$3.6m of seized amount in Mogadishu meant for Puntland forces-Gaas

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GAROWE: Over three million of the money seized from a UAE plane in Mogadishu last week was meant for Puntland state security forces, the state president Abdiweli Gaas has said as he maintained his confidence in the UAE amid fall-out with the Federal Government.

Speaking in an interview with VOA Somali hours after declaring his support for the Emirati government, Gaas said thousands of Puntland soldiers were depending on the money for their salaries and other areas of need.

“$3.6 million of the amount seized was for Puntland state according to what the ambassador (UAE) told us,” Gaas said. “There are thousands of UAE trained soldiers in Puntland and the money was intended for their salaries and logistics.”

Federal authorities in Mogadishu confiscated $9.6 million from a UAE aircraft last week causing a stand-off which ultimately spiraled into the ending of military support to Somalia by the Gulf nation. Somalia said yesterday however it had received satisfactory response from the UAE and that ‘the Federal Government will work together with the UAE on their utilization’.

Somalia says will work with UAE as Gulf nation halts military support

Gaas Monday dispelled fears of UAE exit from Puntland terming the claims as ‘unadulterated nonsense’.

“UAE is here to stay and they will not abandon Somalia in their hour of need,” Gaas said. “Somalia is going through a difficult period.”

Noting Somalia was at the ‘proverbial cross-roads’, Gaas stated Somalia needed international support and particularly from UAE.

UAE has trained and equipped over 2000 Puntland Maritime Police Force since 2010.

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