Do you know that without the pioneering work of Adam Jama Bihi with his war-torn society, the creation of Puntland State would have been difficult, if not impossible? Ask around—people who witnessed those early days will tell you.
As Project Manager of War-Torn Society—an international NGO financed and based in Switzerland—operating in the North-East Regions (today’s Puntland), Adam Jama Bihi played a decisive, though often overlooked, role in shaping the foundation of Puntland State. Under his leadership, the organization’s resources—its personnel, logistics, and outreach—were strategically redirected to support the successful organization of two landmark community congresses in Garowe. The outcome was historic: the birth of the Puntland State of Somalia in 1998.
Adam took an extraordinary step: he commissioned five Western European constitutional lawyers and one Egyptian jurist to assist in drafting the founding Puntland Charter. His actions embodied patriotism and foresight—but his superiors abroad saw them differently. He was reprimanded and sanctioned by his Swiss employers, including Matt Bryden, who is now a prominent figure at SAHAN Africa. These punitive measures continued for months after Puntland’s establishment. Yet, Adam’s justification was simple and irrefutable: he was helping a war-torn society rebuild itself—the very mission the organization claimed to serve.
Tragically, Adam’s life was cut short in a car accident at Xalimo Dheere Mountain, near Garowe, while traveling from Galkayo. His untimely death marked one of the saddest moments of my life. Adam was not only patriotic but also intellectually brilliant—perhaps a genius in his own right, comparable in creativity to Einstein, if not more gifted in practical intellect and leadership.
Following his death and the conclusion of War-Torn Society activities, the Puntland Presidency initiated the creation of the Puntland Development and Research Centre (PDRC)—a direct continuation of Adam’s vision and groundwork. I personally pushed for the idea, drafted the initial documents, and became a founding board member alongside Mohamed Abshir Waldo, Dr. Abdiqawi Yusuf (ICJ), Ali Isse Abdi (SSC), and others. We appointed Abdirahman Abdulle Shuke as Director-General. PDRC was conceived as a parastatal agency, but due to funding constraints, we allowed it to function as an NGO. In practice, Abdiqawi and Ali Isse made little to no contribution to PDRC’s foundation or subsequent activities.
Like many gifted and outspoken figures in Puntland, Adam eventually found himself at odds with President Abdullahi Yusuf. During those turbulent years, I often served as an intermediary between the President and those he perceived—rightly or wrongly—as members of the opposition, including General Adde Muse and Mohamed Abshir Waldo.
One evening, at the President’s residence in Garowe, the four of us—Abdullahi Yusuf, Waldo, Bihi, and I—were engaged in a heated discussion. The argument between Abdullahi Yusuf and Adam escalated dramatically, with both exchanging fierce words, restrained only by decorum from coming to blows. After they left, I advised the President to let me investigate the allegations that Adam was mobilizing opposition forces. He agreed.
In the following days, I attended several War-Torn Society workshops. What I discovered was revealing: civil war erupts when members of a society stop talking to each other, and Adam’s mission was precisely to restore dialogue and understanding among the people of North-East Somalia. His was a noble, patriotic, and peace-building effort—grossly misunderstood by the President. I reported my findings back, warning Abdullahi Yusuf that he was misjudging a national asset. Sadly, my words fell on deaf ears; he continued to distrust and criticize anyone he deemed an opponent.
Adam Jama Bihi’s legacy remains largely unacknowledged, but his fingerprints are visible in every institutional and civic foundation laid in Puntland’s formative years. He was a visionary who turned post-war despair into hope and dialogue, a true son of Puntland whose contribution deserves enduring recognition.
Ismail H. Warsame
[Published earlier in WDM]
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 