Garowe (AX) — Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has warned that foreign governments are exploiting the fight against piracy to justify deploying forces along Puntland State’s coastline and gaining access to its maritime resources.
Speaking on Sunday, Deni said Puntland State would reject any anti-piracy mission that was used to legitimize foreign military operations in Somali waters.
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“Puntland State is told it has failed to combat piracy, and foreign forces are then brought to our shores to take our resources,” Deni said.
Deni also opposed the killing of civilians during operations conducted under the banner of fighting piracy.
He said Puntland State was capable of addressing piracy without intervention by foreign militaries.
The regional president pointed to earlier international anti-piracy missions off Somalia, arguing that marine resources fell during periods when foreign forces operated in the country’s waters.
He urged Puntland State’s population and the international community to support efforts to contain piracy, while cautioning that the issue must not be used to interfere in Puntland State or extract its natural resources.
Deni spoke days after Somalia’s federal government announced that, in cooperation with Türkiye, the MV LUTUF had been released from pirates off Puntland State’s coast following a military operation.
Puntland State has challenged that version of events, saying a ransom was paid to secure the vessel’s release.
Pirates hijacked the MV LUTUF off Puntland State earlier this month, reviving concerns about maritime security and the return of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
