Saturday November 11, 2023
Garowe (HOL) - Puntland regional state leaders, led by Said Abdullahi Deni and Vice President Ahmed Elmi Karash, met with Catriona Laing, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia, in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland State, on Saturday.
During the meeting, various issues were discussed, including the humanitarian situation in the Sool region, the impacts of the El Nino rains, and the upcoming Puntland elections.
The UN envoy's visit to Garowe coincided with the Union of Puntland Opposition Candidates meeting in the town on the same day. During their gathering, the opposition candidates called for a peaceful resolution to the political uncertainty in Puntland during this transitional period.
Speaking to the media in Garowe, the opposition candidates urged international partners to continue supporting political stability and facilitating consensual elections. They also distanced themselves from the recent clash between security forces and militia forces at Garowe Square, which resulted in the death of a girl and injuries to several others.
President Deni, with less than three months remaining in his term, remains steadfast in his commitment to conducting a one-person, one-vote election on January 8, 2024.