US issues statement on Bosaso fighting
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The United States has strongly opposed today’s clashes in the port city of Bossaso, the capital of Bari region, between Puntland Security Forces (PSF) and Puntland forces.
A statement from the US Embassy in Mogadishu called for an immediate end to the fighting in Bossaso and a return to the negotiating table.
The PSF is trained by the United States to fight terrorism, which means that the United States is very interested in this and must intervene in the conflict to avoid embrassement.
According to our sources, the US Embassy has twice spoken to Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni since the crisis broke out between PSF officials, ordering him to find a non-violent solution to the crisis.
President Deni appears to have ignored a request from the US Embassy in Somalia to avoid what happened in Bossaso this morning, but has opted to implement a decree dismissing the director general.
The PSF and Puntland forces loyal to Deni have been fighting for hours in Bossaso today, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.
The fighting started in the early hours of this morning in Bossaso, killing three people, two of them civilians.
Six Puntland soldiers from the Statehouse were reportedly wounded, while the PSF with eight wounded. The number of civilians injured in the fighting is estimated at seven.
Authorities in Bossaso have blamed Gorgor forces for the fighting, and for firing mortars into parts of the city.
This comes at a time when recent talks to end the crisis in Bossaso have failed, after the two sides failed to agree on a resolution.
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