By Albertus Meintjes
In previous years, the state of Somalia has evoked ideas of instability, piracy, and extremism. In 2023 however, the Somalian government headed by Hassan Sheikh Mohamud made several large steps toward improving the security and stability, including the signing of initial trade pacts, military successes against Al-Shabaab militants, and an end to the UN sanctioned arms embargo. However, while Somalia has made significant progress there are nevertheless new challenges that have arisen. The recent Ethiopian and Somaliland SEA agreement, a surge in piracy, and political discord in the autonomous state of Puntland are a few such examples.
Puntland is a federal state of Somalia, but unlike regions to the southwest, it has its own executive political structure. In addition, unlike Somaliland to the west, Puntland seeks no international recognition as a sovereign state and remains committed to being a part of the state of Somalia, even during times of extensive conflict and uncertainty.
While Somalia has begun a transition towards stability, Puntland, traditionally seen as the more stable of Somali states during the civil war and subsequent Al-Shabaab militancy, has moved in the opposite direction. Political instability and infighting, deployment of security forces, and a recent much maligned election which saw the re-election of the controversial President Deni, which in turn brings to the fore questions regarding the future of Puntland’s role and the........