Excerpt: “The semi-autonomous north-eastern Somali region of Puntland, once touted as a success of the ‘building blocks’ approach to reestablishing national stability and
widely viewed as one of the most prosperous parts of Somalia, is experiencing a three-year rise in insecurity and political tension. At its roots are poor governance
and a collapse of the intra-clan cohesion and
pan-Darood solidarity that led to its creation in 1998. Intra-Darood friction has eroded the consensual style of politics that once underpinned a relative stability.
The piracy problem is a dramatic symptom of deeper problems that, left untreated, could lead to Puntland’s disintegration or overthrow by an underground militant
Islamist movement. A solution to the security threat requires the Puntland government to institute reforms
that would make it more transparent and inclusive of all clans living within the region.”
