Somaliland senator suspended for attending ceremony in Puntland
A senator in Somaliland has been suspended from the House after attending the coronation of a Sultan in Puntland region.
The Upper House (Guurti) said Tuesday it was suspending Senator Sultan Ismael Sultan for ‘violation of the House Standing Orders.
“He (Sultan Ismael Sultan Abdirahman) has been suspended from work for violating the Standing Orders of the Guurti,” deputy speaker Sa’id Ali Jama told reporters.
The suspension of the senators comes days after another elder, Boqor Buurmadow was arrested and released for attending the same ceremony. The leaders who included Puntland President Abdiweli Gaas attended the coronation of Beeldaaaje Mohamed Beeldaaje Ismael, the 19th Sultan of the Ali Salehman sub clan in Armo, Bari region in Puntland.
Somaliland authorities have in the recent past launched a crack-down on activists including the sentencing of poetess and activist Naema Qorane to three years imprisonment for ‘bringing the state in contempt’ through social media posts.
Mohamed Kayse Mohamoud, an author was last week handed an 18 month jail time for social media posts which according to the charge sheet indicated the author referred to Somaliland President Muse Bihi as ‘local’.