Puntland lawmakers want Somaliland gov’t listed as terror group

Lawmakers in Puntland have proposed a resolution calling for Somaliland to be listed as a terror organization, accusing it of collaborating with the militant insurgent group Al-Shabaab.

Lawmaker Ahmed Hiriir Gaas, a member of parliament who presented the proposal on behalf of regional MPs, argued that Somaliland would make it easier for al-Shabaab to enter Erigavo from the mountains of Al Madow and Galgala, where al-Shabaab has hidden bases.

He also said that Somaliland was directly responsible for the killings in Las Anod, saying that they had official information that Somaliland was employing people with links to Al Shabab in the Sool, Sanaag and Ayn regions.

“We know that Somaliland brought Al-Shabab fighters from Al Madow and Galgala from Burao, Beer and Erigavo.

“It is known all over the world that Somaliland is helping Al-Shabaab and does not want security in Somalia to improve,” he said.

It is not the first time Puntland has accused Somaliland of having close ties to al-Shabaab. Still, Somaliland has repeatedly dismissed those claims and described Puntland’s security forces as incompetent in handling its security threats.

Al-Shabaab fighters have operated out of the sparsely populated Galgala mountain ranges for years. Militants attacked Puntland Security Forces on Saturday morning, marking the first major assault by the group in months.