The U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative to Somalia (SRSG) and Head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), Ambassador Anthony P. Mahiga led a four-member U.N. delegation on his first official visit to Puntland State of Somalia.

Ambassador Mahiga's delegation was received at Garowe International Airport on Wednesday morning by Puntland presidential staff, Cabinet ministers, and U.N. staff based in Garowe, the state capital of Puntland.

The delegation of the U.N. Special Envoy includes: Ms. Nene Bah, the Special Assistant of the UN SRSG; Mr. Fredrick Maliya, the regional coordinator for UNPOS; and Mr. Asido Yellow-Duke, the Military Adviser for UNPOS, all based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr. Abdi-aziz Mohamed, the National Political Officer for UNPOS, led the visiting delegation on a tour of key properties such as a new IDP settlement camp under construction, as well as the U.N. compound in Garowe.

After the tour, Ambassador Mahiga's delegation was received at the State House in Garowe by the President of Puntland, His Excellency Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole).

The Puntland President and the U.N. Special Envoy held a closed-door meeting at the State House in Garowe.

The two officials emerged from the President's office and held a joint discussion forum at the Conference Room in the presence of Cabinet officials, where President Farole summarized the key points of their discussion.

"We discussed issues regarding peace, stability and development in Somalia, as well as strategies for achieving sustainable peace across Somalia," President Abdirahman Farole said.

The Government of Puntland presented exclusive coverage of the Galgala Conflict between Puntland government forces and rebels linked to Al Shabaab terror group. Puntland's government declared military victory after seizing control of all terrorist hideouts and training camps in Galgala a mountainous zone, southwest of Bossaso in Puntland's Bari region.

The U.N. delegation was awed as they were shown various photographs from the three-month Puntland military offensive in Galgala area that concluded last month.