1 August 2001
The UN on Tuesday suspended all UN flights to Bosaso, the commercial capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, because of tension over control of the town's seaport and airport by armed groups, a UN source told IRIN. The UN had moved all its staff who were working at the airport from the facility into safer compounds within the town, said the source. All UN staff had also been moved from the port into other UN compounds after the militia guarding it switched allegiance on 29 July.
The militia had taken the action in support of the new administration named by clan elders on 25 July, a local journalist told IRIN on Monday. Puntland elders who were meeting in Garowe, the regional capital, to discuss the controversy surrounding the extension of the mandate of President Abdullahi Yusuf and his administration last week confirmed Puntland Chief Justice Yusuf Haji Nur as "acting president" until new elections are held on 31 August.
Meanwhile, the Bosaso business community on Tuesday night issued an appeal to all concerned to safeguard "the security and stability" of Puntland, a local journalist told IRIN. A committee of businessmen had been formed to try to resolve the region's leadership dispute, he said. "They are working with the elders to arrest the situation before it gets out of hand," Muhammad Deq, editor of the Bosaso-based newspaper 'Sahan', told IRIN. There had been continuous meetings of elders and business people over the last couple of days to find a solution he said. These efforts had moved into high gear since Tuesday because of the increase of armed militia in the town, he added. "The priority now is to make sure no gun is fired," Muhammad Deq said. Bosaso remained calm, but tense, he told IRIN on Wednesday.
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