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Puntland’s Suicidal Miscalculations
By Ibrahim Hassan Gagale
Since the proclamation of what came to be known as Puntland in 1998, Abdillahi Yusuf’s claim of sovereignty over Sool and Sanag regions remained just a lip service before December 2003. The timing of Las Anod’s invasion at the end of December was a suicidal political miscalculation based on misinformation fed to Col. Abdullahi Yusuf by his secret informants following Somaliland’s April 2003 presidential election. These secret informants have been falsely telling Col. Abdullahi Yusuf that the results of the presidential elections have bitterly divided Somaliland's people between west and east, and as a result of that, the government has become weak and the armed forces have disintegrated. Basing his decision on this unfounded information, and taking advantage of current Somali Peace Talks in Kenya for convenience, the hawkish dictator, Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf, saw no better time than now to invade Las Anod. The tyrant of Garowe made a devastating mistake by failing to understand that the national unity and territorial integrity of any nation is far above democratic political differences and views, and Somaliland’s government and people are entirely united and committed to defend their country.
The current border between Somaliland and Somalia was drawn during colonial times between British Somaliland Protectorate and Somali Italian colony. Likewise, all African borders had been drawn by colonial powers, and today, the sovereignty and diplomatic recognition of any African state or country depend on its colonial borders. These borders are also recognized by the African Union, the United Nations as well as the international community. There are no tribal borders but there are internationally recognized national and territorial borders in this world. The border between Somaliland and Somalia is not different from that between Kenya and Tanzania. Through out Africa, same clans inhabit at least in two or more different countries.
Good examples of these clans are:
-Fulani: inhabits Sudan, Senegal, and Cameron.
-Hausa: inhabits in Nigeria and Niger.
-Yoruba: inhabits in Nigeria and Benin.
-Bobo: inhabits in Burkina Faso and Mali.
-Maasai: inhabits in Kenya and Tanzania.
-Berbers: inhabits Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria etc.
-Issak: inhabit in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya.
-Hawiye: inhabits Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
-Darod: inhabits in Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, and kenya.
-Samaroon: inhabits Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
-Issa: inhabits in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somaliland.
Each part of these clans shares legitimacy of sovereignty, country, border, and government with their respective states. It would be internationally unlawful and unjustifiable, too, if Somaliland Republic invades Djibouti and seizes the lands inhabited by Isaaks, Samaroons and Issa’s claiming that they are associated with it by lineage. Therefore, Puntland’s Administration has no right at all to claim Sool on the mere basis of lineage and non-existing tribal border. Thus, its cross-border attacks against Somaliland Republic are open aggression.
With the temporary fall of Las Anod, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf is now bragging to the delegates of Somali Peace talks in Kenya that he captured an important region from Somaliland, Sool, and promising to seize the rest of Somaliland and bring it back to Somalia in order to score political points in bargaining for Somalia’s presidency. When foreign forces invade a country and defy international calls to withdraw from it immediately, war is the only option for remedy. Surrender is not an option. President Rayale must prepare himself and the nation for war. Somaliland must free Las Anod and liberate Las Anod and rescue its residents from the killings, illegal imprisonments, torture, and curfew imposed on them by Puntland’s brutal militia. Somaliland must take the war to Bossasso to cut off the lifeline from Col. Abdullahi Yusuf and his militia, and to Garowe to destroy his headquarters. This will also help the people of Majerteenia to liberate themselves from the cannibal, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf.
If the current government of Somaliland fails (I hope it won’t) to expel Puntland’s militia from Somaliland immediately, then the people of Somaliland must replace it with a better government that is committed to defending the sanctity of national unity and territorial integrity of Somaliland. It is well known that war causes death and destruction, but when one’s existence is threatened, one must fight.
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