Puntland conference hall still closed

Armed militia are still denying entry into the conference hall of the general congress of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, a local journalist told IRIN on Monday. The militia, which took over the hall on 7 November, were insisting that they would not leave the hall until all salary arrears had been paid, Adan Abdirahman Dolar, editor of the Garowe-based Nugal Times, said. The militia claim they have not been paid for three months. Meanwhile, Usman Gureye Karshe, one of the delegates, told IRIN that the matter was on the brink of being resolved, because the money to pay the militia was now available. "We have already given them payment vouchers to draw their salaries," he said on Monday, adding that he was hopeful that all the militia will be paid by "today and that the conference will reconvene tomorrow". Karshe denied former Puntland leader, Abdullahi Yusuf's, claim to have been behind the action of the militia, and that it was meant to undermine the conference. "This was a local action and had nothing to do with anyone else," Karshe said. He was certain, he said, that, once payment had been effected, the matter would disappear. A press statement issued by Isma'il Warsame, the spokesman of Abdullahi Yusuf, had claimed that the "state government of Puntland has restored law and order in Garowe". Karshe dismissed this, saying that Abdullahi Yusuf had insufficient influence to stop the conference. He went on to say he was confident that the conference, which had been in the process of hearing the speeches of the last four presidential candidates, as a prelude to the start of voting, would complete its proceedings "this week", by which time a president and vice-president would have been elected.