At a time the Republic of Somaliland has made the greatest number of overtures for Somaliland-Somaliland peace and rapprochement between the two sides, the Puntland Federal State of Somalia steps up its political and military subversive operations against Somaliland.
His Excellency the President pardoned 14 Puntlander prisoners on Monday, 27 May. Puntland did not reciprocate with three prisoners it reportedly held.
Instead, Puntland stepped moves aimed to sabotage the military as well as governance structures of the Somaliland side, starting with the latter’s presence in areas east of Erigavo, the regional capital of Sanaag region – the largest, easternmost region of Somaliland – a former Protectorate of Great Britain from 1884 to 1960.
On the same day the Puntland prisoners were being released and the days that immediately followed, Puntland was busy ‘receiving and welcoming to their homeland’ – meaning Puntland, uniformed men it said formerly belonged to the 93rd and 116th brigades of the Somaliland army, stationed in Sanaag East positions.
Abdihakim Mohamed Ahmed ‘Doobo Daareed’, the House Speaker of the Puntland Parliament headed the welcoming committee of what they termed as military rank and file and civilian officials changing allegiance to Puntland. A ceremony to mark the event was held at Balli Busle on the Somaliland side of the boundary with Somalia’s Puntland state.
The Puntland Ministers of Education, Internal Security and Animal Husbandry and several Vice Ministers of the Puntland administration were, also, present.
There, the Somaliland army markings and insignia was stripped of the reneging units and replaced with that of Somalia.
Speakers, beside themselves on the morale and diplomatic they read into the occasion, called residents of the area to ‘defend their dignity and integrity’ against the ‘invaders’ – meaning Somaliland
Heeding repeated calls from the UN, EU and the AU, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Somaliland, Musa Bihi Abdi, had always made it clear the four-point starting platform the international partners brokered would be fully honoured by the Somaliland side.
Exchange of prisoners captured during armed engagements between the two sides was one of them. That humanitarian assistance going either be given safe passage and that the two sides open communication channels between them also figured in the negotiated list.
The new developments in the Sanaag area and the sabotage moves the Puntland side appears to have picked up, do not augur very well for ease of tensions between Somalia and Somaliland.
Puntland hosts a renegade, self-decorated general whom it has given a base from which to wage running skirmishes with the Somaliland army. Through Puntland, Somalia is believed to be footing the living and armament bills.
Somalia and Somaliland share pre-union, pre-independence borders through the federal Somalia state of Puntland.
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