Hvis olieindtægterne håndteres korrekt og ikke havner i lommerne på nogle få kan de ændre en fattig, pirat-udklækkende del af Afrika, men sporene skræmmer fra andre steder på kontinentet.
NAIROBI, 8 March 2012 (IRIN): The recent discovery of oil deposits in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, could improve its population’s livelihoods (levevilkår) as long as it is handled properly, officials and locals told IRIN.
“The discovery of a valuable natural resource anywhere in Somalia is welcome and it should benefit all the people of Somalia”, said Mohamed Abshir Waldo, an independent analyst and Somalia expert, adding:
“The finding of adequate oil in Puntland would change the lives of the people of Somalia for the better provided it was managed properly and Somali authorities learned from the experiences of other African countries where oil was found. Oil has the potential of bringing corruption and curses to a country if not handled well”.
Farah Ali Jama, Puntland Minister of Finance, said he was confident that any money from the oil would be handled properly and improve the lives of all Somalis.
“I am 100 percent confident that this resource will improve people’s livelihoods. We will not fall into the mistakes made by others”, he stressed.
Jama said any funds from the oil find, which is expected to come on-stream soon, “will not fall into the pockets of any individual or group. This is for all of the Somali people wherever they may be.”
However, there is as yet no legal framework in place for who will collect the money. “We are working on a legal framework for the relationship between the TFG [Transitional Federal Government] and the Puntland government on who will do what,” said the minister.
He said the draft constitution, which is expected to be completed before August 2012, “will make it clear how resources will be divided”. Until then, “we [Puntland] will make sure that whatever money comes out of this will be handled transparently and every penny accounted for”.
Great expectations
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http://www.IRINnews.org/Report/95031/SOMALIA-Benefits-and-risks-of-Puntland-oil
