CHARM OFFENSIVE: Gaas off to UAE amid military trainers pull-out
By T.Roble
Puntland President Abdiweli Gaas Saturday jetted off to Abu Dhabi in a diplomatic charm offensive days after UAE trainers reportedly left Puntland in the wake of a diplomatic fall-out between Somalia and the Gulf nation.
Gaas told reporters Saturday he was heading to UAE for talks with the Emirati government over the training and support of the maritime police which have been under UAE support for over a decade now.
“I am heading to UAE with the main agenda being security. In particular, the PMPF (Puntand Maritime Police Force) which has been receiving support from the UAE for over 10 years,” said Gaas.
The Puntland leaders who has since broken ranks with the Federal Government over the UAE relations Somalia said his visit to the Gulf country was instrumental in ‘completing the process of defending the country from terrorists such as ISIS’.
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Gaas dismissed claims last week UAE trainers had pulled out of Puntland terming it as ‘unadulterated nonsense’. The Puntland leader who is facing an election battle later in the year was reacting to a stand-off at Bosaso airport last week after UAE trainers were allegedly denied to carry with them military wares out of Puntland.
“There were rumours UAE is leaving Puntland; that their airplane was denied departure from Bosaso. These are unadulterated nonsense,” Gaas charged rebuking social media users for spreading ‘false information’.
UAE announced last week it was ending its military training and salary support to over 2,000 Somali soldiers and went ahead to close Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Mogadishu following the seizure of $9.6 million from a UAE plane by authorities in Mogadishu. But Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Awad said Friday the government will return the funds which Gaas has indicated more than a third of it was meant for Puntland forces.
READ ALSO: Puntland differs with Fed Govt, insists UAE military ‘here to stay’
$3.6m of seized amount in Mogadishu meant for Puntland forces-Gaas
The Puntland leader could also be expected to reinforce his assurance to the UAE regarding the Bosaso port concession which now hangs in the balance after Mogadishu declared UAE was no longer welcome for business in Somalia following the Berbera port dispute. The 30 year concession whose shareholding details remain out of the public domain was secured by P&PO ports, a subsidiary of the state owned DP World last year.
A DP World spokesman quoted by Reuters Friday said the process of developing Bosaso and Berbera ports were on course. “Both Puntland and Somaliland have urged DP World to expedite construction.”
Gaas also told journalists he would be pursuing bilateral talks on infrastructure development, health and education.
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