Puntland security authorities in the Bari region on Friday night halted a public forum in Bosaso that was focused on “Somali Unity and Puntland’s Political Debate,” according to organizers.
The event, organized by the Masaf Center, was being held at a hotel in Bosaso when security personnel from the Bari Regional Police Division arrived and ordered the organizers to stop the gathering.
The intervention came only minutes after the forum had begun, with officials telling the organizers that the event had been suspended on government orders.
The forum was part of a broader series of public and political discussions examining different views on Somalia’s unity and Puntland’s role in the country’s political affairs.
The discussions come amid renewed debate over Puntland’s political position within Somalia and speculation surrounding claims that the regional administration could seek a different political status from the rest of the country.
Similar public discussions on Somalia’s political future and national unity have previously been held in Garowe.
However, Puntland’s government and security authorities have not publicly explained why the Bosaso forum was halted or identified the specific government order under which the gathering was suspended.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions in Somalia, with disagreements between the federal government and Puntland continuing over constitutional issues, elections and the structure of relations between the federal government and federal member states.
The suspension of the forum is likely to add to questions about the space available for public debate on sensitive political issues in Puntland.