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| Africa Horn |
| UN report accuses Puntland Prez of weak anti-terrorism policy, piracy links |
| 2014-10-20 |
| GAROWE, Somalia -- United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea has acknowledged in a confidential report that the President of Somalia's North Eastern State of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas has showed extreme reluctance to address the upsurge in extremism, saying his ties to pirate linchpins also remain apparent, Garowe Online reports. The 8-member panel of UN investigators further spotlighted the increasing threat by beleaguered Islamist militants to the state's peace, Al Shabaab infiltration into low-morale Puntland Forces, frailty of security apparatuses and Gaas' links with top pirate leaders. Citing poor cooperation from Puntland presidency and consistent stumbling block by President Gaas himself, UN monitors say:" The Puntland authorities hindrance is indicative of its apparent unwillingness to robustly address the threat of Al-Shabaab". Chief of cabinet at President's Office, Deeq Sulieman Yusuf was initially in contact with the UN investigators but shortly after the cooperation became suspended, the group unveiled that they were again confronted with repeated efforts by the Puntland authorities, in particular the President, to obstruct its investigations into Al-Shabaab activities, both within the territory of Puntland and beyond. |
| Posted by:Steve White |