Failed in Puntland, Deni wants to lead troubled Somalia

Deni counts on 37 Puntland representatives in the 11th Federal parliament and some from Jubaland, where his friend Ahmed Madobe is working on his election.

News Keydmedia Online
20 March 2022

GAROWE, Somalia – After a failure in Puntland leadership, regional leader Said Abdullahi Deni announced on Saturday his candidacy for Somalia's presidency.

Deni made the announcement of his intent to vie for the top seat during an event held for new 37 MPs elected from Puntland at the presidential palace in Garowe.

In his speech, Deni urged all presidential candidates in Mogadishu to unite against the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo who is seeking re-election.

The Puntland president did not outline his political program despite describing the sole goal of his candidacy as a campaign to replace Farmajo, his political opponent.

Deni counts on 37 Puntland representatives in the 11th Federal parliament and some from Jubaland, where his friend Ahmed Madobe is working on his election.

Sources say Madobe and Deni joined hands to fight Farmajo and oust him after Villa Somalia waged war against their regional states during the past five years.

Deni was a candidate in the 2017 election in which he lost to Farmajo who gained financial support from Qatar through Fahad Yasin, his current security advisor.

After four years of chaotic leadership, Deni will leave Puntland with a legacy of conflict, division, insecurity, growing Al-Shabaab, and ISIS threats and inflation.

KEYDMEDIA English