Friday April 12, 2024
FILE - Puntland's Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor
Garowe (HOL) - Puntland's Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor warned that amending Somalia's constitution might lead to the country's division. He singled out President Hassan Sheikh would be solely responsible if such a split occurs.
This warning came in the wake of Puntland's declaration of its intent to function autonomously, a move prompted by the approval of proposed amendments to Somalia's constitution by lawmakers in the federal parliament in Mogadishu.
Puntland contends that the constitutional amendment process was conducted without the input of the Federal Member States and has criticized the entire procedure as unilateral.
Following the vote, Puntland's government sent delegates to Ethiopia to discuss deeper cooperation between the Puntland administration and Ethiopia, further angering the federal government, particularly in light of Ethiopia's contentious MoU that it signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Puntland also criticized the Somali federal government's decision to shut down the Ethiopian consulate in Garowe.
Meanwhile, President Hassan Sheikh insisted that internal issues should not drive the nation to seek foreign intervention. He reiterated the government's commitment to enforcing the recent amendments to Somalia's constitution.