Establishment of the Federal State of Puntland Following the outbreak of the
Somali Civil War in 1991, a home-grown constitutional conference was held in
Garoowe in 1998 over a period of three months. Attended by the area's political elite, traditional elders (
Issims), members of the business community, intellectuals and other civil society representatives, the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia was established to deliver services to the population, offer security, facilitate trade, and interact with domestic and international partners. Unlike the republic of
Somaliland to its west, Puntland is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation. However, both regions have one thing in common: they base their support upon clan elders and their organizational structure along lines based on clan relationships and
kinship. However, a key difference was that Puntland was formed as a descendant-based entity unlike in Somaliland. The state was established as a "homeland" for the
Harti community of Northern Somalia, whereby the
Majeerten were deemed as the "chief architects" of the entity. Since its establishment in 1998, Puntland has also been in
territorial disputes with Somaliland over the
Sool,
Sanaag and Ayn regions.
Jama Ali Jama and Abdullahi Yusuf In November 2001, traditional elders elected Osman Mahamud ex-colonel
Jama Ali Jama as the new Puntland President. Jama was a colonel in the Somali National Army from prior to the Barre regime to the mid-70s, promoted to chief ideologue of
socialism in the
Horn of Africa by the
Soviet Union. Yusuf refused to accept the elders' decision on Jama as president, and in December 2001, he seized by force the town of Garowe, reportedly with Ethiopian support. In early May, Yusuf seized Bosaso and controlled Puntland in general. Forces loyal to Puntland president Jama Ali Jama, led by
Adde Muse, withdrew from Bosaso without a fight to avoid the image of conflict between one clan/family in the public eye. Both Yusuf and Jama continued to claim the presidency, and there were continued efforts to resolve the conflict at year's end. A ban on political parties in Puntland remained in place.
President Adde Muse administration After Abdullahi Yusuf's second term came to an end, he was succeeded by his vice president
Mohamed Hashi who hailed from the Dhulbahante clan. After serving just over two months, Hashi lost his re-election bid to
Mohamed Muse Hirsi. In March 2005, President Muse began building the
Bender Qassim International Airport. In April 2007, Muse held meetings with Sheikh
Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the crown prince and deputy ruler of
Ras al-Khaimah in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the two leaders signed an agreement on a deal for setting up of a dedicated livestock quarantine facility to facilitate the import of
livestock from Somalia to the UAE. In October 2008, Muse also signed a
Dh170 million agreement with
Dubai's Lootah Group to support the construction of an airport, seaport and free zone in the coastal city of Bosaso. Muse indicated that "I believe that when we finish all these projects our people will benefit by getting good health services, education and overall prosperity.
President Said Abdullahi Dani administration The Puntland parliament elected a new president on January 8, 2019, in a hotly contested presidential election. Former Federal
Minister for Planning and International Cooperation Said Abdullahi Deni and
Ahmed Elmi Karash were elected as President and Vice-President of Puntland, respectively. Deni won 35 out of 66 votes from regional lawmakers in the third, and last round, defeating 20 other candidates. His closest challenger, General Asad Osman Abdullahi, former Puntland spy chief, received 31 votes. The new president, 52, is widely known for his role in education in
Puntland where he helped establish schools and universities. In 2017, he mounted an unsuccessful run for president of Somalia. Deni campaigned on promoting economic growth and fighting corruption in the relatively peaceful Somali region. "A new chapter has opened for this region, a chapter of unity and brotherly relations among Somalis," the new president said. Puntland's outgoing president,
Abdiwali Mohamed Ali, lost in the first round of the election with only eight votes. On January 8, 2024, Said Abdullahi Deni was re-elected as president of Puntland. He was voted in by 45 out of the 66 members of Parliament. He is the first president in Somalia to be re-elected in Somalia's nascent 64-year history. ==Clan tree==