Somalia’s Special Envoy for Drought Response, Abdirahman Abdishakur, will travel to Garowe tiday to meet with Puntland officials on behalf of the federal government.
The envoy’s trip to Garowe comes a day after Puntland regional state turned back a plane carrying humanitarian relief from the federal government after it landed at Bosasso airport. A delegation led by Sadiyo Yasin Samatar, the first deputy speaker of the lower house, was also traveling with the plane.
Puntland interior minister Mohamed Abdirahman Dhabanad told local media that the delegation did not contact authorities to arrange for a reception and added that Puntland is ready to work with the federal government. However, Sadiyo Yasin Samatar denied allegations by the Puntland regional state that the provincial administration was unaware of her humanitarian trip to Bossaso.
The death toll in the confrontation between Puntland Security Forces (PSF) and Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) over receiving the delegation and the humanitarian aid climbed to 16 people. PSF forces waiting to escort the delegation clashed with PMPF forces implementing the order from authorities.
According to reports, representatives from the federal government and Puntland regional state spoke on the phone to resolve the incident. The envoy’s visit to Garowe is also based on an assessment of the drought in Puntland.
