In Response to Ashley’s Coverage on Puntland Conflict $ More News

[Xudeedi]

An article that gives explicit highlight of the coverage of the conflict in Majiyhaan and Dhanan by Punt Land Media

 

Garowe Online

 

Editorial

[BoiBoi]

Simple errors / Intentional neglect?

 

When the TFG refused the contract, the Australians floated shares on the Stock Exchange, with false and misleading information. >>> Rage has been listed on the ASX since 1986.

 

And...

 

The Transitional Federal Government of the Republic of Somalia has written to the Puntland Government acknowledging the Contract of Work and expressly supporting the Puntland Government’s “efforts towards enhancing the national economy by materailizing the exploration, exploitation and marketing of the country’s sub soil resources in close collaboration with its partners Consort Private Limited and Range Resources Limitedâ€.

 

‘Range’ has been busy trying to build a respectable image, but if you read all information on their website, regularly, you will see a vague sum of 5-10% is all the people of Puntland are supposed to receive for their whole territory? This is so unusual it would be a joke if it were not tragic. >>> Anyone that understands the mining industry knows that a Royal of 5-10% is the norm, ALL OVER THE WORLD. The figure is Royal / Not a PSA.

 

They also announced the following:

 

Yemen and Somalia have many historical ties and from what I have seen so far, this has all

the hallmarks of Yemen in the early 1980’s. Range and Consort have requested assistance in

drafting the Petroleum Legislation and the Production Sharing Agreement Models to be used

in Puntland. Our discussions with the President have indicated that the model that was

successfully used in Yemen will form the basis for the new Puntland model and I am very

pleased to be part of this process.â€

[Taleexi]

Thanks Maakhir, Indeed, with its Entirety, PL media has lacked its position of being balanced news outlet to its audience, of course with the exception of Laasqoray.Net and Garoowe Online

[Xudeedi]

Boiboi thanks for the information. Things will be clear in due course of time. The reason they give false misleading information is to rack up the stock prices since stock prices reflect the future growth of the company. The company has a high debt ratio and it is very possible that it will file bankruptcy like Enron did in its omission of valuable information regarding the solvency of the company as well as inflating its gains.

 

 

SOMALIA: Diaspora community weighs in on Puntland conflict

 

 

DUBAI, UAE– Puntland wants to extract natural resources in Sanaag region as part of its agreement.

 

April 5, 2006

 

A prominent member of the Sanaag Diaspora community has spoken out about the ongoing conflict in Majiyahan district. In an interview with the Australia-based SBS Radio, Mr. Faisal Ahmed Yusuf said that the bloody conflict between the Puntland administration and armed clan militias “could’ve been avoided.â€

 

 

The Puntland government, which administers northeastern Somali regions, has been locked in an armed struggle with native clans for the past three weeks. Puntland wants to extract natural resources in Sanaag region as part of its agreement with Range Resources, Ltd., a junior exploration company headquartered in Australia. But native clans mobilized their militias in early March after Puntland president Mohamud “Adde†Muse sent his security forces into the mountainous Majiyahan area to protect foreigners conducting research on behalf of Range Resources. The move led open warfare and contributed to the deaths of at least eight people so far.

 

Mr. Faisal said that he personally believes that the vast majority of Puntland people were “left in the dark†when President Adde signed a unilateral agreement with Range Resources in August 2005. He added that the Puntland leader failed to use lawful methods for signing and implementing the deal. Furthermore, Mr. Faisal regretted that a legal disagreement had turned into deadly conflict.

 

Garowe Online News

 

 

Interview with Faisal Ahmed Hawar

[Xudeedi]

War deg deg ah: Majiyahan oo ay ciidanka Puntland geeyey Madaafiicda Dagaalka

 

 

Posted to the Web Apr 06, 20:38

 

Badhan:- Wararka saacadahan naga soo gaarey Xarunta Madaxtoo yada ee Boosaaso ayaa sheegay in goobtaas amar laga soo saarey, amarkaas oo ah in Madaafiicda culus la geeyo Majiyahan. Warkan oo ilo muhiim ah naga soo gaarey ayaa sheegaya in maalmihii uu Cade Muuse ku dhawaaqay ama codsadey in xabad joojin la sameeyo ay caawo 12ka Habeenimo ee waqtiga geeska afrika ay ku ekeyd.

 

 

Warku waxa uu intaa ku darayaa in Madaafiicdaas ay jiidayeen Baabuurta Xamuulka ay Ciidanka Puntland, waxaana la saadaalinayaa in Dagaal dhici doono waqtiyadan inagu soo aadan.

 

 

Warku waxa uu intaa ku darayaa in ciidankii badnaa ee ku qul qulayey Majiyahan ee ka socday dhinaca Puntland halkaas oo ay difaac adag galeen Ciidanka Difaaca kheyraadka ee Sanaag, Galayr, ayaa u eg mid si daba joog ah u dhacaya.

 

LaasqorayNet.

[art]

maakhir,

 

could you please provide a summary, in english, of your last post, epsecially the part in bold writing.

[Xudeedi]

Art, due to the military build up in the region with hundreds of militias from Bossaso and tens of vehicles mounted on heavy artilleries now heading to the areas where the conflict between Punt Land and the locals have been locked in, it predicts that a new war is to start within the next 24 hours. The deadline for temporary ceasefire has already passed.

[art]

Maakhir, so what is being said is that Range resources presence will precipitate a war....is that correct?

[codetalker]

^

 

Perhaps unwittingly, but essentially yes: the Puntland leader isn't ordering his militias and missiles into the region for a photo-op.

 

Let's see what Maakhir says.

[BoiBoi]

Maakhir,

 

Your attitude is the reason why somalia is still in anarchy.

 

But alas this time your are incorrect and full of deceptive information.

 

The FACTS are:

 

1. Threat of war is baseless and invalid, and frankly its the most ill thought comment I've read on this board. Do you desire WAR on our somali brothers to continue?

2. I checked Range Resources website and they have current financial statements, Well it appears from reading their half yearly accounts as 31.12.05 Range Resources is DEBT FREE.

 

For 15 years Somali's and Puntlanders have tried to attrack foreign investment, finally there is a company which is willing to invest in OUR country. What do we? We rubbish them? Remember its the Puntland Government that signed the deal with Consort, not Range Resources. Range simply signed with Consort, and consequently with the Puntland Government.

 

Its time for action/support not procrastination!

[Paragon]

^^^ Is Puntland legally authorized to 'sign' contract with anyone without the permission of an established central Somali state? An interim government without any authority over anywhere cannot be used to legitimize contracts, I believe. Unless that is, there is a reason to believe that there exists a shady deal-making framework to misappropriate national assets.

 

Besides, BoiBoi, don't buy into the state-hood nonsense that now exists in Puntland or Somaliland either. Clans come together with their interests in mind and if their interests are not achieved in state-hood, then, there isn't a point of being part of that state. That is the operative logic in Somalia today. That said, however, we must consider that there is something called tribal territorial integrity, which every clan holds supreme. One of th eruling principles of this tribal territorial integrity concept is the assurance of complete absence of non-clan troops in the territority in which each clan dwells. No state (unless it is a dictatorship) or any other entity can make the mistake of shifting hundreds of armed men accross another man's region, and hope that no questions will be asked! If that were possible, then, it will the anti-thesis of clanism! Thus, that factor should be borne in mind when one wishes to procure a site for exploration or for whatever other reason.

 

Beyond the clan nonsense, as it stands, the principle upon which Puntland itself was established was that it would act as a transitional state untill a central state is re-instituted in Somalia. Thus, deals or contracts of this nature (Majiyahan is a case in point) are are null and void, since, these sort of contracts have been reached outside legal framework of the legitimate Somali state. Contracts of exploration for oils have been offered to companies (such as conaco-philips) by the then Somali state and these contracts hold. The same has to be the case with explorations for minerals in Majiyahan area.

 

Cade's current attempts to give the green light to Concort or Range Resources can be classed as highway robbery of national assets, a robbery intended to take before an able central government is put in place. In a nutshell it is Ka Gaarsii Intaan Lasoo Gaarin philosophy. And I say, wuxuu ka dheefo bal aan aragno.

[BoiBoi]

Paragon,

 

You make valid points. All I'm saying is note the Facts...

 

http://www.rangeresources.com.au/asx/primeMinistersLetter.pdf

 

"The Transitional Federal Government of the Republic of Somalia has written to the Puntland Government acknowledging the Contract of Work and expressly supporting the Puntland Government’s “efforts towards enhancing the national economy by materailizing the exploration, exploitation and marketing of the country’s sub soil resources in close collaboration with its partners Consort Private Limited and Range Resources Limitedâ€."

 

http://www.rangeresources.com.au/asx/puntland%20brochure%20version4%20minerals-1.pdf

[Paragon]

^^^ BoiBoi, these are not varified facts, mate. You have shown me a letter alleged to be from Geedi, whose e-mail address is Premiersom@wanainchi.com and whose formal address is Sarit Centre . What a combination. The letter's authenticity is not beyond doubt and the link you have provided is to Range Resources' website, thus one-sided. The evidence provided in that site was gathered hastily amid an allegation that the company was involved in illegal-deals with the Puntland state. Geedi himself accused the ASX for its irresponsibility in floating 'range's' shares at one minute and to have his written agreement at the next minute is really doubly fishy. Beyond that, there is no case for Cade or Puntland to commence operations.

 

Even if the Transitional Government were to have supported the exploration, the transitional government is, in a nutshell, transitional . Untill a permanent government is established, no contract can take place.

[BoiBoi]

Paragon,

 

Range Resources is Subject ASX listing rules, and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.

 

http://www.asic.gov.au

 

The Facts are that the TFG can issue mining contracts, and in this case it has allowed Puntland to utilise its Autonomy and control its own destiny, but only as long as Puntland agrees to bankroll the Somali Government.

 

Hmmm...more Facts

 

Somalia: Puntland Sate agrees to bankroll national government

Tue. January 03, 2006 01:02 pm.

 

(SomaliNet) After many months of back and forth negotiations, Puntland regional administration and the federal government of Somalia reached a settlement in which Puntland agreed to allocate long-term financial support for the interim government. In return, the federal government will not object Puntland's quest for oil and gas explorations which involve foreign companies.

 

Puntland has been one the federal government's key financial pillars since its inception last 2004 in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Many insiders believe President Abdulahi Yusuf beat his many opponents when he was running for the office because of unsurpassed donations from Puntland administration. Mr. Yusuf ruled Puntland before he was elected as Somalia president in October 2004.

 

According senior federal government official involved in the negotiations, Mr. Ali Ismail Abdi-Giir, Puntland's financial backing of the federal government is now official and most important points of the agreement are in public domain. Mr. Giir, who talked to SomaliNet's Mohamed Siidi at Jowhar airport, said the federal government and Puntland signed a deal that benefits both sides of the table. The final agreement was signed on December 23rd, 2005.

 

http://somalinet.com/news/world/English/1521

[Paragon]

BoiBoi, I am not sure whether you were able to access the old version of Geedi's letter: the one in which he cites the Charter of the State Republic in matters pertaining to the protection and exploration of natural resources. Here is a link. Notice how adamant Geedi is in his opposition to the state of Puntland's action: ASX:RRS. Strangely enough, Geedi's initial letter was on the 6th of Oct. and the 2nd of Nov. he wrote another one. This is fishy because it seems some underhand dealing in taking place within the TFG and between the TFG and Cade. Any premier who changes his mind in this manner has alot of questions to answer. All in all, what is clearly unmistakable in this sudden change of mind the Premier displayed, is that the TFG is incapable of untaking ratification of agreements of the like of Majiyahan or similar agreements.

 

Moreover, companies can be floated in stock markets without the actual existence of stocks per se: they may be deemed in regards to their Futures and Securities. So long as a company can put together a presentable and coherence project proposal, and just have few expertly advices injected into them (usually in this case geologists giving guarantees of potential 'recoverable' costs), it is a done deal. A little bit of media and markets speculation takes care of the rest of the job of attracting intial investors. After that all the rest of the shares are ready to be floated to the secondary market. In general principle, a stock exchange has no ownership of shares . So, maybe Range Res is trading under that condition.