Puntland Urges Federal Govt to Support establishing administration for Sool, Sanaag regions in Somaliland

[Deeq A.]

Puntland President Hon. Abdiweli Gaas has called on Somali president, Farmajo to form an independent administration for Sool, Sanaag and Ayn regions in Somaliland. This was disclosed by Khatumo leader, Dr. Ali Khalif Galeyr who was delivering speech to Somaliland diaspora community in Minnesota. Mr. Gaas had made the request to President Farmajo and Prime Minister Khaire during a meeting held in Mogadishu. Mr; Gaas has asserted that he is planning to hold a conference for Sool, Sanaag and Ain intellectuals to set up independent authority but urged the Somalia govt to fully recognize the administration. Mr. Gas has apprised Farmajo and Khaire about the covert plan in person while having met them in separate occasions. The president, Farmajo and the premiere, Khaire responded by reminding Mr. Gaas that the last time he was claiming that the constitution of Puntland says that the regions of Sool, Sanaag and Ain are part and Parcel of Puntland territory.  They have told him that have you relinquished that.

The Somali leaders have called on Abdiwali Gaas to return to his parliament and the government to confirm that the regions are not part of Puntland. Somali regional presidents are in Mogadishu, Somalia’s war torn capital to attend a meeting hosted by the Federal government. Puntland seems to take the case to Somalia amid territorial dispute over broader regions in Somaliland. Puntland has insisted on its claim that the inhabitants are part of their territory by kinship while the regions belong to Somaliland by border demarcation which date back to the colonial era.

The international donors to Somaliland have urged president Bihi to withdraw his forces from Tukaraq and return to all barracks but Mr, Bihi has insisted that Somaliland army has no intention to invade its neighbor but the forces are doing a good job to maintain law and order in Sool with borders with Puntland. The hostility between Puntland and Somaliland which locked horns over the past years amid disputed regions have escalated the tension which led to skirmishes between the the forces.