Somalilandsun: “As we have declared many times in the past, we will not accept any outcome from talks with Somaliland without Puntland Government”.
This was revealed by President of Puntland State of Somalia, Said Abdullahi Deni while addressing members of his regional administration’s parliament in Garowe
president Deni was reacting to the ongoing Consultation Summit on Relations between Somaliland and Somalia in Djibouti which has presidents Muse Bihi Abdi and Mohamed Abdilahi Faramajo as main actors.
to ensure that any agreements reached are fullfilled to the letter by either party the consultation summit chaired by the president of Djibouti Ismail Omar Gelle has other regional and international heavyweights in attendance as observers and guarantors namely Ethiopia Prime minister Abiy Ahmed, Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union, Dr. Wrkneh Gebeyehu – The Executive Secretary of IGAD, Donald Yamamoto – The US Ambassador to Somalia and Somaliland, Joseph Silva – The Head of the European Union in Djibouti and Representative of the United Nations as well as numerous ambassadors.
Deni said that his government is in a protracted territorial dispute over the northern Somali provinces of Sool, Sanaag and Ayn. He argued that Puntland must be involved in the talks to settle the border issue formally.
Puntland’s Speaker of Parliament, Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril accused Farmaajo of using the negotiations with Somaliland as a political opportunity and in doing so, violated the rights of Sool and Sanaag residents.
“The , A Puntland absent from the negotiation table cannot confer legitimacy to the ongoing negotiations” Deni told the legislators
with reporting by HOL
