Somalia Civil War - Puntland

Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland said 31 March 2024 it would shun federal institutions, demanding a full referendum on planned changes to the Horn of Africa country's constitution. the Somali parliament approved several constitutional changes, including plans for a return to universal suffrage in time for local elections in June. The move is opposed by Puntland's government. The state's council of ministers said in a statement: "The Puntland administration revoked its recognition and confidence in the federal government institutions until an outright constitutional process that is mutually accepted is obtained." As a result, "Puntland will have its own comprehensive government authority until a federal government system is in place, with a mutually accepted Somali constitution that is subject to a public referendum," the statement continued.

The Somali government said the amendments were necessary to establish a stable political system. They include a new one-person, one-vote election system, the introduction of direct presidential elections and allowing the president to appoint a prime minister without parliamentary approval. Currently, Somalia operates a complex clan-based indirect voting system that has been in place for more than half a century. The fragmented system has led to infighting and exploitation by militant groups like al-Shabab. The one-person, one-vote election system was dropped when the dictator Siad Barre seized power in 1969. The new plans have been criticized for concentrating power in the hands of the executive.

Authorities in the Puntland region, in the northeast of the country, opposed the changes. The state accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of violating the constitution and losing his legitimacy. Puntland was one of several states that did not participate in reform talks and its president Said Abdullahi Deni did not sign it. In May 2023r, Puntland staged its first direct election since 1969 during local council elections but then returned to the clan-based ballot system during parliamentary elections in January 2024. Somalia's ex-president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo also opposed the reform saying the process being used to bring in a presidential system is illegal.

Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland criticized changes made by the federal parliament to the country's provisional constitution and announced 31 March 2024 it was withdrawing recognition for federal government institutions. In a statement by the region's council of ministers issued from the capital, Garowe — Puntland alleged the constitution, that had been enacted in 2012, was amended without the input of all Somalis, including those in the region. The changes were approved a day earlier during a joint session of the bicameral federal parliament in Mogadishu, and followed weeks of debate.

Regional officials said as a result, "Puntland will have the power of a full, independent government until there is a federal system of government agreed upon, a constitution agreed by Somalis, and approved through a referendum in which Puntland is part of." Essentially, Puntland refused to recognize the authority of the Somali federal government until the dispute — over the changes to the constitution — is resolved.

Puntland accused the Somali president of "violating the constitution that he was elected and sworn in." The statement read "Hassan Sheikh has lost his constitutional legitimacy as president". Puntland said in the statement, it will directly negotiate with the international community and international organizations on matters concerning its interests. It said the decision will be put before the region's parliament for endorsement.

Puntland is the oldest federal member state with 48 lawmakers in the country's two houses of parliament, as well as ministers and representation in all federal institutions. It was initially not clear if Puntland would recall the lawmakers, ministers and civil servants from the region who are working as part of the federal institution. The dispute centered on changes to the first four chapters and expected amendments to the entire 15-chapter provisional constitution. The main changes dealt with the powers of the president, the number of national political parties, and federal and state-level elections.

Under one of the revisions, the parliament gave the president the authority to hire and fire the prime minister. Previously, only parliament had the power to dismiss the prime minister. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hailed as "historic," the parliament's move to approve the first four revised chapters of the constitution. "The completion of the constitution is essential for promoting democracy, the nation and state institutions," he said. "I urge lawmakers in the two houses of parliament to resume deliberating amendments and completion of the remaining chapters of the constitution."

In August 2012, a National Constituent Assembly composed of 825 people from various sectors of society approved the original provisional constitution. At the time, however, the assembly said certain articles needed further review, including resource sharing, citizenship and the status of the capital, Mogadishu. Somalia adopted the federal system in 2004. It was intended to transfer some of the powers of the central government to the state and district levels and maintain unity.

In June 2023, a National Consultative Council, which includes President Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, four regional leaders and the mayor of Mogadishu, met and agreed to introduce direct elections as early as this June and unify the election schedules. They also endorsed a presidential system. Some of those proposals were integrated into the amended constitution while some were rejected. Puntland was already absent from the June 2023 meeting after declaring in January of last year that it was going to conduct its affairs as an "independent government" citing alleged undermining of state building processes.

The current amendments to the constitution had divided opinions in Somalia with some strongly in support and others vehemently opposed. Ahmed Isse Awad, a former foreign affairs minister, who ran unsuccessfully for the leadership of Puntland earlier this year, said both the federal government and Puntland have made "rushed" decisions. "This was unnecessary; it did not go through the normal process of constitutional reform," he said when asked about the amendments. "Somalia has suffered, and the Somali state has collapsed due to the absence of institutional framework and the political culture of a strong man. And it seems that this constitution entrenched that political culture that has already caused the collapse of the Somali state."

Awad said the president should "uphold" the existing constitution and "if a constitution has to be amended, reformed or completed, it has to go through the democratic process. Awad said Puntland should equally "respect" the federal constitution but said he did not think the region intended to secede from the rest of Somalia just because the federal government was "messing" with the constitution. "Puntland is part of the federal government; the constitution of Puntland cannot contradict the federal constitution," he said. "Just like the federal government is elected to prioritize state building, good governance and to better the livelihood of the Somali people, the government in Puntland is elected to prioritize the wishes of the Puntland people and their good governance therein, but not to dismember the Somali state."

The U.N. Assistance Mission to Somalia issued a statement urging all stakeholders in Somalia to "redouble their efforts to build consensus through an inclusive process." The statement was issued on behalf of Somalia's international partners.

While Puntland, with a population of 2.285 million (2016 estimate), aspires to be part of a federal Somalia, it can be argued that its relative success in maintaining stability has in large part been due to its homogeneity and also its de facto separation from the political developments of South-Central Somalia, for which Puntland’s progress towards peace and democracy can serve as valuable lessons.

Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region cut ties with the central government on August 12, 2014 after it learned of a plan to form a new federal state in the center of the country that would allegedly include part of the Puntland region. In July 2014, the Somali federal government and representatives from the central regions of Galgudud and Mudug signed a document that said the region's leaders would work together to form a new administration.

Puntland is an area in the northeastern part of Somalia and is composed of the Bari, Nugal, Mudug, Sanaag, Sool, Ayn, and Karkaar regions. Leaders in the northeast proclaimed the formation of the "Puntland" state in July 1998, after a conference was held in Garowe attended by delegates and observers from the Bari, Nugal, Sool and Sanaag regions. The conference ended by formulating a new "social contract" as a basis for the restoration of effective state authority in these regions. In contrast to Somaliland, however, Puntland has never considered itself a separate entity. Although the Puntland's leader publicly announced that he did not plan to break away from the remainder of the country, suspicions lingered.

Puntland is a stable region in northeastern Somalia with a surface land comprising one-third of Somalia and close to half of the country’s coastline. Approximately 3 million people live and work in Puntland, which disputes its border with Somaliland as it also claims portions of eastern Sool and Sanaag.

Puntland eventually wants to join a genuine Federal Republic of Somalia. Tension persists between Somaliland and Puntland over the Sool and Sanaag regions, which are claimed by both.

According to an old obscure tradition, the land of Punt was the original abode of the gods. From Punt the celestial beings had travelled to the Nile valley; at their head Amon, Horus, Hathor. The coast land, washed by the Eed Sea as far as Punt, was sanctified by the passage of the gods, and its name, 'the land of the gods' (Ta-nuter), shows of itself a trace of the tradition. Amon is called Haq, that is, 'King' of Punt; Hathor, in the same sense, 'Queen and ruler of Punt;' while Hor was honoured as 'the holy morning star which rises to the west of the land of Punt.' Peculiar to that land is the idol Bes, the oldest form of the deity in the land of Punt.

Although pre-colonial Somalian society did not have a national government with modern structures and clearly defined international borders, the northeast region had traditional structures of government dating from the early years of the 19 th century; namely, the Sultanate of Majerteen (1901–1927), whose territory included the current regions of Bari and Nugal, the Sultanate of Mudug/Hobyo (1885–1925) and the Sultanate of eastern Sanaag (1896–1925).

These Sultanates were relatively under-developed and far from achieving a modern status in terms of political and state management systems. They had administrative and military structures, which safeguarded security, social welfare and political stability until these were disrupted by colonial powers; the Italians in the first two Sultanates and the British in the third one. Trade and commercial relations existed between the Sultanates and the Indian sub-continent and Arabian Gulf states. For instance, ad valorem taxation systems, export of livestock, animal and agro-forestry products and import of consumer goods thrived in the Sultanate of Majerteen during the second half of the 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century.

The Italian and British conquest of the Sultanate in (1923-1927) suppressed the peoples’ resistance and destroyed all political, economic and commercial structures. The Italian fascist authorities were more repressive than the British, as reflected by the economic policies they applied to these regions.

Puntland has an area of 212,510 square km. Of its population, 65 percent are nomadic pastoralists. Split equally between male and female, the population is likely among the youngest in the world, and the population growth rate was estimated at 3.14 percent in 2004. Over recent years, there has been a discernible movement of populations towards towns and cities, with villages growing into towns, and towns becoming cities.