New president a “clan leader”

Leader of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmad, said he might talk to the newly elected Somali president as a clan leader, but would not recognise him in a national capacity. “I will not talk to Salad as a president of Somalia, but maybe as a clan leader from Hawiye political factions”, Abdullahi Yusuf told AFP in Nairobi. He said the newly elected president, Abdiqasim Salad Hasan, should “first establish a regional government for his clansmen before pointing his hostile fingers in the most stable parts of Somalia, such as Puntland and Somaliland”.

The leaders of Somaliland and Puntland have both rejected the appointment of Abdiqasim Salad. In the interview with AFP, the Puntland leader denied importing weapons in violation of a UN embargo, but admitted sending more security people to towns in the region under his control. Since arriving in Nairobi two weeks ago, where he was briefly hospitalised for liver treatment, Abdullahi Yusuf has met with other faction leaders who oppose the new president, AFP said.