GAROWE, Somalia July 19 (Garowe Online) - A group of traditional elders representing Somali clans in the country's northeast have postponed a crucial conference by one month, citing requests from fellow elders and intellectuals.

Traditional elders Sultan Mohamed Garase and Sultan Subeyr Haji Mohamud held a joint press conference Saturday in Garowe, capital of the northeastern Puntland province.

The region's influential elders issued a public statement last month calling for a conference to 'save Puntland' to open in Garowe on July 20. [ READ: Clan elders call for conference to 'save Puntland']

But the conference has now been rescheduled to officially open on August 20, giving enough time for delegates from the regions and aboard to attend the opening ceremony in Garowe, according to Sultan Garase.

"We [elders] did not inform the [Puntland] Administration about this conference," Sultan Garase admitted, responding to the Puntland information minister's prior remarks that the regional government was "not aware" of the conference. [ READ: Puntland Cabinet adopts new constitution]

Sultan Subeyr told the reporters that the upcoming conference is aimed at "correcting matters" with the government of Puntland, while underscoring that the traditional elders have always played a critical role in the region's affairs.

The elders' appeal for a conference to discuss the 'future of Puntland' comes at a time the incumbent administration of President Adde Muse has been accused of corruption and power abuse.

Critics say that, under Muse's rule, Puntland has undergone an unprecedented rise in crime, including piracy and human trafficking.

Source: Garowe Online