Puntland, petrolio, terrorismo e caos --Puntland, Oil, Terrorism and Chaos

[Som@li]

Puntland, petrolio, terrorismo e caos

DA NAIROBI - - MATTEO FRASCHINI KOFFI per AVVENIRE ------

 

« Quella in corso nelle montagne di Galgala non è una guerra reli giosa o contro il terrori smo », afferma convinta l’onorevole A sha Ahmed Abdale, parlamentare del governo federale di transizione soma lo (Gft). «È una guerra economica combattuta per le risorse del sotto suolo ». Dopo alcuni anni come assistente al ministro del lavoro e ministro del di sarmo, l’onorevole Abdale è una delle pochissime donne somale entrate in politica e che tuttora rischiano la vita per il proprio Paese. «È dal 2000 che mi occupo di corruzione in Somalia», spiega ad Avvenire qui a Nairobi: «A Mogadiscio la mia casa è stata bom bardata più volte e continuo a riceve re minacce dagli uomini di Abdirah man Farole, il presidente del Puntland (semi-autonoma regione somala, n dr ). Per questo non esco mai da casa e posso denunciare solo da qui la ve ra faccia della guerra in Galgala, la cit tadina da cui provengo».

 

I problemi per la regione, contesa prin cipalmente tra il clan dei migiurtini al potere e dei warsengheli di Galgala, sono iniziati negli anni Ottanta quan do diverse società petrolifere interna zionali si erano divise vari blocchi ter ritoriali per l’esplorazione di vaste ri serve minerali e sostanziose quantità di petrolio presenti nel territorio come evidenziato dalle prospettazioni. Con l’inizio della guerra civile nel ’91, qua­si tutto si era fermato fino a quando il Puntland, nell’ottobre del 2005, iniziò ad accordarsi per l’esplorazione mi neraria e la perforazione di pozzi con cesse a compagnie come l’australiana Range Resources Ltd. e più tardi la ca nadese Africa Oil Corp. (ex Canmex Minerals Corp.): «Queste concessioni sono molto vaste, e con solo cinque pozzi scavati, l’area è una delle meno esplorate nel nord Africa», assicurano i dati forniti dal sito dell’Africa Oil. «Crediamo che l’area abbia tutti i re quisiti per diventare una grande pro vincia produttrice di petrolio e altri mi nerali », confermava invece la Range Resources. Entrambe le compagnie hanno pubblicato su Internet le map pe con le varie zone d’interesse che coincidono con l’area di conflitto nel la regione della valle Dharoor. Sono i noltre stati scritti vari articoli e repor tage dal 2005 a oggi, pubblicati sia dai media somali sia da quelli internazio nali. «Ci sarà sempre una minoranza contraria al nostro progetto per varie ragioni», aveva già dichiarato la Ran ge Resources nell’aprile del 2006 al giornale australiano The Sydney Mor ning Herald .

 

Nel luglio scorso il conflitto è però ri preso, con denunce del governo di pe netrazione anche di elementi di al-Shabaab, i ribelli islamici somali lega ti ad al-Qaeda. E per l’onorevole Ab dala il conflitto sta producendo gravi sofferenze alle centinaia di sfollati che hanno dovuto lasciare le loro abi tazioni. «Le truppe del governo hanno distrutto raccolti, bruciato le case e spaventato i miei concittadini», de nuncia la parlamentare.

Ora come prima, molti membri del clan warsengheli non sono contro l’e splorazione, però vogliono essere coinvolti in una discussione pacifica con Farole. Il presidente ha fatto inve ce arrestare venerdì scorso diversi gior nalisti somali: Abdifatah Jama Mirre, direttore della radio locale Horseed Media, si è visto infliggere per diret tissima sei anni di carcere. Mirre è sta to accusato di «incitazione alla vio lenza » per un’intervista esclusiva a Sheikh Mohamed Said Atom, leader militante delle Truppe per le risorse naturali (Nrt) che combattono a Gal gala e si oppongono al governo. Il ver detto comunicato, pare senza un av vocato difensore, nell’arco di una giornata alla Corte di Bosaso, capita le commerciale del Puntland, ha pro vocato una protesta a livello interna zionale: «La condanna di Mirre e la detenzione arbitraria di altri sette giornalisti, sono una flagrante viola zione della libertà di stampa da par te dell’amministrazione del Pun tland », ha dichiarato Reporter senza frontiere (Rsf ). Da martedì è stato inoltre imposto un divieto totale, per tutta la stampa lo cale, di parlare della guerra. «Farole e la sua gente hanno detto al mondo che questa è una guerra contro il terrori smo per ottenere l’appoggio dei Paesi donatori», denuncia invece Suleiman Saleh, editore del sito d’informazione Galgalanews.com . «In ballo però ci so­no forti interessi economici che pochi hanno il coraggio di denunciare».

 

Piena di ricchezze e inesplorata da 12 anni via da Mogadiscio

La regione del Puntland, a nord della Somalia e autoproclamatasi semi-autonoma nel ’98, era considerata relativamente stabile fino a poco tempo fa. I traffici illeciti e la pirateria rubavano la scena a un conflitto regionale che continua a intermittenza da diversi anni. Attraverso sporadiche esplorazioni e studi geologici anche con l’ausilio delle tecnologie satellitari, il Puntland è considerato come una tra le più ricche e meno esplorate regioni dell’Africa settentrionale. Il presidente Abdirahman M. Farole, che ha anche anche la cittadinanza australiana, è stato recentemente accusato di violazioni dei diritti umani dall’Alto commissariato Onu dei rifugiati (Acnur) per la deportazione forzata di migliaia di suoi connazionali verso l’inferno della capitale somala, Mogadiscio, dalla quale si è separato 12 anni fa.

[Som@li]

Puntland, oil, Terrorism and Chaos

 

FROM NAIROBI - - Matthew Koff FRASCHINI

 

 

"That being in the mountains of Galgala is not a religious war or terrorism," says convinced Mr Asha Ahmed Abdalla, Parliamentary Assembly of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

 

"It's an economic war fought over the underground resources in the region of Maakhir."

 

After several years as an assistant to the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Disarmament, Mr Abdalla is one of the few Somali women legislators in Somalia who still risk their lives for their country. "It's from 2000 that I deal with corruption in Somalia," says the legislator.

 

"In Mogadishu, my house was bombed several times and I still continue to receive threats from people of Abdirahman Farole, the President of Puntland (semi-autonomous Somali Region, ed.).For this reason I have not been able to go back home and I can only report from here the true face of the war in Galgala, the town where I come from. "

 

The main conflict in the region fought mainly between the clan in power, Migiurtini and the Warsengheli of Galgala had began in the eighties when several international oil companies had divided the various regional blocks for exploration of the vast mineral reserves and substantial quantities of oil in the area as evidenced by the prospect.

 

With the start of civil war in '91, almost everything had stopped until Puntland, in October of 2005, began to settle illegally for the exploration and drilling rights that it awarded to an Australian company like Range Resources Ltd. and later to the Canadian based subsidiary Africa Oil Corp. (formerly Canmex Minerals Corp.):

 

"These concessions are vast, and with only five wells drilled, the area is one of the least explored East Africa,” according to a statement provided by Africa Oil from their website. "We believe that the area has all the requirements to become a major oil-producing province and other minerals, confirmed the Range Resources.

 

Both companies have posted maps on the Internet with the various areas of interest coincide with the area of conflict in the valley region Dharoor. They had also written several articles and reports since 2005, re-published by both international and Somali media

 

"There will always be a minority opposed to our project for various reasons, had already declared the Range Resources in April 2006 at the Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald.

 

In July, the conflict has resumed, however, with complaints of government penetration and also unreliable reports from elements of al-Shabaab, Somali Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda.

 

Asha Abdala said that the conflict is causing great suffering to hundreds of IDPs who have fled their homes. "The government troops have destroyed crops, burned houses and scared my fellow citizens," denounces the Parliamentarian.

 

This time just like in the past contravery, many clan members are not against Warsengheli exploration, however, they want to be involved in a peaceful discussion with Farole. The president has instead arbitrarily arrested several Somali journalists. Last Friday, Abdifatah Jama Mirra, director of local radio Horseed Media was fined for six years in prison.

 

Mirra has been accused of "incitement to violence" for an exclusive interview with Sheikh Mohamed Said Atom, the militant leader of the troops for the Natural Resources (NRT) fighting in Galgala and who are opposed tp the Puntland administration.

 

The verdict announced, apparently without a lawyer, in a day to the Court of Bosaso, the commercial capital of Puntland, led to a protest at the international level.

 

"The condemnation of Mirre and the arbitrary detention of seven other journalists are a flagrant violation of press freedom by the administration of Puntland, "said Reporters Without Borders (RSF). On Tuesday, the administration also imposed a total ban for the entire local press talking about the war. "Farole and its people have told the world that this is a war against terrorism to gain support from donor countries," writes Suleiman Saleh, editor of the website information Galgalanews.com.

 

"At stake, however, there are strong economic interests that few have the courage to denounce."

 

Full of rich and unexplored oil and minerals, the region of Puntland in northern Somalia's semi-autonomous and self-proclaimed in '98 was considered relatively stable until recently.

 

The trafficking and piracy would steal the scene in a regional conflict that continues intermittently for several years. Through sporadic exploration and geological studies with the aid of satellite technology have been undertaken, Puntland is still regarded as one of the richest and least explored regions of North Africa.

 

The President Abdirahman M. Farole, who also became a citizen of Australia, has recently been accused of human rights violations by UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the forced deportation of thousands of his countrymen into the hell of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, from which Puntland broke away 12 years ago.

[Som@li]

Source

[Land_Soldier]

macaa talyaanigii ayaa sheekada SSDF fahmay, inu dagaalkan macdan loo dagaaltamiyo.

[Xudeedi]

Truth will prevail over hypocracy. Great piece, i'll summarize the authors many valid points later.

[Som@li]

^Truth will be out there.

 

Warlord Farole and his militia lost the war, and they will not silence the media, no wonder how most Puntland websites kept silent of this issue.

[General Duke]

^^^What truth do you present? The Oil exploration is not in Galgala but Ufain and Conco[Garowe]. Desperate stuff and no doubt you will all be Puntlanders when the black stuff is struck in those two locations..

 

Faroole was saved by Attam, the Mickey Mouse of Galgala thought he was strong and now is left running around in the wilderness..

[Som@li]

Originally posted by General Duke:

^^^What truth do you present? The Oil exploration is not in Galgala but Ufain and Conco[Garowe]. Desperate stuff and no doubt you will all be Puntlanders when the black stuff is struck in those two locations..

 

Who is against Puntland getting oil and development?

 

 

Faroole is losing the war, This Mickey Mouse is Atom bomb,and am sure like you, faroole ,Ill-advised, thought he would run over in a day.

 

It is time to admit defeat, instead profiteering this unjust war.

[Thankful]

Lol, they have tried every single strategy....religious war, clan war, resource war.....lol, but since that never got the people on their side they have given it up and are declaring victory!

 

You can admit victory when Atam show's his face in Public! He is in hiding from Puntland military and is retreating. He thought he would get support from his community, but never did!!

 

Victory can never happen if the leader is too scared to come out in the open.

 

@ admit defeat

[Som@li]

This is not a computer game u used to, pple are dying, Young kids are sent to war by warlord Faroole, and dying in dozens, all for what? There is Alshabab in Galgala, which we all know is not true! Thankful and Duke, It it time you should call Adeero Faroole, and advice him to stay away from Galgala and stop this meaningless war.

[Thankful]

Ok so you call Faroole a warlord....but then Atam who is on the UN Security Council list of suspected terrorist, who has had is assets frozen in the U.S and who called Al Shabaab his brothers and that we are them and they are us....you refuse to call him a terrorists or criminal or warlord?

[Som@li]

^Mate, I don't care about Atom or Faroole, what I care is the poor pple in Galgala who are displaced by Warlord Faroole, and his war profiteering militia.

 

Meesha fartu ku geliso shantu kaama saarto, Faroole needs ur brain if you care.

[Thankful]

Mate....Atam had an armed milita in that area! He is a man that says he wants to bring his own form of government to Puntland, that is unacceptable. You want to blame Faroole for sending his men there, but you dont want to say anything about Atam.

 

Both sides agree that they tried to negotiate, but it fell through. Now the government took action, it is obvious who the local community is siding with in this problem, I have no Idea why the diaspora is not!

[General Duke]

Originally posted by Thankful:

Lol, they have tried every single strategy....religious war, clan war, resource war.....lol, but since that never got the people on their side they have given it up and are declaring victory!

 

You can admit victory when Atam show's his face in Public! He is in hiding from Puntland military and is retreating. He thought he would get support from his community, but never did!!

 

Victory can never happen if the leader is too scared to come out in the open.

 

@ admit defeat

lol@ admit defeat, even the most powerful Garad in the clan stated clearly that this was no more than a cleaning operation and that the people are on board. Resource war? Yeah right.

[Amistad]

writes Suleiman Saleh, editor of the website information Galgalanews.com = dead link.