In the wake of the violent conflict that engulfed the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, Somalia, local authorities claim that the tumult was carefully planned from the seat of the federal government, Villa Somalia. The Speaker of the Puntland Parliament, Abwan Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril, has implicated federal senators and parliamentarians in Garowe as the instigators behind the deadly unrest.
The conflict claimed at least 36 lives on Tuesday and injured numerous others. Dr. Abdirsak Ahmed of Garowe Public Hospital confirmed that 16 of the dead were soldiers, with many civilians also caught in the crossfire.
Opposition groups accused Puntland’s leader, Said Abdullahi Deni, of manipulating the constitution to extend his tenure beyond January of next year or influence the vote in his favour.
Speaker Jibril accused federal representatives, specifically the 2nd Deputy Speaker of the Upper House, Abdullahi Ali Hirsi Tima’adde, of fomenting dissent in the Puntland capital. Jibril claims that he has “substantial evidence” to back these claims.
Jibril believes that Senator Tima’adde and his associates from the federal government had conspired with Somaliland to regain control of the city of Las Anod.
The Speaker added that President Hassan Sheikh’s stance on the Puntland election shaped the federal lawmakers’ views. He accused those provoking unrest in Puntland as supporters of Muse Bihi, whom he described as an “enemy of the SNM who invaded our nation.”
The second deputy speaker of Somalia’s Upper House, Abdullahi Ali Hirsi Tima’adde, had partially blamed the Puntland parliamentary committee for the violent outbreak, stating that the rush to enforce the constitution was a major misstep.
As the blame game continues, the residents of Garowe and Puntland are left dealing with the aftermath of a devastating conflict.
