Puntland leader urges TFG leaders to 'quit dispute, work for Somalia'

The president of Somalia's stable region of Puntland has called on the leaders of the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to stop their dispute with each other, Radio Garowe reports.

Puntland President Abdirahman Farole

Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, Puntland's leader, told the BBC Somali Service during a Sunday interview that "Puntland is neutral and the best party" to help resolve the political rift between TFG President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the Prime Minister, Mr. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake.
"This dispute is bad for Somalia and we are saddened by it. Somalia does not need any more political infighting especially when there is a UN meeting in New York on September 24th that will focus on Somalia," said President Farole, who is currently in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The president stated that he personally spoke with President Sharif and Prime Minister Sharmake and urged both men to restrain themselves and to stop the dispute, adding: "However, it seems to me that the President [Sharif] is not ready to find a solution and I could tell this from his words."Read More