The regional leader of Somalia´s north eastern state of Puntland Abdiweli Ali Mohamed “Gaas” has said that a deal signed with UAE company DP World is legal despite recent nullification by the Somalia Parliament.
Addressing reporters at a Press Conference in Dubai at the end of a five day invitation by the UAE government Mohamed said that the constitution has given rights to Puntland to sign deals with foreign countries with no interference from the Federal government.
“Somalia is not Mogadishu and Mogadishu is not Somalia” Mohamed told reporters.
“Article 54 of the Puntland constitution stipulates that the government of Puntland may enter into agreement with national and foreign companies and can assign licenses for benefitting from natural resources” he said.
He farther referred to Article 142 of the Somalia Provisional Constitution to back Puntland´s decision to maintain the $ 336M deal with the DP World and the training of the region´s maritime police
“Article 142 of the federal constitution stipulates until that time that all federal member states are established and all the adopted federal member states constitution are harmonized with the Somalia Federal Constitution the Federal member states existing prior to the provisional constitution shall retain and exercise the power heed out by their own constitution accepted both constitutions” he read.
He dismissed ongoing diplomatic row between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi as “hiccups”.
“We believe this will not last long because the relationship and brotherhood cooperation between Somalia and UAE supersedes and is more important than argument. I think this is a wind that will come to pass” Mohamed said.