August 1, 2007 (BOOSAASO, Somalia) —
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG)
and the autonomous state of Puntland have agreed to
integrate Puntland forces in the Somali national
army, a local radio reported.
Somalia Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed arrives in
Khartoum Sudan Wednesday, June 21, 2006.
The president of Somalia, Abdullahi
Yusuf Ahmed, who is visiting areas controlled by
Puntland regional administration, has reached
agreements with Puntland to integrate the Daraawish
forces with the government forces, Radio Shabeelle
reported today.
The agreement was announced at the
parliament hall in Puntland and was attended by the
federal government and Puntland leaders. The
agreement reached include that the Somali federal
government takes over the Daraawish forces of
Puntland in order to integrate them into the
national armed forces so that they participate in
efforts to return peace into the country.
The government will pay equiping and
funds used on the forces. Also the federal
authorities is to take over the naval forces of
Puntland and pay funds used to equip them. The
Puntland naval forces are said to have the
capability of guarding the Somalia coast.
As result of Somalia instability, in
1998, Puntland declared its autonomy. Although it is
a tribal-based separation under the presidency of
Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, the current Somali president
who was the deputy president of the (Somali
Salvation Democratic Front).
Since 1998, Puntland has been in
territorial disputes with Somaliland — which
proclaimed its independence in 1991 —over the Sool
and Sanaag regions. Yusuf was an army major when he
sought political asylum in Ethiopia. He led the
first group of resistance fighters belonging to
Majeerteen tribe, whose ultimate goal was to free
Somalia from dictatorship
