Bosaso, January 26, 2008 (SL Times) – Early this week, Police in Puntland’s town of Bosaso surrounded Hotel Guul where Puntland’s former governor of Sool, Ibrahim Jama Dad was staying. According to Puntland’s Police Commander, Abd al-Aziz Ga’may, the former governor (Ibrahim Jama Dad) possessed a lot of government property including weapons and a car which he had refused to give back to Puntland’s authorities. Ibrahim Jama Dad was also accused by some Puntland officials of having facilitated and colluded with Somaliland in its takeover of Las Anod a few months ago.

The attempt to apprehend Mr Ibrahim Jama Dad took place around the same time that he was relieved of his position as Puntland’s governor of Sool region and was replaced by Omar Jama Saleebaan, a relatively inexperienced Young man. The replacement itself, at this point, is largely symbolic since Puntland is no longer in charge of Sool region.

When the pro-Somaliland forces took control of Las Anod (the capital of Sool region) a few months ago, then governor Ibrahim Jama Dad retreated to his hometown Hudun. But now that he has ventured to Bosaso, a simmering problem between him and Puntland’s authorities has broken out into the open. Some observers have said that the reason for the conflict is that Ibrahim Jama Dad disagreed with Adde Muse’s (the President of Puntland) plan of tribalising the Sool conflict and pushing the Dhulbahante clan to do all the fighting while the Majeerteen only finance and supervise the war effort. Others have attributed the clash to a personality conflict between Adde Muse and Ibrahim Jama Dad.

Puntland’s Commander of Police, Abd al-Aziz Ga’may has promised if Ibrahim Jama Dad does not surrender to the police, they will use force to catch him.

Source: Somaliland Times