Puntland Elders Close Ranks, Vow to Defend Regional State Amid Escalating Tensions with Mogadishu

Garowe (WDN) – Puntland’s traditional leadership has intensified its opposition to what it describes as attempts by Somalia’s Federal Government to destabilize the autonomous state, with one of the region’s most influential elders declaring that Puntland’s institutions and stability are “non-negotiable.”

Suldan Said Mohamed Garaase, a senior traditional leader in Puntland, issued a strongly worded statement affirming that Puntland’s elders are united in their determination to defend the state’s existence against what they view as externally driven efforts to undermine its institutions.

“We will not allow anyone to destroy Puntland. We are prepared to pay any price to defend it,” Suldan Garaase declared. His remarks come at a time of heightened political and security tensions between Puntland and the Federal Government, as both sides trade accusations over troop movements and alleged efforts to alter the region’s political and security landscape.

The Suldan stressed that Puntland’s traditional leadership would not accept what it sees as attempts by the Federal Government to dismantle a functioning regional administration that has enjoyed relative peace and institutional continuity for decades. He urged Puntland’s political opposition to distinguish between disagreements with President Said Abdullahi Deni and the survival of Puntland itself, warning that political rivalries should never be allowed to threaten the foundations of the state. “