Saturday September 6, 2025
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland’s vice president has demanded an end to the practice of compensating families of people killed while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, warning that the payments are obstructing security operations and emboldening substance abuse.
Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor said clans routinely pressure the government for blood money when relatives die intoxicated during clashes with security forces. He described the practice as a major barrier to law enforcement and called for a unified policy to stop it.
“The payment of compensation has made it impossible to address the flow of alcohol and drugs into Puntland,” Lugatoor said. “Every time a drunkard is killed, the body is taken to the morgue so the government can be forced to pay. If a real solution is wanted, that cycle must end.”
Alcohol and drugs continue to move into Puntland despite repeated crackdowns, he added, stressing that clan elders and political leaders must adopt a common stance to address the problem.
In recent years, insecurity tied to substance abuse has escalated in Garowe and other towns, where killings linked to alcohol and drugs have increased pressure on authorities to respond.