PUNTLAND: President Said Abdullahi Deni is touring eastern Puntland, visiting Ufeyn and Iskushuban districts in Bari region, before heading to Xafuun, Bargaal and Gumbax in Ras Asayr region.
The Presidency says the tour is aimed at assessing development and social needs and meeting communities in some of Puntland’s most remote areas.
Xafuun is expected to be a significant stop. The area previously hosted PSF forces viewed by the Puntland administration as aligned with the Federal Government, before Puntland moved to bring such positions under its control.
Some opposition figures say the wider tour also carries a political message to Mogadishu — demonstrating Deni’s authority and his administration’s reach following the recent confrontation with federal-aligned forces.
The Presidency has presented the trip as a community and development-focused tour.