BOSSASO, Somalia Oct 22 (Garowe Online) - The president of Somalia's Puntland State government has publicly criticized Eritrea for the first time, while warning against perceived threats posed by economic migrants, Radio Garowe.

Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," the Puntland leader, was speaking at a ceremony Wednesday marking the Puntland government's declaration of a new peace agreement between two rival clans who fought over land. READ: Somalia: Puntland govt issues ruling to end clan violence

President Farole spoke at length about security issues in Puntland related to the hundreds of "economic migrants" seeking to work and live in Puntland. He said these migrants come to the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso from locations in south-central Somalia, eastern Ethiopia and other parts of East Africa.

Dr. Abdirahman Farole, President of Puntland

"Some of these people [migrants] come to Bossaso in order to cross the Gulf of Aden and beyond…but among them, there are some who are sent to destroy us," President Farole warned, adding: "Some of them have military training from foreign countries. Eritrea is one of them. There may be other countries."

Puntland's leader said that there is a "distinction between Somali citizens and ethnic Somalis." He said that the Somali Embassy in Yemen is issuing "go home visa to ethnic Somalis and this is unacceptable."

"Only Puntland natives can return home to Puntland," he said, adding that the government will contact the Somali Embassy in Yemen regarding this issue.

Puntland's leader warned the public to remain vigilant about the hordes of unknown persons flocking to major towns in Puntland. He cited a recent example where Puntland security forces arrested an unknown number of suspects, saying: “We know they were trained and we have arrested them."

President Farole strongly stated: "Anyone who was trained as a terrorist cannot live in Puntland. We will not allow anyone to undermine our security or the security of our neighbors, such as Ethiopia."

He said the UN Secretary-General's Under-Secretary for Human Rights, Mr. Walter Kaelin, visited Bossaso earlier this week to discuss the situation of Internally Displaced People (IDPs).

"We told him [Kaelin] that 'enough is enough.' Puntland can no longer afford to live in danger. We told him that the UN can build a big camp outside of Galkayo," President Farole said, while referring to Puntland's southernmost town that connects the peaceful region with south-central Somalia, most of which is ruled by insurgents.

He noted that the unchecked number of persons who enter Puntland daily as IDPs or economic migrants pose serious security threats to Puntland, including terrorism and other dangers.

President Farole urged the Puntland people to have confidence in the government and underlined that the government cannot satisfy the interests of "infinite sub-clans."

"If we appointed 200 Cabinet ministers today, it would not be enough," the President said, adding that clans should not fight over land because "all land belongs to the government."

He praised government organs, private companies and individuals who took part in the effort to stop the Oct. 11 fire that blazed at the Port of Bossaso, Puntland's economic lifeline.

"We are grateful to the last words of [former Somali President] Mohamed Siad [Barre], who built a port and the north-south highway in Puntland," President Farole said to the crowd's applause, while referring to Somalia' s last strongman ruler who was overthrown in 1991.

President Barre took control of Somalia on Oct. 21, 1969, in a bloodless military coup but was overthrown by clan warlords who plunged the Horn of Africa country in years of civil war and national disintegration.

Source: Garowe Online