Somalia PM praises Puntland development, meets Sool community elders

Somalia PM praises Puntland development, meets Sool community elders 27 Aug 27, 2011 - 10:29:01 PM

Somalia's Prime Minister who arrived in the capital of stable state of Puntland on Friday has toured government institutions and met with traditional elders, Radio Garowe reports.

Puntland VP Gen. Shire [left] and TFG Prime Minister Gas

Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Gas, Prime Minister of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG), was accompanied by Puntland Vice President Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire as he visited displaced people's camps and government ministries on Saturday in Garowe, capital of Puntland.

Other delegates on the visit included TFG Education Minister Ahmed Aideed Ibrahim and Health Minister Dr. Abdiaziz Sheikh Yusuf. Puntland Health Minister Dr. Ali Abdullahi, Education Minister Abdi Farah Juha and Interior Minister Gen. Abdullahi Ahmed Ilkajir assisted with the visit.

The first visit was to IDP camps in Garowe, where Prime Minister Gas listened to the IDP communities' concerns. Briefly addressing the communities, the Prime Minister acknowledged that pledged aid "arrives late sometimes," but he promised to continue to attract the international community's eyes to the situation in Somalia.

Puntland Interior Minister Gen. Ilkajir said Puntland currently hosts nearly 400,000 IDPs from southern Somalia and noted that the international community does not provide adequate aid and support to these communities.

Prime Minister Gas received a big welcome at Puntland's Ministry of Health, where Ministry officers provided health facts. At Puntland's Education Ministry, Prime Minister Gas was shown a brief account of education in Puntland and offered a book as a gift by the Ministry's printing department.

The Somali leader also visited the campuses of East Africa University and Puntland State University (PSU) in Garowe. At PSU, Prime Minister Gas said he had fond memories as he gave lectures in last year to PSU students in Garowe.

After a stopover at the Ministry of Women's Development and Family Affairs, the TFG Prime Minister and Puntland Vice President jointly addressed local media at the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

"I am happy to see development in Puntland State," said Prime Minister Gas, while underscoring that the TFG would take measures to ensure that "the people's voice is heard" by the international community. He explained his visit to Garowe is to "strengthen relations between the TFG and Puntland."

Puntland Vice President Shire thanked Prime Minister Gas for taking the time to visit Puntland, while commending Puntland government ministries and educational institutions for all the hard work and commitment.

Later on Saturday, Prime Minister Gas met with community elders from Sool region, where Somaliland's separatist government claims ownership and has created instability in northern Somalia. Sool community elders consider Somaliland's presence in Las Anod (capital of Sool region) as an "occupation" but Somaliland claims ownership based on defunct colonial-era boundaries.

The media was not allowed during this closed-door discussion between Prime Minister Gas, Puntland Vice President Shire and Sool community elders.

It is the first visit to Puntland since his appointment as Somali Prime Minister in June.

Puntland State, located in Somalia's northeast, has been a self-governing region since 1998. The state supports a federal system of government in Somalia and has cooperative agreements with the TFG, which have not been implemented to date.

GAROWE ONLINE