Issue 315

Most people who are somewhat familiar with the situation in Mogadishu would not be surprised by the above headlines, even though these horrible headlines refer to events that took place within the same week (Jan.20-Jan.27). On the contrary, it would only confirm what the readers already know about the situation in Mogadishu. But there is another corner of Somalia which used to be relatively stable compared to Mogadishu, but seems to be heading the same way as Mogadishu. That place is Puntland.

One of the obvious pieces of evidence that Puntland may be suffering from the Mogadishu syndrome is that what passes as the military and police in Mogadishu (many of whom are, by the way, originally from Puntland), who are supposed to uphold the law, themselves engage in frequent acts of lawlessness. The same is true in Puntland as was shown by the Puntland soldiers’ seizure of the Central Bank in Puntland’s capital, Garowe, on Jan.27, 2008.

Another example of the similarity between conditions in Mogadishu and Puntland is that the bodyguards of the leaders of both places are known to deliberately fire on their citizens. The examples from Mogadishu are too many and well documented. The indiscriminate shooting of civilians, on Jan.13, 2008, by the bodyguards of Puntland’s Vice President (Afqudhac), which resulted in the death of Ahmad Haji Ali Xarfo, is another indication that Puntland is following in the footsteps of Mogadishu.

The similarities between Mogadishu and Puntland is not just in the abusive behavior of their leaders, but also in the reactions of the people. Again, the reactions of the people of Mogadishu to their “government” is widely known, so we won’t elaborate on it, but the assassination of one of the bodyguards of Puntland’s President Adde Muse, in Bosaso, on Jan.14, 2008, should bring to mind many similar episodes in Mogadishu. Moreover, people are so fed up, it is not just the leaders that are being attacked but their property and businesses are becoming targets, too, as was illustrated by the hijacking of a ship in Puntland’s coastal town of Ayl on Jan.28, 2008. Puntland’s former Minister of Fisheries and Ports, Mr Shahdon Ali Yare has been making a lot of noise that this ship was registered in Puntland, and he is its representative, but there is not much sympathy with him on a possible loss of income and business, because he is known to have contributed, through fraud and corruption, to Puntland’s sad state of affairs.

We are not pretending that this is a scholarly comparison. Obviously, it a quick and rough one, covering events that took place around the same time, within one week in Mogadishu (Jan.20-Jan.27) and two weeks in Puntland (Jan.13-28). But we think the comparison supports our point, that unless Puntland makes some serious changes, it is headed in the same path as Mogadishu.

Source: Somaliland Times

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