Ruqia Botan

Congratulations to the people of Puntland on the 28th anniversary of the establishment of Puntland State. Puntland’s survival through nearly three decades of Somali turmoil remains an important achievement. Its people built a political order, preserved relative stability & sustained the idea of constitutional self-government when much of the country lacked functioning institutions. Yet anniversaries should measure more than endurance & stability. They should reveal what 28 years of statehood have added to the knowledge, productivity & governing capability of the people. We hope today’s parades include thousands of doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses, scientists, technicians, entrepreneurs and skilled workers trained during those 28 years. They represent the human foundations of a capable state. Twenty-eight years of statehood should leave more than memories of past achievements. They should leave measurable gains. When the latest official maternal mortality figure is still based on a survey conducted about seven years ago, the challenge extends beyond healthcare. It reflects the need to strengthen the state’s capacity to measure, learn and improve. May future anniversaries celebrate more than political survival. May they showcase Puntland’s competencies, productive industries, research institutions, technological achievements & manufacturing capabilities. The next chapter of Puntland must turn stability into knowledge, skills into production & self-government into lasting state capability.