Puntland president accused of attempted assassination of Somalia’s deputy parliament speaker

Puntland

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Traditional leaders and politicians from the northeastern semi-autonomous region of Puntland said on Wednesday regional President Saeed Abdullahi Deni was behind an attempted assassination of Somalia’s deputy parliament speaker Sa’diya Samatar.

In a press conference held in Mogadishu, the elders stressed that regional authorities wanted to kill the parliament official in a plane crash as they denied her permission to land at an airport in the coastal town of Bosaso.

On Monday, at least 20 soldiers were killed in a gunfight between units within regional troops outside Bosaso Airport following the forced return of a flight carrying Sa’diya to the capital Mogadishu. A counter-terrorism force that attempted to step in and escort her from the airport, and a rival security force are still in facing positions amid fear of fresh violence.

Sa’diya is an MP from Puntland, she deserved special respect but that did not happen. It was planned that the plane carrying the deputy speaker of parliament Sa’diya, also acting president, to crash on the airport due to lack of fuel,” one cultural leader said.

Puntland leader, who is on a secret visit to Ethiopia, has not yet commented on the accusation which comes amid simmering tensions in the regional state, weeks after authorities announced that they would cease cooperation with the federal government after being irked by the appointment of new Prime Minister.

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