- Title: [SW News](www.puntin.org) Plot against Puntland by the Arta
Group uncovered
- Posted by/on:[AMJ][Thursday, February, 2001]
Plot
against Puntland by the Arta Group uncovered
GALKAIO, Feb 7 (PUNTIN):- A plot to carry out
political assassinations in order to create chaos, inter-clan strife
and political uncertainty in Puntland has been uncovered according to
security sources in Puntland. According to the report, a hit-list of
33 prominent figures in Puntland was chalked for assassination. The
aim has been to create hostilities in Puntland along clan lines since
most of these would-be targets were in the opposition groups in the
region. Some aides of the Puntland President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed,
were also in the list.
The plot has been uncovered when one of those
assigned to carry out the political assassinations happened to be a
relative of one of the would-be victims, and leaked the secret to his
kin.
Puntland police has made a number of arrests
following a demonstration in protest of skyrocketing prices of the
consumer goods in Bossasso, Puntland. The organizers of these
demonstrations were associated with Arta’s campaign to destabilize
Putland. Puntland authorities have warned the public of the plot and
alerted the people to be on the lookout.
PUNTIN has received the names of some members of
these would-be victims. The list includes Said Mohamed Hirsi (Said-dhere),
a close associate of the Puntland president and veteran ex-officer of
SSDF faction. Reports add that Abdullahi Said Samater, the Puntland
Police Chief, and Bashir Ali Bihi, a medical doctor and a vocal
critique of the Puntland administration have also been in the
hit-list.
The Arta Faction has adopted a policy of creating
instability, uncertainty and insecurity in the peaceful areas like
Puntland in order to weaken the non-acquiescent local administrations
and subsequently gain the upper hand. Puntland had rejected to
recognize Arta Faction’s claimed mandate, and has taken steps to set
the track for the formation of more regional administration as part of
its strategy to reconstitute Somalia nation on federal basis.
This
is a new development in the Somali political arena. These reports show
that the Somali strife has taken an ugly turn. Contrary to Arta
Group’s pledge to resort to dialogue to pave the way for total
Somali reconciliation, these events reflect that Arta faction has now
chosen otherwise in its bid to gain political supremacy in the Somali
civil war, after the use of force, conviction, or persuasion has
failed to deliver.
Arta Faction has recently sent its officials to
certain parts of Somalia like Gedo and Bakol to seek support and woo
the traditional community leaders in these areas. It ended up in
fiasco. It tried to resort to military might in Middle Shabelle region
and had experienced the same debacle. These bad policies only renewed
the hostilities and prompted the remobilization of militias in many
parts of Somalia.
Somalia has been without a central government
since late Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted from power by clan-based
militias that later turned on each other and dragged the country into
a deadly civil war.
http://www.puntin.org/
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