Somalia: Vying With Somali Government for Autonomy
Bettina Rühl
12 Jul 12, 2013 - 12:50:29 PM
Somalia has had a legitimate government since 2012 and although Islamist
insurgents are still active, it is relatively stable. But there is tension
between Mogadishu and semi-autonomous regions such as Puntland.
The mood in Garowe, capital of Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland,
was festive. The crowd had tensely awaited the arrival of leading public
dignitaries including the President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, who delivered
a speech.
The ceremony was held to mark the completion of 1,200 new dwellings for
displaced persons which were built by an international aid organization.
Thousands of refugees from war-torn southern Somalia have sought sanctuary
in Puntland.
President Farole arrived punctually. He said a few words of thanks to the
aid organization and the donors and then promptly changed the subject. The
government in the Somalia capital of Mogadishu was violating the
constitution, he maintained.
They had been agreement over the creation of a Somalian federal state, but
Mogadishu was preventing development in the regions within that federal
framework. If Mogadishu did not mend its ways, then the conflict in the
country would persist. The president then departed the scene as abruptly as
he had arrived.
Interpreting the constitution
Civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991 and in parts of the country it is
being waged to this day. In the course of the conflict, Puntland became
semi-autonomous.
It does not, however, wish to cede completely from Somalia, preferring
instead to remain part of the country and contribute to its recovery. It is
prepared to recognize the authority of the central government of President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, but insists on extensive political space of its own.
The authorities in Puntland maintain that Somalia's constitution envisages
the creation of new republics within the federal framework. Mogadishu
insists that the opposite is true, namely that the constitution puts
priority on a strong central government.
Cedric Barnes from the International Crisis Group says both sides are in the
right under the present provisional constitution. "This problem arose
because a number of key questions were left unresolved while the Somali
government was being formed," he said. "We are now paying the price for this
and the central government and the autonomous regions will now have to sort
out the issue," Barnes added.
The problem is becoming acute in the south of the country. In 2011, Jubaland
formed its own autonomous authority, roughly modelled on Puntland. Jubaland,
which borders on Kenya, was previously controlled by Islamists. Mogadishu
disputes Jubaland's autonomous status..
But the conflict over Jubaland and its key port city of Kismayo doesn't end
there. The coastal region, which looks out on to the Indian Ocean, has been
one of East Africa's trouble spots for years. Following the expulsion of the
Islamist militants al-Shabab, Ahmed Adobe, a former Islamist governor of
Kismayo, has declared himself president of Jubaland.
Rivalry between clans
The central government in Mogadishu does not recognize his claim to the
post. In a leaked letter to the Kenyan government, Mogadishu accused Kenya
of backing Madobe against his rivals. Such allegations would imply that
Kenya was partially to blame for fighting in Kismayo at the beginning of
July in which, according to the United Nations, more than 70 people died.
"The worst of this conflict over Kismayo and Jubaland is that it is
clan-driven and is therefore very emotionally charged," said Barnes. "It
will be very difficult to defuse," he added. Clans are a decisive factor in
Somali politics.
There are five big clans in the country. Madobe, the aspiring president,
belongs to a sub-group of the Darod and in Puntland the Darod are in the
majority. If he can consolidate his hold on power in Jubaland, the Darod
will have more influence than any other clan. In the central government in
Mogadishu, there are a variety of allegiances, but the majority belong to
the Hawiye clan, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud included.
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Received on Sat Jul 13 2013 - 20:46:25 EDT