Somalia : Garowe District Land Department Director Resigns Over Land Grabbing Allegations

Mohamed Abdi Mohamed accuses Garowe's Mayor of illicit land deals and cites political interference in his decision to step down

Garowe City, Puntland - Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, the director of the Land Department of Garowe District, announced his resignation in a media statement on Tuesday. He has held the post for 13 months and cited land grabbing as his reason for stepping down.

Mohamed detailed a specific case that prompted his decision involving public land taken from a citizen on the outskirts of Garowe, the capital city of Puntland. He claimed that the Mayor of Garowe, Abdulkadir Mohamed Gedi, sold the land to people close to him.

In the media address, Mohamed stated that he had faced political pressure for opposing the land grab, with the interim governor of Garowe District suspending him twice for 30 days each. He called on Puntland's President, Said Abdullahi Deni, to intervene and requested the Auditor General's involvement.

"I am ready to share any document and evidence with anyone who needs it - the media and the auditor general of Puntland," Mohamed asserted.

Mayor Gedi has not yet responded to the allegations, and attempts by independent media to contact his office have been unsuccessful.

Before assuming his current role, Gedi served as a member of the Puntland presidential staff, explicitly working in President Deni's office to implement the disputed local council district election.

Puntland's capital city had its local council illegally dissolved by the President before he appointed Gedi as the Mayor of Garowe District.

Gedi has now nominated himself as a candidate for the Mayor of Garowe District in the contested Puntland local council elections. He is said to be a candidate representing President Deni's political association in Kaah.

GAROWE ONLINE