It would be interesting, I think, to be able to peer inside the sub-conscious mind of Mr. Cabdiraxmaan 'Faroole', the current president of the Puntland State Authority of Somalia. Surely, I say, this man must be tormented—whilst he sleeps—by the realisation that the betrayal of a brother has its own unique rewards? I refer specifically to his recent betrayal of his Somali brethren who hail from the ancient lands of Ogaden clan. When his administration collaborated with senior Ethiopian intelligence officials—whilst on Somali soil—in the brutal torture of Ogadeni men then in the custody of the Puntland State Authority, did Mr. 'Faroole' bat an eyelid? So vicious had been the treatment of these captives, that one of the men in question actually lost his life.
The Ogadeni men of this group, who remained alive at that moment in time, were then handed over to the Ethiopian intelligence operatives—who subsequently transported them to a secret prison located somewhere near the Ethiopian capital. One can only imagine the fate of the Ogadeni men in question once they had been transported to Ethiopia itself. I imagine that their fate—if indeed these men are still alive—is a brutally grim one, and I am ashamed of the conduct of Mr. 'Faroole' in this particularly tragic episode in the recent history of the Puntland State of Somalia. A man, especially a leader, always has a choice! The choice between that which is right, and that which is wrong is often clear when it comes to the best interests of the Somali people.
To add insult to grievous injury, Mr. 'Faroole' seems to believe he has been bestowed with the authority, here on earth, to legally distinguish between individuals who are Somali nationals and those who may be aliens. This is clearly a fantasy. However, using some mysterious formula, Mr. 'Faroole' has determined that the people of the Somali Region (Ogaden) are no longer Somali people—he actually sees them as aliens. What is truly shocking is that the current president of the Puntland State of Somalia views the people of the Ogaden clan as particularly dangerous aliens.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The people of the Ogaden clan are quintessentially Somali. The Ogaden has always been, and shall forever remain, the pulsating heart of Somali culture and the Somali national identity. The people of the Ogaden have always been welcome inside the Somali territory known, at the present time, as Puntland. I find it outrageous that an outsider, a dangerous Australian alien—in the shape of Mr. 'Faroole' himself—has the audacity to claim that he is acting in the best interests of Somali people.
The president of Puntland, and his criminal henchmen, recently began to demand that the people who have fled the fighting in Southern Somalia should now return to their places of origin. In effect, Mr. 'Faroole' has decreed that certain sections of the Somali public are no longer welcome inside the territory of the Puntland State of Somalia. By what authority does this man think he has the power to avoid lending a helping hand to a brother in distress? Does Mr. 'Faroole' expect far away lands—such as Australia—to provide a home for these displaced Somali people?
I recently observed a curious episode, where the president of Puntland held a press conference, after having not reaching an accord with the weak president of the TFG of Somalia in Nairobi. In his press conference Mr. 'Faroole' claimed to be working for the best interests of the Somali nation, but that the TFG was creating a great problem by not respecting the letter of the recent Galkacayo agreement—concluded between the lumbering prime minister of the TFG, Cumar Cadbirashiid Cali Sharmarke of the TFG, and Mr. 'Faroole' himself some time ago.
Therefore, the press conference in Nairobi, recently held by Mr. 'Faroole' was nothing more than a condemnation of TFG of Somalia. He implied that the members of the TFG entity had been duplicitous in their actions and, in fact, that the TFG had no intention of respecting the aforementioned Galkacayo agreement. In effect, Mr. 'Faroole' began to have a public slanging match with the senior members of the TFG entity on that recent day in Nairobi.
Just to demonstrate the fact that Mr. 'Faroole' is a man with no shame, no sooner had he concluded his press conference he found himself en route to Addis-Ababa, the capital of the Ethiopian Federation. It appears that the weak president of the TFG entity, Shariif Axmed, was also summoned by the prime minister of the Ethiopian Federation at this time. As is often the case Ethiopian intervention is required in order to resolve a mess of this kind. I imagine that Meles Zenawi had been successful in his bid to reconcile his Somali vassals who were at that moment in time feuding.
It would appear that the prime minister of Ethiopia has a unique talent for this type of marriage counseling. He has had a hand in Somali politics for a very long time now. It is ironic that the late Maxamed Siad Barre, last true leader of the Somali nation, had once supported and nurtured this talent. Ever since the fall of the last functional Somali regime in 1991, prime minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia has played a central role in the internal affairs of the Somali nation. As a consequence we have seen the rise of men such as Mr. 'Faroole' to prominent positions inside Somalia itself.
One can hardly blame Ethiopia for the problems of modern day Somalia. Indeed, Meles Zenawi and his government are responsible for the furtherance of Ethiopian interests. This is only natural, but why must senior members within Somali society assist the Ethiopian leadership in their work? The blame must be placed at the feet of the many gutless Somali collaborators—of which Mr. 'Faroole' the current president of the Puntland State of Somalia is a prime example—who serve the interests of the foreign nations who are inherently hostile to the best interests of the Somali people. This subspecies of servile Somali politician must be eradicated from the political landscape of modern Somalia if only to maintain the honour of the Somali nation.
I found it truly appalling when I heard that Mr. 'Faroole' and Shariif Axmed—the respective presidents of the Puntland State Authority and the TFG entity of Somalia—had taken to exchanging apologies when only days earlier they had been on the verge of hostilities. I find it shameful that they now speak about a recent misunderstanding and a breakdown of communications between their two polities. Why do these men choose to not state the obvious fact that the prime minister of Ethiopia—their true master—had successfully knocked their heads together and had changed their behavior?
The shameful behavior of Mr. 'Faroole' has even come to the attention of the United States House of Representatives. Congressman Donald Payne of New Jersey must be commended upon his principled stand in his recent written warning to the Puntland State Authority. The United States of America is hardly a place that can be described as being habitually attentive to the needs of the Somali nation, but even in America can there be found voices which express clear disgust at the conduct of Mr. 'Faroole' and his cronies in Garowe. This is quite remarkable when one stops to reflect upon the fact that Mr. 'Faroole' has only been in his current office for less than 12 months.
Mr. Cabdiraxmaan 'Faroole' is perhaps the most dangerous man to have ever been elected to the office of the president of the Puntland State of Somalia. I believe that this man is a threat to the entire Somali nation—including our brethren in the Ogaden territories. Clearly, this man must be removed from the office of president sooner rather than later. I believe that the parliament of Puntland must bear the full responsibility of removing this dangerous individual from the office which he has brought into disrepute—after all, they are responsible for his rise to power! The parliament of Puntland has the authority to impeach and, for the benefit of all Somali people, I call upon them to act with haste in this regard.
