A Cabinet minister in Somalia's Puntland government has stated that a military training program for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is producing soldiers 'who join the insurgency', Radio Garowe reports.
Mr. Daud Mohamed Omar, Puntland's Planning and International Cooperation Minister, told the BBC Somali Service during a Tuesday interview that the international community's funding of military training for TFG soldiers in countries like Uganda and Djibouti is "ineffective".
"More than 12,000 security forces have been trained for the TFG with international support. So the question is: Where are they today? Are they defending Mogadishu? No, because most of them have joined the insurgency," Minister Daud told the BBC.
He was answering questions regarding a Sunday press conference he held in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, where the Puntland government announced that it had cut off cooperation with the TFG in Mogadishu.
Minister Daud said the international community has been informed of Puntland's decision but added that Puntland has had "minimal contact" with TFG officials regarding the decision.
He accused TFG President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed of failing on major issues, including security and national reconciliation.
"He [President Sharif] was expected to bring together the Somali people and to establish a peaceful environment where Somalis can discuss and resolve matters, but he did not," said Puntland's planning and international cooperation minister.
'No secession'
Minister Daud answered a question regarding Puntland's decision and its impact on the future of stability in Somalia.
"There are rumors that Puntland wants to secede from Somalia. I want to clarify that this is untrue and that Puntland is not even thinking of secession. We welcome all Somalis to live in Puntland, to invest in Puntland and to come to Puntland for all development initiatives," said Puntland's International Cooperation Minister Daud Mohamed Omar.
He justified Puntland's decision to cut off cooperation with the TFG in Mogadishu as part of "seeking Somali unity by singling out the wrong things."
Minister Daud said Puntland is peaceful and stable and "welcomes all Somalis for a national reconciliation conference."
