- The three-day Puntland Consultative Conference has now ended with a communique that has inevitablly created more political controversies and frictions with the leaders of the Federal Government. The Communique has surprisingly thrown Puntland delegates from Mogadishu off balance, as they found it unfavorable to their host leaders in Mogadishu, causing some Federal ministers agitated and shouting loudly in the Conference Hall in disapproval. Obviously, they had not been adequately briefed on Puntland State frustrating relationships with the present leaders of the FGS. Reportedly, there were episodes of flare-up of anger and someone getting hot-tempered and fist-fight ready among some members of the Conference Working Committees. What was highly noticeable, though, was the full participation of former Puntland and Federal leaders in the Conference. These are the main takeaways:
- PUNTLAND continued commitment to the unity and sovereignity of Somalia.
- Safeguards for the constitutional arrangements of Somalia.
- Re-commitment to Puntland unity
- Political opening and opportunity for Federal Government and Federal Member States for negotiations to move Somalia forward
CONFERENCE SHORTCOMINGS
- Failure to address internal socio-economic difficulties the people of are facing on daily basis.
- Failure to produce concrete proposals and leadership vision for the New Somalia
- Communique didn’t wholly reflected the views of delegates as it was prepared by unindependent technical committee working under the guidelines of current leadership, expecting a pre-determined Conference outcome, particularly with regards to the wrong-headed and fledgling regime in Mogadishu.
It was a learning experience for the people of Puntland, who have been shut out of political discourse and public debates for so long.
In conclusion, Conference was a step forward to call for revision and re-negotiation on the state of Somali affairs.
Some Puntland representives in the Federal Government and a few of traditional leaders showed lack of understanding of their constituency’s concerns and aspirations due to their naivete in Somali politics. The Conference was a learning experience for them, if only they were ready to re-consider their unrepresentative political views.
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Postscript: Point 5. “Political opening and opportunity for Federal Government and Federal Member States for negotiations to move Somalia forward”
This article turned out to be consistent with the objective of the Puntland Consultative Conference as pre-planned to strengthen the political position of President Deni, and of course, of Puntland, in their negotiations with the Federal Government.
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 