Puntland celebrates 21st anniversary of its formation

Garowe, Aug 01 (Somaliland.com):- Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland today celebrates its 21st anniversary as a state, which was established in Garowe, the administrative capital, on August 1, 1998.

Top Puntland government officials including  President Saeed Abdullahi Deni, , traditional elders, intellectuals and hundreds of Puntland’s residents attended the ceremony in the capital Garowe.

In attendance were also Parliament Speaker of Federal Somalia, Mr Mohamed Mursal, MPs and other government officials.

Security was tightened in major towns of the state, where Puntland security forces could be seen throughout, particularly Garowe, closing streets and checking cars.

Somalian Prime Minister Mr Hassan Ali Khayre congratulated on Twitter the government and the people Puntland-State of Somalia, for their 21st Anniversary of state formation.

After the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, traditional leaders from Puntland met in Garowe, and after a series of conferences, they finally announced their own semi-autonomous state of Puntland on August 1, 1998.

Although it operates as a semi-autonomous region, Puntland leaders vowed they will always be part of the Republic of Somalia.