By Liban Ahmad

When Puntland President, Said Abdullahi Deni, in a policy statement faulted the Somali Federal Government for not outsourcing legislative duties to federal member states, he had expressed a political view that some of the other federal member states do share . President Deni also has made his decision to revive the Council of Inter-state Cooperation formed in October 2017 in Kismayo against what leaders of federal member states viewed as centralizing tendencies of Farmaajo-Kheyre government. Since then relations between Puntland and the Federal Government have stalled. Puntland is dealing with a Federal Government praised for a commendable progress in security reforms by combating corruption in the army.

Two decisions by the Federal Government call the political judgement of President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Kheyre into question. When Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre visited Galka’yo a few weeks ago, the Federal Government had contributed US $220, 000 to the construction of a sports facility for youth groups in the northern part of the town. The Government wired funds to the local people running the project, who met the Prime Minister in Galka’yo.  This week the Federal Government  also wired money to a committee tasked with renovating a road in Bosaso.

Apart from the apparent disregard for Puntland institutions shown by the Federal Government, the distrust between Puntland administration and committees to which the Federal Government had sent the money created controversy for President Deni’s administration. Renovation of a major thoroughfare or building of a sports facility with a Federal Government funds is a task that a federal member state should oversee. If the project does not get implemented as agreed or if some people embezzle funds, it is the federal member state that will take the responsibility for failure.

Why has the Federal Government ignored Puntland Government and sent money directly to committees unaccountable to Puntland institutions?

In Bosaso  Puntland  police yesterday arrested members  of Bosaso Road Renovation  Committee for accepting funds from the Federal Government. A group of Bosaso elders has called for Puntland Government “to release the committee members or face consequences for illegal detention.” Puntland Government insists on the legality of the illegal arrest of the committee members. It could have asked the Federal Government to send its contribution through Puntland Government.

Strained relations between the Federal Government and Puntland State have security implications for stabilisation efforts in Somalia. Puntland Defence Forces are not classed as Somali National Army despite Puntland forces battling Al-shabaab and ISIS in Bari region. In 2016 Puntland repulsed a coordinated sea and land attack from Al-shabaab.

The territorial conflict between Puntland and Somaliland has forced the Federal Government not to send ammunitions and arms to Puntland for fear of accusation for partiality. Puntland Defence Forces do not benefit from training the US and Britain fund to bolster combat capabilities of the Somali National Army. What the Somali Federal Government and its International Partners forget is that exclusion of Puntland from training while Galmudug enjoys full institutional backing means creation of an exclusive army. That is why the stabilisation strategy for Somalia requires an urgent review. Both President Farmaajo and Prime Minister Kheyre are from Galmudug.                        

Somalia is preparing for one person, one vote poll in 2021. A country dependent on troops exclusively from certain social groups will diminish legitimacy of its political institutions. Puntland federally represents people Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn territories in the ex-British Somaliland. Although some people in those territories voted for Somaliland political parties, it is disingenuous on the part of Mogadishu and Hargeysa elites not to return the favour to Puntland for compromise to political institutions based in their strongholds. They forget IDPs who fled 1990s civil war in the South had returned to territories of their ancestors and are still grappling with the trauma of displacement despite hosting largest number of Somali IDPs.

The Federal Government of Somalia should reverse its divisive and self-defeating policies against Puntland State.

Liban Ahmad
Email:libahm@gmail.com