Interior minister says: Bakool is part of South-West state

Somali interior minister, Mohamed Hussein Odawaa has commented on the rifts between Southwest State and Newly self-declared UpperBakool.

He said Somali federal government is aware of the political differences believed to have been instigated by newly announced Southwest Assembly.

Speaking to the VOA the minster said his ministry have contacted to the south west state to resolve all the political tensions in the area.

The minister noted that the people living in the Bakool region are part of the south west state and they have their rights in the regional state which should be reserved.

“We are aware of this issue of Bakool and south west state; actually they are always people with grievances when it comes to forming state, we have discussed this issue with southwest and we expect it to be resolved”.

This comes barely a day after Puntland administration expressed its support for Upper Bakool administration which was declared few days ago in Elbarde town.

Puntland said in a press statement released to the media on Sunday that residents of the three districts have a right to self-governance off their neighbor–Southwest State Administration–due to the latter’s failure to address grievances and practices relegating constituent units within the interim state to margins.

“Decision by locals to form their own administration out of Southwest State’ a good step, “reads the statement

South West State of Somalia’s administration opposed the upper Bakool administration.

The minister of information of the south west state Hassan Abdi Mohamed termed the administration as “illegal” and they will not accept it at any moment.

He said the state has representatives in El Barde and they will not recognize another administration that sprung from nowhere