Is bad press good for Puntland?

[xiinfaniin]

War-xuma tashiilku reeban, oo raaran

 

Is bad press good for Puntland?

 

Bad press, as the old adage went, is better than no press. One may say that is a false consolation for those affected with negative press. Others may disagree and argue the opposite. What is not a moot point however is the role of media to shape and frame the perception of the public on a particular subject. Before we arbitrate the debate between the two opposing camps, lets recount the rollercoaster weeks Puntland had, and the events that led to it.

 

For the last couple of weeks Puntland tracked the full media attention resulting in what seems to be a negative trend for the state. The prisons debacle has completely sucked the oxygen out of the state, over saturating Somali news portals with negative editorials, and depicting a Somali state that is prepared to do anything to please Ethiopia. Puntland security apparatus has willfully handed over one man to Ethiopia, the online editorials asserted, after inviting Ethiopian security personal to Puntland to do the actual interrogation. The death of one of the five arrested in Puntland custody have given the media the ammunition it so needed, allocating significant air time and bandwidth to push the coverage of this story even further. Then came Faroole’s Nairobi trip. A delegation led by Faroole visited Nairobi to meet with International community . Faroole also met with leaders of TFG to discuss the implementation of Galkacyo Accord. Here again the state got a bad press with media focusing on Faroole’s disagreement with TFG approach, and completely ignoring the progress the sheer fact the discussion to further a federal structure represented. Faroole and his negotiation style is partially to blame, which in this case made him an angry man who has no capacity to allow bureaucratic procedures take its course. Instead, Faroole walked out of the meeting, making a political scene that was unnecessary, and on which the news angry media later capitalized. Amin Amir the Somali artists, was in his element when he drew a cartoon depicting pres. Faroole as an impatient man rattled with anger. As if these are not enough of a bad press, Congressman Donald Payne’s office issued damning press release accusing Puntland of abusive behavior and violation of human rights in its handling of prisoners. The harshly worded statement caught many Puntlanders in surprise. It was issued right after what seemed to be a happy meeting between Faroole and Payne took place in Nairobi. Payne’s statement reflected a significant departure both in tone and policy from previous, diplomatic, relationship prior meetings represented. Simply put the press release suggested that these two men are in serous discord. With Payne’s statement the ferocity of Puntland’s negative press dramatically increased. Puntland found itself under the crosshair of media guns. If one had grudges against Puntland state, this was the time to air it, and in the midst of media frenzy, it was very hard to tell which media was playing its traditional role, simply covering the Puntland story, and which was taking opportune shots at Puntland. Even xaaji xanduf of SOL thought it was plausible to run with bogus news that suggested two prominent Puntland ministers resigned. And the commoners, led by Aw Tusbaxle, fell for xaaji’s trap, providing heartfelt commentary on an event that had not occurred .

 

With that background, now lets take up the question of whether this bad press is good for Puntland. What are the lessons learnt for Faroole?

 

Take it from there ya jamaacah. I will chime in my two cents later today.

[Che -Guevara]

I was with you till you mentioned Xaaji and A&T, edit so this thing doesn't get hijacked!

 

This "bad" press was learning curve for Faroole, hopefully he will take some lessons from it.In the bigger picture, it was an opportunity for Puntland to present issues that are great importance to it.These include the constitutional framework for any future government,foriegn aid, and the relationship with Ethiopia in the context Ocaden issue. The approach to addressing these issue could have been better, but the fact that these were raised is what will matter in the end.Now that they are out there,it is something both Puntland and other parties will be forced to address and come to some reasonable solutions.

[Abu-Salman]

dp

[Abu-Salman]

I think statemen should not take their clues solely from Somali Web medias and other syncophants from their inner circle; that is what it looked like when Faroole displayed publicly his irritation at the "Djibouti anti-piracy deal".

 

Had he consulted at least the official Djiboutian portals, he would have realised that there is little for Puntland, or Somalia for that matter, to worry and interfere about international donors's decision to establish an anti-piracy training centre over there, as Ibbi just signed what other regional states did sign, namely their accord of principle to join these efforts (basically, to send their officers and trainees in the donors's chosen location).

 

But then again, this was just a conveniently made-up issue, among many others, by some of those advocating for more federalism, which is neither a magic bullet nor something to be opposed at all cost...though one could only hope for more ethics from those having access to Somali officials!

[Che -Guevara]

^You would be asking too much if you talk about ethics with Somali "officials" but you are right the biggest issue for Puntland is the type of governance any future Somali government will adopt-and to that end, they will throw many things in the mix to realise their goal.

 

On different note, though it is international donors that decide where, when, and how their money is spent, it is good that this issue gets raised. Never understood Somali and troops will be trained in Uganda or Jabouti where they have easily done that in Somalia itself.

[Ducaysane]

Nin durbaan tumay cilaaq dalabay

[Abu-Salman]

Dear Che,

 

The anti-piracy training facility is both a regional centre and an international one of reference; thus, the only criterias in deciding the hosting country were local stability and geographical in nature (proximity, coast etc).

 

That is altogether another issue, different from TFG security training, which is a purely Somali affair in first instance.

 

Not too sophisticated a nuance indeed; hence the disappointment with Puntland's Faroole (though the dishonesty was expected from clanish cheerleaders)....

[N.O.R.F]

Recent events can't possibly be good news for PL. The President seems like someone duday and it is obvious PL is playing for some sort of higher status over the TFG.

 

I said it a long time ago. PL needs an Alistair Campbell.

 

Cyber loyalists need not apply

[The Zack]

I think a better question would have been "Are Faroole's recent mistakes good or bad for Puntland?". That would've been a fairer question. The press didn't choose to write bad about Puntland, Puntland chose to act bad.

[Peace Action]

No, bad press is never good when it comes to governments (Can't say the same for publicity seeking stars}. It is ironic that Faroole who rode to power using the media successfully to attack Cade Muse fairly or unfairly is today impotant and belwildered by the bad press he caused for himself and for Puntland. If I was Faroole, I will get rid of his communication director and I will advice him also to measure his words and speak more diplomatically. In addition, he needs to release the 4 political prisoners and pay blood money for the deceased as good will measure.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

You are speaking like he is an independent fella when it comes imprisonment, jirdilka and handing over Reer Soomaali Galbeed to Xabashida. In this issue, Xabashi ayaa meesha u taliso. He can nothing about it, hadduu iswaalana mid ee ku badalaan ma weynaayaan and if he further resists, they would and could easily arm a 'jabhad' to oust him.

 

Waxaan midnimo iyo iskaashi la'aanta Soomaalida keentay. Midba mooradiisa loogu hanjabo, juuqna dhihi karin.

[Peace Action]

MMA don't forget Zinawi was once a stooge of Somalia according to your logic so what changed.

 

I don't believe that Ethiopia calls the shots in Puntland, they have influence and interest but they are unable to dictate and overrule Puntland against its own interest and well being.

Puntland does not need or relay on Ethiopia for anything, therefore their influence is limited for their capacity to make mischief.

 

Waxaan midnimo iyo iskaashi la'aanta Soomaalida keentay. Midba mooradiisa loogu hanjabo, juuqna dhihi karin.

 

I gree with you on this point but it is the senseless and never ending war for 20 years that has consumed our Capital Mogadishu and ultimately shamed and dishonored the Somali people everywhere.

[NGONGE]

In the first part of 2009, Sh. Sharif was man of the moment and had all the headlines (positive and negative ones). In the middle part, it was Al Shabab and Sh. Aweys. In the late summer, president Riyaale hogged the limelight with the SL election dispute. Now it is Faroole's turn.

 

From a purely political point of view I can not at all argue that all this recent news has been bad for Puntland. I will concede that it allowed the news portals to criticise that entity (and its president). I will also concede that it gave some Somalis the opportunity to attack Puntland. However, politically, I actually believe all this is good for Puntland.

 

First, let me get the people out of the way. You see, the vast majority of those who do not hail from Puntland or support that entity have always had a thing or two to criticise about that state. Some did it for simple clan reasons. Others did it for political reasons. Many do/did so because they do not trust the goals of that state and feel that it wants to usurp the Somali Republic. So, you see, any bad or good news coming from that part of the world (Puntland) is not likely to make a jot of a difference to the immovable positions of the wider Somali world.

 

Why do I think all this is good for the longer-term survival of Puntland? Well, I actually believe Faroole to be a wily old fox (is he being advised by the Yemeni exile himself, I wonder!). Some argue that he has been stumbling ever since he got the job but I beg to differ and believe all this is planned and calculated. The more he makes Puntland relevant, the more his bargaining chips.

 

You clearly see it with the way the news is reported and how fickle Somalis get sucked in by it all. I mean take the case of the prisoners handed to Ethiopia for instance. Old Congressman Pyne issues a statement condemning Puntland for the way they allegedly treated these prisoners and how they keep on handing them to Ethiopia! Nowhere in his statement does he criticise Ethiopia (a sovereign and functioning country) or demand that it butts out of Somali affairs. What he does instead is chide Puntland and rebuke it as if it is an independent country conspiring with a neighbour on equal terms, to imprison, torture and kill dissidents! But Puntland is not an independent country (as Xiin's second gripe above confirms). It is not even a state in a federal republic (not if the little Froole-staged hissy fit with the TFG is taken into account). Yet, what all of this does is increase the profile of Puntland rather than hinder it (as most people think). Now (more than ever), people are talking about Puntland as a serious player in the Somali political scene.

 

I can already sense that some Puntlanders reading this are about to protest and claim they were always serious players. I say, keep on protesting and groaning boys. Puntland was a serious player when AY was its president. However, when that man moved on and became the president of the TFG, PL was sidelined and lost most of its sheen. For the most part, it kept out of the way and was happy to defer to the TFG's version of events (if we discount the little oil dispute they had with Geedi at the start). However, once Faroole became president (and AY resigned his TFG post), PL knew it had to rethink its regional position and policy. In fact, Faroole began his reign by threatening to breakaway from the Somali Republic (was it a rant or a calculated ruse to make PL relevant again?).

 

The prize, of course, is in making PL relevant to the International Community and not to the Somali people themselves. If there were any political gains from appeasing the Somali people, I would hereby wager that Faroole would have stood up to Ethiopia and refused to hand in a single prisoner (even if they were Oromos). But the appeasement of the fickle Somalis can wait for now. The goal is to strengthen the PL position in the region and ensure that they get more than their fair share of the Somali cake. It is about going toe to toe with the TFG and the international community. It is about being ready to take over the country if/when the TFG experiment fails.

 

In addition, you have to wonder why Faroole has not done what all his predecessors in PL did and started an argument with his SL neighbours yet! I mean it is traditional to fight over LA and the 'disputed' territories. Why has this so called bumbling man not done it yet? Heck, even Cade Muse did! Again, my belief is that this too is calculated and that the man does not want to rank his entity alongside the Somalilands, Jubbalands, Makhirlands and all the other 'lands' of the former Somali Republic. His aim is to be the top dog and top dogs never fight over scraps.

 

This is how I see it and this is why I do not believe any of the latest news about PL is bad news at all. Of course, I could be wrong and Faroole may indeed turn out to be the bumbling, blundering old fool everyone claims he is. But I truly doubt it.

[SayidSomal]

"Any Publicity is good publicity"? Sheikh Sharif

 

"I don't care what they say about me as long as they spell my name right." Riyaale

 

"Allah curse the ones who publicise - but there's no such thing as bad publicity". Al-Shabaab & Aweys

 

"There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is NOT being talked about." Faroole

 

 

"there's a sucker born every minute," somali people

[Haatu]

For once I have to agree with NGONGE. Ever since Faroole became the president of Puntland, he has been including himself in the wider Somali affairs more than any of his predecessors (excluding Abdullahi Yussuf).

 

He has been talking more about federalism more than most of his predecessors. From this we can learn that he intends as NGONGE said, to strengthen Puntland's position in a future federal Somalia and for it to have more power in influencing it. One of the signs of this was the name change. By changing the name from the Autonomous Region of Puntland to Puntland State of Somalia, we can see that it no longer regards itself as a region within Somalia that controls it's own affairs, but as a state that has power to influence and change.

 

So all in all, this publicity has had mixed reactions. If we look at it from the point of view of the international community, then it was good for Puntland as it made it seem more important than it was before. But from the point of view of the Somali people, you can say it was bad for Puntland as it might have lost the support of many who might have supported it's role as a more important player in Somali affairs.