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

18 June, 2015

Somalia’s autonomous state of Puntland warned on Thursday of the risks of a civil war, after…

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