Sunday August 17, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – Puntland regional state leader Said Abdullahi
Deni has praised the United Arab Emirates for supporting Puntland in reforming
its police force, upgrading facilities, and providing weapons, saying his
administration needs a strong defense to counter multiple security threats.
Speaking Saturday at a ceremony marking the graduation of
500 university graduates who completed seven months of police training, Deni
said Somalia is in a difficult period where “statehood and tribalism have
mixed,” stressing that Puntland remains committed to protecting and
strengthening its institutions.
“After 27 years, when Puntland has seen the circumstances in
the country and the challenges that were previously established and have not
yet been truly overcome, it is necessary that the general policy of the
Puntland government be one that enhances its state institutions, so that they
can overcome the previous stages and reach a far more appropriate level. We
want the administration established in 1998 to be an administration that stands
on solid foundations and will never waver again,” he said.
Deni’s remarks come as tensions between his administration
and Somalia’s federal government remain unresolved, with political disputes
persisting as the country heads toward elections next year.