To Puntland President
Cc Puntland Parliament Chairman
Cc TFG President
Cc TFG Prime Minister
Sub: AMISOM Galkayo/Puntland November, 1st. 2011, Galkayo.
“In the name of God most merciful, most gracious”
Dear Mr President of Puntland your announcement of AMISOM troops in Galkayo has raised eyebrows as well as, serious questions within the Puntlanders both Diaspora and local. One viable testimony is the havoc it has created during your address of the Puntland Diaspora in London.
It has also deeply touched the Rer Mudug Communities as the need for answers has reached a point whereby demonstrations were organized by the Galkayans To put matters in the right track a meeting was organized by Puntland Intellectuals Forum, Galkayo branch to ‘legitimize’ the public opinion in a an open discussion.
On the 1st, November, 2011 the meeting was held in the Centre for Peace And Development (CPD ) environs having invited a good seventy members of the various social circles to give room to an intelligent debate that can represent Galkayo Community stand-point. It is usually and preferably these forums that produce a representative view.
Mr. President, as you might know from your Presidential Information Desk the meeting was successful in producing a unanimous decision and a Platform for ‘No Unilateral AMISOM presence in Galkayo’.
The meeting has also produced a document with solid reasons for taking such a position.
- There are no any logical reasons for this unilateral undertaking. There were no clarifications on your part or the Cabinet for that matter.
- The AMOISOM force presence in Somalia/ Mogadishou has a job to finish in South-Central Somalia before the required conditions (God forbid) are born in other areas of Puntland or Somalia.
- Their presence can (and will attract) full Al Shabab commitment in Galkayo as they vowed to fight any foreign presence in the Somali soil. This is not the case now as far as we can agree.
- Finally, but not the least or the last, this move can give rise to inter-IGAD conflict, and a deterioration of the current Somalia scene. We should not forget that Galkayo is the gateway for the security cooperation between Puntland and Ethiopia.
The Meeting has put emphasis on the proper use of Puntland Forces which can tackle with the Security issue if properly funded, trained and taken advantage of. It is this view that explained the foundations for security and counter terrorism.
As this document represents the view of the Galkayo Community, we would like to see your good offices, revise its position and give due consideration to the opinion of its people. This does not mean that we are confronting our Governments legal status or its deliberations, but we are rather skeptical of the grave consequences that can result from this step both in the short and long terms. The decision was also criticized as lacking legal maturity.
Mr President, We cannot call your position uncalculated, but have the right to have our opinion in search of ways to have a contribution in our affairs. The lack of a gradually formed government position that considers its public opinion and has also sought the backing of the Parliament in these sensitive matters has triggered this popular uprising.
It is the underlying concept of this paper that the President is expected to highlight the weight of this document and have the courage to listen to his people.
His Excellency, Mr. President as the meeting has proposed we would like to see a different approach that can soothe the wounds of this community as well as the Puntlanders in general.
We also urge the TFG Presidium and Prime Minister not to transfer conflict to Mudug/Puntland in its bid or mission to create ‘normal relations’ with Puntland President.
In the wider context the Transitional Federal Government should be very cautious not to destabilize stable areas by creating ‘Monsters’ to fight, when in fact AMISOM cannot extend its Military presence in the Southern Regions. The Kenyan Army intervention is a live testimony of the limited resources of AMISOM?
We would like to see that Puntland Parliament, in its October Session, will not miss the importance of this affair by not putting it in its agenda.
We would also like to see the opinion and contributions of the wider Puntland Community in this matter as it will not be an isolated case for Galkayo, but a launch pad for an affair that might bring new disasters. Welcome to your destiny.
It would be more opportune to create a website for a mature discussion. Do not hate someone for his view, worse do not insult your people; try to correct if you are a concerned Puntlander.
Zakaria A Nur
Zakaria.nur@diplomats.com
PIF, Galkayo
(Organizers)