A high-level delegation from the international community arrived in Garowe on Monday, led by the European Union Ambassador to Somalia, Francesco Di Mauro. The delegation also includes the Danish and Norwegian Ambassadors, H.E Steen Sonnen Andersen and Merete Dyrud, as well as diplomats from Sweden and Switzerland. They were welcomed at Gen. Mohamed Abshir Airport by Puntland’s Planning Minister, Hon. Da’ud Bisle, and the Director General of the Presidential Palace. During their visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet with senior officials, including Puntland’s President, Saed Abdilahi Deni. They will also attend a high-level meeting focused on Puntland’s development plan. President Deni is expected to return to Garowe after concluding a crucial meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where diplomatic relations between Somalia and the UAE have been strained. President Deni’s visit to Abu Dhabi is part of a three-day trip that also included a visit to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. This visit comes at a time when relations between the UAE and Somalia have been strained, with the Somali Federal Government rescinding all security agreements with the UAE. Puntland has strongly rejected this decision, calling it unconstitutional. They argue that the cabinet ministers of the Federal Government do not have the authority to cancel legally binding agreements that are being implemented in Puntland without consulting with them, as stipulated by the Somali constitution.
