Puntland: Legacy of Closed Door Policy and Political Absenteeism. Haylaan and Sanaag photo ops.

Deni is shown in the front row, wearing an oversized suit that doesn’t fit, smiling nervously while trying to polish his image. Behind him, the elders stand stiff like cardboard cutouts, lifeless props for the PR exercise.

In the background, a giant Puntland map hangs on the wall — but pieces of it are falling off like puzzle parts: Sool and Buuhoodle already missing, Sanaag cracked down the middle, Haylaan dangling by a thread.

On the ground, scavenger vultures labeled “Somaliland” and “SSC-Khatumo” peck at the fallen regions.

Deni is holding a broom, trying to sweep the disappearing map fragments under a carpet labeled “Closed Door Politics”.

A speech bubble from Deni: “See? Puntland is united and strong… as long as you don’t look at the map.”