Somalia: Puntland warns of 'civil war' over claims of its territory by Central region state formation delegates

Abdirahman. A

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Somalia’s autonomous state of Puntland warned on Thursday of the risks of a civil war, after delegates sitting for the establishment of a new Federal state in the Central region of Somalia signed a controversial constitution.
The delegates of the Conference passed on Wednesday a controversial constitution, claiming the new state’s boundary is close to Burtinle district, which is less than 70-kilometres South of Garowe, the capital of Puntland.
One of the Puntland’s weekly cabinet meeting agenda held in Garowe concerned the on-going conference in Adado district, insisting the conference doesn’t comply with the Federal provisional constitution.
‘’Puntland clarifies that if the Conference continues in this way, it can lead to a civil war…. Puntland is capable enough to defend its territories and people,’’ read a Press statement from the Office of Puntland President Abdiweli Mohammed Ali.
A long-standing wrangle has been going on since the middle of last year over the formation of the new state after parts of it have been included some of Puntland territories – Northern Mudug.
As stated in the provisional constitution, two or more states are only allowed to form a federal state.
In April, Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud made it clear that ‘’no community will forcibly amalgamated to another’’ in a speech during a national conference held in Garowe that brought together the Federal government leader with also the leaders from  Puntland, Jubbaland and South-west regional administrations.
Puntland, a region in northeastern Somalia, declared itself to be semi-autonomous from Somalia in 1998 as fighting raged through most of the country. Since the region has been calm and had a functioning constitutional government with its own security forces.
Political analysts have accused the Federal government of Somalia of playing a two-faced policies on this issue and have warned that the leaders will pay the ultimate heavy price of the consequences.
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