DAWLADDA PUNTLAND EE SOOMAALIYA PUNTLAND STATE OFSOMALIA

XAFIISKA MADAXWEYNAHA OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

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PRESS RELEASE

London, 5 November 2000

Statement by 'Arta Faction Leader Abdiqassim Salad' that " Puntland People Support the Arta Government" is irresponsible…

This has reference to Statements " Puntland People Support the Arta Government" allegedly made by the 'Arta Faction Leader Abdiqassim Salad' and reported by the BBC Somali Language from Mogadishu on the 5th Nov 2000.

Puntland State of Somalia considers such statements misleading, reprehensible, provocative and irresponsible.

Puntland State Government, together with our Great Traditional Leaders ( Issims, Islams, Boqor, Ugaas etc ) is entrusted with the Governance of the State.

We would like to remind, again, the Arta Faction that the Puntland People has a democratically elected government with clear mandate to run the affairs of the State. The State is peaceful, slowly but surely, progressing economically, and normal governance institutions have been taking hold. What Puntland has achieved is what eluded the Arta Faction in Mogadishu - namely Peace and Prosperity.

We ask the Arta Faction in Mogadishu to refrain from meddling in the internal affairs of Puntland and other peaceful areas of the country. We are seeing a marked increase in the level of hostilities in country since the Arta Faction was created in Djibouti in August 2000. Puntland had repeatedly warned Somalis and the International Community that the Arta Faction would re-kindle the civil war again. The belligerent statements coming out now may just be the beginning.

One word of caution to the BBC Somali Language - you would do a disservice to the Somali public at large, if you align yourselves with this or that group or faction(s) operating in Somalia. Your information dissemination efforts should reflect the country as a whole. It is indeed your journalistic duty, as an organization, to present the facts to the public as fairly as possible. 

(Signed by)

Ismail H. Warsame

Chief of Cabinet/Office of the President. 

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