Press Statement on the Ongoing Establishment of an Administration in Lasanod
Garowe – (Hornpost) The Government of Puntland welcomes the decision made by the traditional elders of the Dhulbahante clan in Lasanod on February 6, 2023. Puntland played a leading role in the efforts to reclaim control of Lasanod city and the wider Sool region on August 25, 2023.
Puntland also announced its support for the Dhulbahante clan’s initiative to hold a consultative meeting of their elders and intellectuals, to be followed by a wider conference that includes all Puntland communities—including the Dhulbahante—to discuss the future of the regions inhabited by the Dhulbahante people. However, the planned consultative meetings intended to address the legal and political status of their territories within Puntland have not yet taken place.
Clarification
The Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Democratization of the Puntland Government clarifies the following:
In accordance with Articles 7 (clauses 1 and 2) and Article 138 (clauses 1 and 2) of the Puntland Constitution, the regions of Sool and Cayn (Dhulbahante areas), and the clans inhabiting them, fully participated in the founding of the Puntland Administration in 1998.
For any clan or area within Puntland to form a separate administration, there must first be a legal process, including thorough consultation among all the founding communities of the Puntland state as agreed in 1998.
Given the desire of the Dhulbahante community to establish their own administration, the Ministry states the following:
- Until a legal process is undertaken through inclusive consultation across all Puntland communities, the regions of Sool and Cayn, and the clans residing there, remain integral parts of the Puntland State, in accordance with the Constitution and Puntland’s laws.
- The Puntland Ministry of Interior condemns the blatant interference by the Federal Government of Somalia in the peace and stability of Puntland.
This interference appears intended to undermine the security and governance in Puntland and to sabotage Puntland’s and its international partners’ ongoing fight against global terrorism, including ISIS and Al-Shabaab.
- The Puntland Government urges the people of Puntland to strengthen their unity and safeguard the peace and sovereignty of Puntland.
End.
Hornpost staff Reporter
