PDRC under fire accused of clan politics

For the third time in two weeks, Puntland Development & Research Center (PDRC), Puntland’s premier think-tank in an editorial by Warsame Digital Media (WDM) comes under fire and calls for reevaluation of NGOs operating in Puntland State mount. Singling out PDRC, WDM accuses the Garoowe-based think-tank of unethical conduct, lack of neutrality in state politics, and non-adherence of political conduct expected from an NGO of such caliber.

WDM opined on the imperative need for Puntland to reevaluate the Non-State Actors (NSAs) or NGOs operating in Puntland and the need to “screen these entities for acceptable organizational social behavior, job performance, mission compatibility, ethical conduct, neutrality and adherence to apolitical conduct of their boards of directors, management and staff.”

Just last week, in a private forum held at PDRC office in Garoowe, to discuss Puntland transition to democracy where Ismail Haji Warsame, former Puntland Presidency Chief of Staff under President Abdullahi Yusuf, and a current member of Puntland State Technical Committee for Federal Negotiations (TCFN), fiercely criticized PDRC of mixing clan identity politics and Puntland democratization, and accused the NGO of publicly and privately opposing Puntland transition to democracy.

“PDRC with 100% one sub-clan leadership at the helm, has now started practicing selective censorship of meeting participant. The few members outside of the PDRC clan, including me, were sidelined and even their pictures were removed or erased from the forum and from PDRC public archives for the sole reason of opposing or not conforming to PDRC political views on Puntland democratization process. And worse yet, without hesitation, during the discussion in PDRC premises, we were blatantly accused of opposing ‘their clan agenda’, the PDRC agenda. That is today’s PDRC for you. I couldn’t believe it,” a frustrated Ismail Haji Warsame told a Daljir reporter as he came out of the private meeting.

On a subsequent post on his X, as Daljir Media reported on 26 September 2023, Ismail Haji Warsame taking swipe at the group went even further tacitly equating PDRC to the armed Garoowe-based Aaranjaan political group led by the former President Faroole.

FORMER PUNTLAND CHIEF OF STAFF TAKES A SWIPE AT PDRC FOR THEIR NEGATIVE STAND ON PUNTLAND DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION
At a PDRC private forum today, former Puntland Presidency Chief of Staff Ismail Haji Warsame accused PDRC, Puntland's premiere think-tank, which on its X page claims to… https://t.co/kTMMsDEqws pic.twitter.com/sDEF3NdOYz

— Daljir Media (@radiodaljir) September 27, 2023

In a follow up OpEd, Mr. Warsame repeated calls often heard in Puntland lately that Nugaal Region risks forfeiting its allocated Members in Puntland House of Representatives; hence, compelling relocation of the Capital City elsewhere. As Mr. Warsame told Daljir Media, “WDM editorials didn’t sit well with some corners in Garoowe, PDRC leadership in particular, who, thinking their sub-clan can win Puntland Presidency, are committed to the corrupt clan system and would do anything, including war, to oppose Puntland’s transition to democracy. These people must be defeated at the ballot box.”

Nugaal Region risks forfeiting its allocated Members in Puntland House of Representatives compelling relocation of the Capital City elsewhere
> Nugaal Region would be required to renegotiate, but probably Garowe would lose its Capital status as a result.https://t.co/d17CHCI7a5

— Daljir Media (@radiodaljir) September 26, 2023

And then today, the big the WDM editorial bomb dropped, where Warsame calls for reevaluation of PDRC.

“In the case of PDRC, Puntland people may not be aware of the fact that it is a government agency whose Executive Director is appointed by Puntland State President. Over the years, it has been given free hands to behave like an NGO in order to secure operating funds from peace, development and research-oriented international NGOs of the Donor Community in Europe and USA. However, these well-wishing international donors must ensure that their tax-payers’ money should not be directed elsewhere under cleverly and deceptively tailored programs to secure funds” opined WDM in its latest editorial.

And finally, Mr. Warsame suspicious of PDRC funders writes, “We are also aware of some international NGOs and UN agencies intentionally funding some non-state actors in Somalia to do more harm in creating societal dependency.”

In Puntland’s transition to democracy, as Garoowe-based political groups reject municipal elections in Garoowe and two other clan districts in Nugaal region, and as thirty out of thirty three Puntland districts that successfully held municipal elections take seat, expect more political firework out of Garoowe in the coming days and weeks ahead.

Daljir Media | Daljir Garoowe and Daljir Bossaso Staff reporters