Puntland allegedly walk out of Consultative Conference

The Puntland delegation has allegedly pulled out of the on- going consultative conference in Villa Somalia protesting the presence of the Galmudug leadership, an impeccable source has told Goobjoog News.

The delegation led by the state president Abdiweli Mohamed Ali is said to have decided last night to cancel its participation over concerns that it was sharing the same table with Galmudug state which Puntland has vehemently declined to acknowledge since its formation.

Puntland has always opposed and refused to recognise Galmudug over concerns that part of its territory was hived out and given to Galmudug. This has led to a clash with the Federal government whose role was instrumental in the formation process and Villa Somalia even openly campaigned for the current president Abdikarim Hussein Guleed.

The conference which is aimed at finding the way forward for the 2016 elections after the universal vote option was dropped brings together the country’s leadership and international partners including the UN, regional body IGAD and representatives from countries in the region.

There is no comment yet from the Puntland delegation or the Federal government side on this development.