Qardho (PP News Desk) — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has urged the federal member state’s forces “to prepare to secure Puntland borders in line with Puntland Constitution.” President Deni yesterday visited Qardho district to deliver a speech for soldiers who had undergone combat and counter-insurgency training.
“You must be ready to counter any enemy and retake territories occupied by other forces. Puntland is ready to talk to Somaliland about the territorial conflict. Without talks a conflict is inevitable” President Said Deni said. His remarks risk rekindling territorial clashes between Puntland and Somaliland forces at Tukaraq hamlet near Lasanod.
In January 2018 Somaliland forces captured Tukaraq where a unit of Puntland forces was stationed. Brief battles ensued the fall of Tukaraq. The International Community intervened and brokered a ceasefire between Garowe and Hargeysa administrations to de-escalate the conflict.
Last week President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland met in Djibouti under the auspices of President Ismail Omar Guelleh to revive Somalia-Somaliland Talks. The talks have paid no attention to the territorial conflict between Somaliland and Puntland.
“Talking about human development without addressing the long-standing dormant conflict between Puntland State and Somaliland is like putting the cart before the horse” says a post-conflict reconstruction and development professional in Nairobi who has asked for anonymity.
© Puntland Post, 2020
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