Elders, civil society protest against UAE interference in Puntland affairs

[Deeq A.]

Galkacyo – Members of the tribal elders and public figures in Puntland’s Galkayo town have increased their efforts to protest against the United Arab Emirates interference in Puntland.

More than forty elders, intellectuals and political figures, held series of meetings expressing their anger against UAE, including demand the Gulf State to “stop meddling in Puntland affairs and causing instability” and “Foreign government has no right to interfere.”

Tribal elders blamed UAE for seeding political and instability conflicts between Puntland government and Somali Federal Government, and further imputed the Emirati government for not “giving the peaceful life in Puntland the chance to prosper”.

“We want stability in Puntland and hope the UAE side will stop interfering in Puntland affairs and causing chaos,” said elder Ahmed Hassan Ali. “The Somali people can handle Somali affairs without Emirati’s unwelcome interference, and I believe things will get better for our nation,” he added.

Youth militants and local civil society activists alike joined the complaints against UAE and were worried about a naked conspiracy to disrupt Somalia’s oldest federal member State – Puntland.

An elderly politician named Jamac Farax told journalists that he believed UAE subsidized politicians and secretly equipped armed soldiers are behind organizing violent incidents.

“Those violent undertakings cannot succeed in Mudug region, we have killed each enough for many years. Somalia is not and cannot be Yemen. What we want are stability, prosperity, and well-being,” he said. “Somali Federal Government has the full mandate and ability to defend the territorial integrity of the republic with full validity from the people of Somalia and its impossible for UAE to oust it”.

“We hope UAE will stop their interference and give a peaceful Puntland back to us without financing few political figures for their despicable concern,” Sahro Mohamud, a civil society activist said.

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