GAROWE (KAAB TV) – Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni revealed his latest cabinet lineup on Wednesday night, as conveyed by the president’s spokesperson.
The announcement of the 21 ministers’ names occurred just before midnight at the presidential palace in Garowe.
The majority of the new cabinet members are individuals who served in the previous Puntland cabinet and maintain close ties with President Said Deni. However, there are also newcomers and selections from the opposition included.
Key figures such as Interior Minister Abdi Farah Juha, a trusted ally of President Deni, Information Minister Mohamud Aidid Dirir from Laascaanood, and Internal Security Minister Ibrahim Haji Bakin from Bosaso have retained their positions.
Among the new appointees are Mohamed Abduwahab Ahmed, named Minister of Religious Affairs, Said Jama Qorsheel, a former federal government minister appointed as Minister of Health, and Mohamed Farah Mohamud selected as Finance Minister.
Additionally, Abdullahi Bile Nur, a former federal government minister, has been appointed as Minister of Public Works for Puntland.
Furthermore, Daud Mohamed Omar, a former Puntland minister, has been reinstated as Minister of Planning.
Notably, President Deni has included his staunch opposition figure, Mohamed Abdirahman Farole, son of the ex-president of Puntland, as the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
This decision follows extensive consultations aimed at incorporating opposition voices into the new government structure.
President Deni secured victory in the Puntland election held on January 8, a process where clan elders selected regional lawmakers who subsequently voted for the regional leader.
The relationship between Puntland and the federal government in Mogadishu has been strained, with Wednesday’s cabinet appointments likely maintaining the region’s stance toward the federal government.