Puntland State Hosts National Consultive Conference

Fifteen hundred envoys have today gathered at Garoowi, the capital of Puntland State of Somalia to participate in the national consultive conference.

The participants were led by the state’s president, Saeed Abdullahi Deni, who called for the conference. Other dignitaries include former state presidents Abdirahman Faroole and Abdiweli Gaas.

Religious leaders and the very powerful traditional leaders of the North-Eastern state were also present. 

The conference follows the frustration of Puntland with the federal government of Somalia and its waning influence since the end of the transitional federal government in 2012. 

President Deni who opened the conference said the aim is to account for the successes and failures of the past 22 years regarding Puntland and the process for Federalism. 

The president listed the achievements of the state in the past and the current challenges. Among the biggest he said was the dispute with the Federal government. In this regard, he framed the dispute as disagreement on the scope of the powers of the central government and federal member states.

He called on the participants for healthy and open discussion to guide the state’s course in this critical juncture.

However, the conference was shadowed by the novel coronavirus outbreak in the world. The envoys were advised to avoid shaking handshakes and unnecessary physical contact by the state’s ministry of health.

The congregation of such large people was acknowledged to be a high risk of spreading the virus.