The head of Somalia’s oil-rich Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, announced late Saturday that he’s running for Somalia’s 2022 presidency, following a meeting with new members of parliament elected from that region…
The leader, who is a critic of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, made the announcement in Garowe, the state’s regional capital in a televised speech.
“I’m running for Somalia’s 2022 top seat. I have the quality and passion to deliver. My main focus is to remove the incumbent president Mohamed Farmajo democratically,” said Deni, referring to the country’s president by his other name.
Puntland, a semi-autonomous northeastern region of the low-income nation in East Africa, is believed to be rich in oil and gas. It has also been battling an insurgency by militant groups since 2010, including the Islamic State in Somalia and al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
