destiny. Federalism is the only option to save Somalia. Nothing short of a federal government structure will be acceptable. Long gone are the days when a student from Puntland would travel 1,000km to attend secondary school in Mogadishu.
Finally, Puntland is a barrier against the menace in the south-central regions. Those who destroyed Mogadishu would not blink to destroy Puntland, Somaliland, and extend their violent reach to neighboring countries like Ethiopia and Yemen. Supporting the governance structures already in place in Puntland is by far a wiser investment than supplying weapons to the 'Government of National Unity' in Mogadishu, as the U.S. Government did a few weeks ago.
Bad move.
Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com
