Latest on Puntland and the Hydrocarbon-prospective

[NASSIR]

to reflect the current developments in Puntland, the Forum posts excerpts of the latest news-coverage on the issue of concession agreements between Puntland and Range Resources Ltd. These agreements have taken the center stage of Adde Muse’s reign in Puntland.[source: Roobdoon]

 

Players content to resurface in region despite fresh fighting in Mogadishu

 

Upstream

 

December 21, 2007

 

OIL companies remain keen to re-enter Somalia, despite the recent escalation of fighting in the capital Mogadishu after Ethiopian and Somali state forces embarked on a fresh offensive against Islamist insurgents.

 

Efforts to shore up the multi-national peacekeeping contingent have stalled, leaving Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi hard pressed to agree a credible timetable for the withdrawal of his troops following disquiet from the US over alleged human rights abuses.

 

The continuing unrest has largely focused on the southern clans, prompting the regional government of Puntland to consider going it alone.

 

Unlike the breakaway Republic of Somaliland, which intends to retain its as-yet unrecognised sovereignty,

Puntland has always stressed a desire to fully participate in a Somali state once an effective and democratic administration is established and the Transitional Federal Government approves a long-awaited constitution.

 

Based in his capital Garowe, Puntland head of state Mohammed Hirsi claims the right under the Puntland Constitution to grant exploration and production concessions, and seeks to encourage oil and gas development as soon as practicable.

 

The *********i sub-clan of the *****-***** clan predominate in Puntland. Related groups, such as the Warsengeli and the Dhulbuhante, live in the hydrocarbon-prospective areas of Sool and Sanaag. Inspired by clan rivalries and dreams of oil riches, it is here that splinter factions, mainly the Warsengeli, led by Jibril Ali Salad, set up a breakaway autonomous state of Maakhir that comprises four districts of Sanaag.

 

Neighbouring Sool has witnessed several clan leaders at battle with each other, which Garowe blames on external forces trying to provoke trouble with Somaliland. The *********** clan in Sool has declared an autonomous state around Las Anod, known as Daraawiish.

 

However, only a few observers appear to take either claim seriously.

 

The real area in dispute with Somaliland is just a few square kilometres, according to Hirsi.

 

He claimed that Puntland had been autonomous for 10 years and in full control of its borders.

 

Hirsi said: "We have no desire to disturb the Isak or ****** clans to the south."

 

Elder Bogor Abdullahi Muse Yusuf, a lawyer who previously represented ConocoPhillips in Somalia, said he was happy with Hirsi's intensive level of consultation.

 

"The process strengthens the Puntland government and country, even though it weakens our traditional tribal system, but that's ok," he claimed.

 

Elder Ugas Yassin said Puntland will never suffer from the so-called oil curse, because of its homogeneity and highly devolved system of governance.

Source: upstream

[NASSIR]

Puntland prepares to take the lone path

Barry Morgan

Upstream

December 21, 2007

 

Vulnerability of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government exposed as four new Cabinet members quit and interim president rushed to hospital prior to key summit

 

SOMALI interim

President Abdullahi Yusuf

was rushed to hospital in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last week, just hours before he was due to attend a summit in nearby Addis Ababa of sub-regional leaders in the presence of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

 

The septuagenarian former warlord of Punt, a semi-autonomous northern region of the fledgling Somali state dominated by ***** and ***** clans, has come under criticism at home for inviting Ethiopian troops to assist in quelling an Islamist insurgency in the southern part of the war-torn country.

 

Over the past week, four newly appointed Baidoa-based Cabinet members from the southern Rahanwein clans have resigned.

 

The walkout is a political setback for

Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein,

himself freshly appointed by Yusuf following protracted discord with the pre-vious premier Ali Mohamed Gedi over oil policy.

 

Claiming to have recovered from minor respiratory problems, Yusuf cautioned local media against misreporting his death.

 

This echoed rather more ribald sentiments expressed by the late great Nnamdi Azikiwe, one of Nigeria's founding fathers, who famously responded to the publication of his obituary by proclaiming that "news of my death has been highly exaggerated".

 

Despite upbeat reports, Yusuf's medical health is deteriorating rapidly according to local sources. He was admitted to hospital because of a worsening liver condition.

 

Aware of the opportunity, several advisors among the Puntland group, which serves Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, seized the chance to quit last week.

 

The resignations point towards regrouping ahead of the 2009 presidential polls.

It is unlikely that what remains of the Transitional Federal Government parliamentary consensus in Baidoa will be able to reconstruct and pass the required constitution, a petroleum law and hold a referendum before the electioneering kicks off in late 2008.

 

It more likely that Puntland clans will opt to go it alone,

as the wider Somali polity weakens around them and the Transitional Federal Government experiment in sovereignty restoration heads for collapse.

 

Adding to the drama over the past week was the US Pentagon admission that it favoured recognising the breakaway Republic of Somaliland against the more conservative instincts of the State Department. This is a move that could encourage other component parts of the Somali nation to agitate for greater autonomy.

 

© 2007, Upstream.

 

[NASSIR]

More

 

Go to Biyokulule and Roobdoon

[Som@li]

Puntland must either accept the TFG's petrolium law,to be part of the Federal System,or declare to secede! What is the federal government for? if you cant abide by its laws!

 

Beerka jecli, Xaydha jecli baa Cadde iyo xuluufadiisu wadaa!

[Armchair Politician]

Isn't the whole idea of federalism that states decide things like this for themselves?

 

In the USA, a federal system of states, states can negotiate agreements with nations and manage their own resources, and pass their own laws. The federal government has authority over things that leave the state's jurisdiction, or considered to be resources or concerns of the nation as a whole (national parks, criminals who cross state lines, war with foreign countries, etc) but American states have their own armies (national guard units) police, administrations, laws, etc.

 

It seems that even though the TFG has "Federal" in its name, it would prefer to be the "TCG" the Transitional Central Government. Federalism is all about devolving power to the states, not centralizing it all for the federal government.

[Peace Action]

AP,

You are right. In this case Puntland is right to pursue oil and mineral exploration. With the former Prime Minister, it even concluded a sharing agreement with the Feds where income is distributed one third for the Feds, one third for Punltand state and one third for the locality where the resources are extracted. It is beyond me why some will insist on waiting for the Feds.

[NASSIR]

Well said AP.

[rudy-Diiriye]

sounds like alot of hot gas!! i see thugs are ready to sell their land to the highest bidder!

 

i am sure all the money is gonna to Yeeys funeral.

[NASSIR]

^the United States is behind this, trust me, even the Las Anod conflict. Peruse the articles

[General Duke]

Thanks CAMIR.

[Som@li]

^Good point Caamir, The sad thing is the masses who live in LA,and even in Hargaisa dont know what is behind the conflict, LA will not bring recognition to SL.

[NASSIR]

The people of these regions will always have the benefits of the extraction of their resources no matter how long it takes. These regions will never be another Katanga.

[NASSIR]

Resources Do Not Belong to Clan - Federal Official

 

 

 

Garowe, Dec 24, 2007 (Garowe Online/All Africa Global Media) -- Natural resources found in Somalia do not belong to any single clan but must be shared nation-wide, a Somali federal government official said today.

 

Mohamud "Bekos" Abdi, petroleum and energy vice minister, told the Voice of America's Somali-language radio program that a national petroleum law is up for debate in parliament.

 

"The Petroleum Law drafted by the [former Prime Minister Ali Mohamed] Gedi government is currently in front of parliament for debate," Mr. Bekos said.

 

The Gedi-sponsored Petroleum Law widened a rift with President Abdullahi Yusuf and ultimately led to Gedi's resignation after a months-long feud with the aging Somali leader.

 

Mr. Bekos advised foreign companies with interest to explore in Somalia to go through the transitional federal government (TFG) and avoid being drawn into a legal tussle by signing with regional administrations.

 

"Foreign companies with exploration interest in Somalia must go through the federal government," he said, while underscoring that the regional governments can negotiate with the TFG over profit-sharing.

 

He said the Puntland regional government, on the northeastern tip of the country, is a big supporter of the TFG.

 

"If they [Puntland] say they want to do anything they like, then the region will become similar to regions where there is disorder," Vice Minister Bekos warned.

 

He took a jab at Puntland's single-clan political system, saying: "Somalia's resources do not belong to a single clan."

 

The Puntland government was created in 1998 by a coalition of ***** clans in the north, mainly by the ***** community to which President Yusuf belongs.

 

Puntland President Mohamud "Adde" Muse recently established a ministry of petroleum and minerals, with Hassan "Alore" Osman Mohamud as minister.

 

"We opposed the Petroleum Law drafted by Kuwait Energy and Indonesian Energy who did not consult with us and we were unaware of it," Mr. Alore said during the VOA interview.

 

He said the Puntland government welcomes Nur "Adde" Hassan Hussein, the new Somali prime minister: "We will consult with the new Prime Minister as we did with the old Prime Minister."

 

But he maintained that Puntland has the right to explore and develop its own resources and claimed that there is "no opposition" to exploration in Puntland.

 

"There are no elders opposed to oil exploration. Unless we are confusing this [opposition] with an incident in Majiyahan [town] in April 2006," Mr. Aloore said, referring to deadly skirmishes between villagers and Puntland security forces protecting a team of foreign scientists in Sanaag region.

 

The Majiyahan skirmishes brought the world's attention to the dangers of exploration in Somalia, a country that has lacked an effective national government for the last 17 years.

 

Mr. Alore was confident that locals welcome efforts to explore and develop the region's resources, including tapping into its oil potential.

 

"The people will welcome exploration...Websites write meaningless talk," he said.

 

He said oil company executives have visited Puntland and have offices in the region, adding that drilling will begin at the beginning of 2008.

 

Federal government sources in the town of Baidoa, where the Somali parliament meets, privately told Garowe Online that they were surprised by Puntland's decision to create a ministry of petroleum at this time.

 

The sources suggested that the duties of the similar federal and state-level petroleum ministries might overlap and warned that Puntland's insistence on exploration might renew the constitutional dispute with the federal government.

 

In 2005, the Puntland leader inked a controversial agreement with Australia-based Range Resources, Ltd., giving the junior firm exclusive exploration rights in the region.

 

But the Puntland-Range deal has met a great deal of resistance, both from the federal government and from local clans, who feel alienated by the process.

 

© 2007 AllAfrica, Garowe Online, All Rights Reserved